# How long can you keep a marinade or BBQ sauce stored??



## graphicsman

I have a jerk marinade i made awhile back but I'm unsure if i should just make a fresh batch or use it.  I did seal it right after i made it, even placed shrink wrap before the lid as suggested and have kept it refrigerated since.  Also was curious how long a vinegar and tomato based BBQ sauce can be kept if refrigerated?


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## catzcradle

I hope someone with a more safety minded-ness answers you, but I know when I make bbq sauce from Jeff's recipie with some modifications, I've used it up to 3-4 weeks after initial creation in a sealed lock-n-lock style container in the fridge.  But I've been well-known to use things past the recommended safe handling dates if there is no mold or off-smell.  If I have any concerns, I've re-heated the bbq sauce and let it simmer for a bit.

I think it depends on what something is made from.


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## graphicsman

i thought about re-cooking it just incase but dont know if i should or what could happen.  I did read an article that if a sauce is refrigerated immediately and sealed correctly it can keep for up to 6 months, but i dont know.


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## sqwib

graphicsman said:


> I have a jerk marinade i made awhile back but I'm unsure if i should just make a fresh batch or use it.  I did seal it right after i made it, even placed shrink wrap before the lid as suggested and have kept it refrigerated since.  Also was curious how long a vinegar and tomato based BBQ sauce can be kept if refrigerated?


Depends on the amount of vinegar and or salt, and what _awhile back_ is.

Open it up and smell it, if it smells off ditch it. If it was used to marinate anything, trash it!

If it were me I would make a new batch for what the cost of vinegar is, why take the chance on ruining a piece of meat.

And the fact that you are asking, makes you unsure and when you are unsure always err on the side of caution.

However, I have made tomato based barbecue sauces that i have eaten *way way* past what they should be kept.


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## graphicsman

i made the marinade 8 months ago and never used it for anything and just bottled it.


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## chef willie

agree with squib...err on the safe side. ingredients are cheap enuf. I considered my sauce for commercial sale long ago & had a batch tested by a lab that had been stored about a year. Tested out fine....but all sauces are not created equal. If you use anything fresh in it, like peppers or onion, be on the safe side...a few weeks at best. If you make a big batch I'd go with the pressure cooker method to be safe for storage. I make smaller batches so it gets used quicker.


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## graphicsman

whats the pressure cooker method for storage???  im new on the storing.


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## chef willie

graphicsman said:


> whats the pressure cooker method for storage???  im new on the storing.


Then you probably don't have a pressure cooker. Hell, even I don't have one. Some spaghetti sauces and other stuff must be canned under pressure to keep botulism from forming, killing you 6 months later when you have that plate of pasta & home made sauce. http://www.ehow.com/facts_7730144_gaugeless-pressure-cookers-canning-foods.html


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## graphicsman

actually i do have a pressure cooker, lol  just afraid to use it


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## venture

Botulism will not be a factor in a sufficiently acidified environment with some oxygen.

Having said that, I would never store anything like that in my fridge for that length of time.  The amount of acid for that would have to be quite high.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## chef jimmyj

For a Cooked sauce...In to the jar HOT but not processed for storage, 3 months is about as far as I go...

I don't know how you make your Jerk Marinade, but mine is made from Fresh pureed veggies and spices that are not cooked...I will store it, ONE WEEK TOPS...JJ


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## roller

I would not use it...


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## SmokinAl

Holy cow!

I have BBQ sauce that has been in the fridge for a couple of months & still use it.

Never even thought about it going bad.

It looks, smells, & tastes fine.


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## chef willie

SmokinAl said:


> Holy cow!
> 
> I have BBQ sauce that has been in the fridge for a couple of months & still use it.
> 
> Never even thought about it going bad.
> 
> It looks, smells, & tastes fine.


should be fine Al. Like JJ above I put hot que sauce into a hot mason jar, seal hand tight and store fine for a few months. As the sauce cools the lids will seal. Have never had a problem after a few months storage. His jerk marinade is made from fresh veggies and not cooked so I totally agree with him on that short of a shelf life. Ketchup will keep for months in the fridge and the label I looked has no preservative listed.


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## flash

Bringing this back up. What about some old bottles of Commercial BBQ sauces, unopened, that have been stored in our pantry? Since I have been making my own, some went unused. Dates of used by 2011 on them, some even older.  Again, never opened.


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## venture

Look at the color Flash?  Bet they turned brown?

If unopened, probably still safe.  Having said that, food will degrade in quality and flavor before it will actually spoil in that particular situation.

Good luck and good smoking.


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## flash

Venture said:


> Look at the color Flash?  Bet they turned brown?
> 
> If unopened, probably still safe.  Having said that, food will degrade in quality and flavor before it will actually spoil in that particular situation.
> 
> Good luck and good smoking.




LOL, no doubt, especially when they were kinda brown to begin with.


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