Teriyaki sauce is an immensely rich and vibrant sauce straight from the famous cuisine of Japan.
This versatile sauce can be used in so many ways, such as a marinade for meats, or vegetables, as a soup base for delicious noodles, or even just as a side dip for some good finger food.
There’s a reason that the sauce has retained its popularity not just in Japan, but also across the world.
However, as with any good food, the problem of storage soon rears its ugly head. While teriyaki sauce is generally stored in handy glass bottles, and can take well to a simple kitchen pantry, it won’t last forever.
If you’re reading this now, you’ve probably wondered to yourself whether teriyaki sauce is able to go bad, how long it would take, and whether it might last better within a refrigerator.
You aren’t alone with these questions, so this is why we endeavored to find the definitive answers for you so that you can keep your favorite bottle of teriyaki sauce in tip-top shape!
The USDA agrees, stating that shelf-stable soy sauce and teriyaki sauce are safe when stored at room temperature after opening and that quality, not safety, is why these products suggest refrigeration after opening.
Does Teriyaki Sauce Need To Be Refrigerated?
Let’s take a look at the most frequent question we usually hear. Teriyaki sauce does not necessarily require that it be refrigerated.
Teriyaki sauce is well known for lasting a long time even in an opened bottle. However, as with just about any food, placing it in the fridge can help to keep its quality up for much longer.
Thus, you certainly can place teriyaki sauce in the refrigerator, if you want to extend its shelf life slightly.
Placing food in the refrigerator helps to protect it from bacteria and mold that normally thrives in warm or room temperature conditions, hence why you might get some benefit from placing your teriyaki sauce in the refrigerator.
Does Teriyaki Sauce Go Bad?
Teriyaki sauce is well known for lasting a decent length of time, even in an opened bottle. This is largely due to its mostly natural ingredients.
Teriyaki sauce contains soy sauce, sake, and Mirin, amongst other ingredients. These ingredients do not decay or become vulnerable to bacteria quite as easily as some others.
However, Teriyaki sauce can still go bad. An unopened bottle of Teriyaki sauce, placed into a pantry, at room temperature, can last for around 3 years before eventually starting to go bad.
If the bottle is opened, and in the same conditions, then it will likely last around 1 year, before spoiling.
You can maximize the lifespan of a bottle of teriyaki sauce, by placing it into your refrigerator, which helps to slow down the decaying process.
An unopened bottle could last in excess of 3 years, while an opened bottle could last upward of 1 and a half years.
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FAQ
Does teriyaki sauce go bad if not refrigerated?
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