“I keep my pasta sauce in the refrigerator until it grows mould on it. Is this okay? How long should I keep pasta sauce?” asks my niece Meryl.
Great question, I’m always surprised when I learn the shelf life of food products. To find the answer go to the manufacturers website and look under their FAQ section. Sometimes they share this information, sometimes they don’t. If the answer is not posted, then I either phone them up on their toll-free number or I email them the question. I always get an answer.
I checked out three different pasta sauces and got three different answers:
1. Prego Pasta Sauce (a division of Campbell’s) – I phoned and was told that once opened, the sauce should not be kept for more than 14 days (2 weeks) in the refrigerator. If you purchase more than you need, they suggest you freeze the extra in plastic freezer bags. It will keep frozen for up to 6 months.
2. Ragu – on their website it says their rich and meaty sauce will last for up to 7 days in the refrigerator and 3 months in plastic bags in the freezer. However, if it’s a cheese creation sauce, than only a few days in the refrigerator and do not freeze.
3. Classico – Maximum 3 – 5 days in the refrigerator and 2-3 months in plastic storage bags in the freezer.
Remember, once you open a jar of pasta sauce, write the date somewhere on the outside of the jar. This way, you don’t have to wait until the mould grows!
