Cleaning out and reorganizing one’s refrigerator is a task many of us neglect to tackle for long periods of time, and understandably so! Figuring out the best way to organize your refrigerator can be a daunting project.
Many of us often feel as though our refrigerators simply don’t have enough space for everything we need to store. There are, however, a number of items most people keep in their fridge that are, in fact, shelf-stable.
To create more space in your refrigerator for things that need to be kept cool to prevent spoiling, such as produce, consider storing these seven condiments in your pantry instead.
Of course, there are benefits of refrigeration for almost any food item, as cool temperatures can extend the quality of most products. However, it is perfectly safe for many items to be stored at room temperature. We’ll discuss each of the items and proper storage below.
1. Ketchup
A household staple, ketchup is a readily available and very popular condiment commonly stored in most peoples’ refrigerators.
However, think of your last trip to a restaurant for a burger – the red bottle you used for ketchup was already waiting on the table when you arrived. This is because ketchup’s high acid content makes it particularly shelf stable.
Acid prevents bacteria from growing at room temperature, and ketchup is made of a few acid sources; tomatoes and vinegar. Together, both ingredients can preserve ketchup’s quality even without cool temperatures acting as a bacterial preventative.
Most ketchups available at the shelf have quite a low pH level thanks to the acidic components, and therefore don’t need to be refrigerated. However, if you make your own ketchup, be sure to keep it in the fridge – there is no way to tell how acidic a homemade ketchup is, so it’s safest not to leave out.
2. Mustard
Similarly to ketchup, mustard is a common condiment in most homes. If you think back to your burger joint, you may remember that the yellow mustard bottle was also waiting at your table.
This is because, also like ketchup, mustard is quite acidic. Made of dried mustard seeds and vinegar, it has a low pH and is safe to store at room temperature.
Like most other food items, mustard’s shelf life will be extended quite a long time if stored in the refrigerator, and if you prefer a cooler temperature for consumption, then this is a natural choice.
If you make your own mustard, then you should also store it in the refrigerator, as it isn’t possible to tell how acidic, and therefore shelf stable, your mustard is.
3. Honey
Honey is the best candidate for being stored at room temperature – it has one of the longest shelf lives of any food item, lasting for many years when stored properly.
In fact, it fares far better at room temperature than it does in cool or warm temperatures. Refrigeration causes honey to become quite solid and difficult to use.
The best way to store honey, especially if you are buying raw, local honey, is in a tightly sealed glass jar.
While you want to avoid storing your honey in the refrigerator, it is also important to ensure your honey isn’t exposed to heat or direct sunlight, as both can alter the taste and color. Your closed pantry is the perfect spot to store.
4. Soy Sauce
Soy sauce preserves its quality for quite a long time. Let’s employ the same burger joint trick we used for ketchup and mustard, but picture your favorite sushi bar instead. There was soy sauce waiting on the table for you, wasn’t there?
Unopened, it can be stored at room temperature for a few years. After opening, it can continue to sit on your shelf for about that long as well, as long as there is no change in flavor.
Made of soybeans, wheat, salt, and water, the fermentation that takes place in the production of soy sauce stabilizes the mixture and keeps it resistant to bacterial growth.
Be sure to check the smell and taste of your soy sauce if you’re unsure of the quality after storing at room temperature for long periods of time. If they remain unchanged, it is still safe to use.
Occasionally, film yeast (an unharmful yeast that grows in salty environments) may form on the surface – if after you remove, your soy sauce still tastes normal, it is safe to keep using.
5. Fish Sauce
Similar to soy sauce, though much less common, fish sauce is also produced by a fermentation process, though with fish and salt. The high salt content makes it highly shelf-stable and once opened, it is safe to store at room temperature for a couple of years.
As with any other condiment, if you purchase a more expensive or high-quality fish sauce, it may be wise to store it in the refrigerator simply to preserve the quality. Fish sauce can last for years in the refrigerator, so you will always have it on hand for stir fries.
6. Hot Sauce
Hot sauce is an ingredient many store in their refrigerators after opening. However, it actually is highly compatible with a room temperature environment. Need we remind you of your latest visit to a Mexican restaurant, where hot sauce containers sit atop the tables?
Made up of vinegar, salt, and capsaicin, the low pH and salt content make hot sauce extremely resistant to bacterial growth.
After it’s opened, hot sauce can be stored in the pantry for over a year, sometimes much longer. Though most who purchase it will easily consume hot sauce within a matter of weeks, storing your hot sauce in the fridge can keep it stable even longer than if you were to keep it in the pantry.
If you prefer to purchase high-quality hot sauce, keeping it cool in your refrigerator may help to preserve the quality and flavor.
7. Olive Oil
Olive oil is much like honey in that it should be stored in a cool, dark environment where it is not exposed to heat or light. While many keep olive oil next to their stove for ease of use, room temperature is ideal for storing, making it a prime candidate for being kept in the pantry.
If you’ve already opened your olive oil and don’t intend to use it for a long time, it is safe to leave it in the pantry for months.
If you do choose to refrigerate, perhaps because you normally keep your home at a warmer temperature, expect your olive oil to solidify. Before using, you will need to return to room temperature, though repeated cooling and thawing may cause a deterioration in quality over time.
In summary, there are quite a few condiments that you may have been unnecessarily storing in your refrigerator for years. High acid and salt content are two factors that make a food product shelf-stable, and are present in ketchup, mustard, soy sauce, fish sauce, and hot sauce.
Honey and olive oil are neither acidic nor salty, but when stored in cool, dark areas will preserve their quality for long periods of time. Try storing any of these condiments in your pantry to free up space in your refrigerator.