Controversial: The right way to store tomato sauce – fridge or cupboard?

Tomato sauce is a versatile condiment that’s loved world-wide (ketchup in the USA). What’s better than some good ol’ tomato sauce on a boerie with a soft bun and caramelised onions? Even better, when the craving hits, nothing will put the desire to bed other than some slap chips with tomato sauce on the side. 

READ: Make homemade sugar-free tomato sauce 

When doing a quick Twitter search on “where to keep ketchup” the results will have you in stitches and you might even find yourself second guessing whether you’ve been storing your tomato sauce in the right place. One would think that it’s as simple as “fridge or cupboard” but apparently it’s way bigger than that.

The Daily Mail consulted microbiologist, Dr Peter Barratt for his verdict – he say: refrigerate.

He highlighted that tomato sauce has been around for years and long ago no one kept it in the fridge. The reason behind that was because back then tomato sauce contained much more salt (a natural preservative) than it does today.

Tomato sauce manufacturers have had to cut back on the amount of salt added because it’s known to be linked to high blood pressure. He notes that although the vinegar in tomato sauce slows down the rate at which bacteria grows in it, it’s altogether safer to refrigerate it.

If you’re still hellbent on eating luke warm tomato sauce and storing it in your cupboard, make sure that you’re planning to use it up within about a month (the approximate shelf life). If you doubt that you’ll finish the bottle during that time period, be safe and refrigerate.

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