Perhaps you’ve ended up making too much sauce than needed for your spaghetti night and wondered, how long does pasta last in the fridge?
We’ve got you covered! This article includes the answer to your question and some useful tips to store pasta sauce, so it doesn’t go to waste.
How Long Does Pasta Sauce Last In The Fridge?
If you are wondering: How long can you keep pasta sauce in the fridge? How long is open pasta sauce good for? And all other things you are curious about, you will find out the answers for them right below. Keep on reading!
How Long Is Pasta Sauce Good For In The Fridge?
So, how long can pasta sauce stay in the fridge? It really depends on the type of pasta sauce you’re storing here.
For instance, homemade tomato sauce doesn’t last long as it is made from fresh ingredients; hence, they’re preservative-free, unlike mass-produced sauces from grocery stores.
Nonetheless, there are still ways to prolong the longevity of your sauce. If the sauce is stored right, it can last up to 4 – 5 days.
As for pasta sauce shelf life, even though the expiry labels often say it can only stay fresh for three days after opening, it is not entirely true.
After you learn the signs of spoilage and conduct an investigation, you’ll notice that the pasta sauce cannot go expired in a very short time. In fact, when you have a proper storage method, it can stay good for 14 – 20 days.
How Long Does Spaghetti Sauce Last in The Fridge?
Spaghetti sauce that is commercially canned or bottled can last up to 7 – 10 days in the refrigerator once you’ve opened the jar.
For the best outcome, always keep the jar closed after you have taken the needed amount of sauce. That way, your sauce will last longer, and the original taste won’t change much.
If you want to extend the spaghetti sauce shelf life – the unsealed one, you can store it in separate airtight containers and put them in the freezer. They keep the best quality in the first six months and are still edible beyond that time, yet the taste won’t be as good as it used to be.
How Long Does Prego Last in The Fridge?
The Prego sauce expiration date is usually up to 14 days, provided that you keep it in the refrigerator after each use. Plus, it also depends on the temperature of your fridge and the amount of time the sauce is left out of the fridge after being opened.
Prego recommends you use your best judgment to check the sauce’s look and smell before consuming.
How Long Is Ragu Sauce Good After Opening?
The answer to the question “How long does Ragu last?” depends mostly on its type. For cheese-based Ragu sauce, it can last for up to 3 days in the refrigerator, whereas the number goes up to 3 – 5 days for tomato-based Ragu.
We don’t really recommend storing Ragu sauce in the freezer, though. Cream-based sauces should only be served fresh; if you have leftover sauce, it’s best to just turf it and start making the sauce from scratch, or buy another jar.
How Long Does Alfredo Sauce Last in The Fridge?
Since Alfredo sauce is cream-based, it doesn’t last very long.
Once you have opened an Alfredo sauce can, it can only last for approximately one week in the refrigerator. However, it is best to throw out after 4 – 5 days and buy a new can of Alfredo.
That being said, any kind of sauce – cream-based or bechamel-based should only be kept in your fridge for 4 – 5 days at the most.
How To Tell If Pasta Sauce Is Bad?
Whether your food is perishable or not is mainly up to you. Why? It is because the way you store the food will greatly impact its lifespan. For instance, if you let the food expose directly to the sun for a long time, its longevity will shorten for sure.
However, no matter how well you preserve that food, there are inevitable factors that will cut down the time you use them. That can be the expiration date or the ingredients inside.
Pasta sauce is no exception; it can go bad by your way of storage or the expiring date. So, how to identify spoiled pasta sauce? Check for five signs below:
- Mold starts to appear: Mold is one of the most visible signs to tell if your pasta dressing has gone bad or not. When you see moldy pasta sauce, don’t hesitate to throw it away!
- Any discoloration happens: Whenever you see the sauce getting whiter (without being frozen), it might have mold in there and what you have to do is toss it right away. If it turns darker, it means your gravy is oxidizing, and you should never eat it.
- It has gone out of date: In case the pasta sauce expiration passed, you should get rid of it even if you have never opened that jar before.
- The pasta sauce doesn’t smell good: When you smell your “Italian gravy” and find out that it has an almost musty, sour smell, you know it’s time to buy a new one. Occasionally, it might smell like rotten eggs because of the sulfide increase.
- Suppose the sauce’s flavor is distorted: When you taste any tangy or sour flavor in the sauce, it means it has already spoiled and needed replacement.
How To Extend The Life Of Your Pasta Sauce?
Does pasta sauce go bad? Yes, it does. However, it is such a waste of money to keep throwing away spoiled pasta sauce. For every jar of sauce you dumped, you have let $6 fly out of your pocket.
So, is there any way to solve this problem? Yes, of course. Here are the secrets for properly storing pasta sauce to extend its lifespan:
- Put in lemon juice: This sour fruit has a high citric acid level, so it can act as a conservator to naturally extend the shelf life of the sauce. It also can help elevate the flavor of those store-bought sauces with a small kick of tartness.
- Freeze that sauce: Put it in the freezer, and you can lengthen your “Italian gravy” for up to six to eight months. And if you can store it at 0 degrees Fahrenheit, your sauce can remain its quality without a fixed limit.
- Never let the sauce stay out for more than three hours at room temperature: When leaving it out like that, you are giving bacteria chances to grow, and you won’t be able to save your Italian dressing anymore.
FAQs
Do Mushrooms, Meat, Or Other Impact Tomato Sauces’ Shelf Life?
Cheese and meat are the only two fresh elements that can make your sauce go bad due to their oxidation. Other ingredients like basil, garlic, or onion will not actually affect store-bought pasta sauce. During the process of production, the manufacturers always ensure that all the ingredients get cooked and sanitized to avoid any danger when consumed.
Can Old Pasta Sauce Make You Sick?
Yes, it can. Leftover pasta sauce can cause sickness if any mold or bacteria is growing in it. So, it is essential to check that “Italian gravy” before adding it to the pasta. Moreover, never use a sauce left out for more than two to three days as you may be at risk of being sick due to the harmful bacteria developed inside it.
How Long Can You Use Refrigerated Pasta Sauce Served Warm?
Once you heat the pasta sauce to the bubbling point, it can stay in use for 9 to 10 days. The stove’s high temperature will kill almost all the bacteria, which may lead to food poisoning.
How Long Can You Use Refrigerated Pasta Sauce Served Cold?
The way you use the pasta sauce – hot or cold will influence its longevity. The cold version has a shorter lifespan – about 3- 4 days as the bacteria may keep growing when the sauce loses its cold temperature.
Can I Freeze Pasta Sauce?
Absolutely! Why start from scratch when you can store what’s leftover in the freezer?
To freeze pasta sauce, prepare some ziplock bags that have been properly sterilized. If the sauce is still warm, allow it to cool down before letting it into the freezer, or else it will get freezer burn.
Now, scoop a good amount of sauce into the prepared bag; don’t fill up right away but leave some room for expansion. Then, seal the bag tightly and make sure air can’t go through.
Consequently, put this bag into another bag and check whether it’s airtight. Write the date and label on the freezer bag and store it in the freezer. Voilà!
