Who doesn’t love pizza sauce? It’s always nice to have some stored in the fridge, but have you ever wondered how long before it’s not safe to eat?
Pizza sauce lasts 5 to 7 days in the fridge once opened since it has no natural preservatives. It also depends on the underlying ingredients, brand, and fridge temperature. Cheese-based pizza sauce expires quicker than tomato-based sauce since dairy ingredients don’t last as long.
In this article, I’ll take an in-depth look at how the different ingredients in pizza sauce determine its lifespan and the optimal fridge temperature you should store yours.
How Long Does Canned Pizza Sauce Last in the Fridge?
Do you have a can of leftover pizza sauce lying around in the fridge and don’t know if it’s still good to go?
Once opened, store-bought canned pizza sauce will keep well in the fridge for about 4 to 5 days. However, cheese-based sauces will last only about 3 days upon opening. Different popular brands of it follow different production standards, so the estimates may vary.
Note that it’s not the best idea to can your homemade sauce since the acid levels might be too low to be safely stored.
To prolong its fridge life, any sauce recipe with tomatoes as an essential ingredient requires specialized acidifying processes, such as adding particular amounts of lemon juice or vinegar. (Source: Food Champs)
Unless you can precisely follow a tested, safe recipe to can pizza sauce from a reliable source, I’d suggest making fresh pizza sauce as and when you need it. It’s not as time-consuming as you may think, and fresh sauce always tastes better than frozen.
How Long Does Pizza Sauce From a Jar Last in the Fridge?
So, you recently bought a pizza sauce glass jar, and you’re wondering if it’s still good for use? Let’s find out.
Once opened, pizza sauce from a jar will last between 5 to 7 days when stored at the optimal fridge temperature of 35°F to 40°F (1.67°C to 4.44°C). If frozen properly, it can last up to 3 months and needs to be thawed overnight before use.
Some manufacturers sterilize their jarred pizza sauce products, which is a process that aims to eliminate all spores and microorganisms using heat.
However, sauce that’s only been pasteurized, and not sterilized, still have resistant forms of spores present in it. Sterilized pizza sauce in a jar lasts marginally longer than a sauce that’s only been pasteurized.
That’s because the latter still has a possibility of spore or microorganism proliferation unless it’s been frozen. (Source: TERRA Food-Tech)
Tip: You should always carefully inspect the jar or can before buying any type of sauce off the shelf to ensure that it’s in good shape. Double-check it when you get home to look for red flags like dents, a bloated-looking jar, or a broken seal.
If sauce starts to seep out as soon as you open it, the sauce isn’t safe to use.
How Long Can Homemade Pizza Sauce Last in the Fridge?
Does homemade pizza sauce last longer or shorter than the canned and jarred ones?
Homemade pizza sauce can last between 4 and 5 days in the fridge at the right temperature. Since it usually has no added preservatives, it lasts slightly shorter than store-bought cans or jars.
However, authentic pizza sauce isn’t too difficult to make at home when you need it. That way, you can prepare it fresh and use it without worrying about its fridge life, storage protocols, and whether or not it’s safe to eat.
Here’s a quick and easy 5-minute homemade pizza sauce recipe you can try out today. (Source: Joy Food Sunshine)
How Long Will White Pizza Sauce Last in the Fridge?
I’ve covered the fridge life of all sorts of the regular tomato-based pizza sauce, but what about white pizza sauce?
White pizza sauce will last in the fridge for no longer than 2-3 days at 35°F to 40°F (1.67°C to 4.44°C). Since the white variant of pizza sauce has dairy ingredients like butter, milk, and cheese, it won’t last as long as regular pizza sauce.
Do Pizza Sauce Ingredients Affect Its Refrigerator Shelf Life?
Since there are so many different types of pizza sauce variations with a unique combination of ingredients, does it impact their refrigerator lifespan?
Pizza sauce ingredients affect its refrigerator shelf life. For instance, pizza sauces with tomatoes as their main component last longer than ones with cheese since dairy products go bad much quicker. White pizza sauce with milk and butter ingredients also has a shorter lifespan for the same reason.
Other factors such as added artificial preservatives in store-bought pizza sauce can also play a role in extending their fridge shelf life. Moreover, adding acidifying agents like lemon juice and vinegar can also positively impact shelf life.
I hope this has cleared up any pizza sauce queries you have – and as I always say, fresh is best!
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