Can You Use Out-Of-Date Jars Of Curry Sauce?
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When you say curry sauce, surely a thick spicy paste with a rich taste comes to mind. A lot of people tend to make their own curry sauce. However, the bottled ones are easy to use and taste fantastic as well. All these sauces, bottled or homemade, have a best before or use-by date. So, can you use out-of-date jars of curry sauce?
Truth be told, it is really not advisable to consume any perishable food item past its expiration date, even if it is curry sauce. Then again, it also depends on how you stored the sauce and how you used it in the past.
Perhaps, you bought a bottle of curry sauce on a whim long ago. It’s now lurking on your counter, and it’s way past its expiration date. You may not know what to do with it, whether to use it or throw it away! So, you need a guide to make a decision on what to do with it! So, to know in detail, please read the entire article.
Does Curry Sauce Go Off After Their Date?
Basically, curry sauce is just like any other sauce lying around in your kitchen. It is made of ingredients that won’t last a lifetime. So, after a few days, yeah, it can go off!
Actually, when you say curry sauce, it either means Thai or Indian curry paste. The Indian curry paste is a bit spicy and contains a lot of condiments. It contains onions, ginger, garlic, chili, turmeric, Garam masala, coriander, cumin, cardamom powder, cinnamon powder, etc.
However, the Thai curry sauce is not that spicy. The essential ingredients are Thai ginseng, Lemongrass, ginger, garlic, peppers, etc. When making this at home by yourself, you may add or delete a few ingredients from these. Add salt and sugar to your taste.
Now, as you can see, onions, ginger, and garlic are perishable foods. If you use bottled curry paste or sauce, most contain these perishable products in cooked form. Because if these remain uncooked, you can’t store them for long. For one, the sauce will go rancid in a short period of time. And it will give off a weird smell, making it entirely unsuitable for use!
Most bottled curry sauces that you can buy on the market come with a date. This date is actually an indicator of how long the sauce will last. In most cases, bottled curry sauces have a 2-3 year shelf-life. So, after this time, even if the sauce doesn’t show obvious signs of going bad, it is not wise to consume it.
However, if the seal remains unbroken and the product is intact, you may still be able to use it for even a few years after the date. But if you have already consumed some, it is better not to eat it past its date. Because it has every chance of going bad after crossing its date, it becomes the home for various microorganisms! Ultimately, you may suffer from nasty food poisoning!
How To Know If The Curry Sauce Has Gone Bad?
To be fair, a lousy curry sauce will give off an offensive smell and a weird acidic taste. The color may darken, and in some cases, the oil can separate from the paste.
Sometimes, if you do not preserve the curry sauce properly, the sauce can go bad. Due to exposure to air and the external environment, the ingredients start to oxidize and harbor organisms.
Most commonly, the first thing you notice in a wrong jar of curry sauce is that it doesn’t taste like before. The components separate from the oil base. If the pot is of plastic, you can even see that the plastic looks different. It absorbs some of the colors of the sauce. So, the jar is no longer transparent.
Another strong indicator is the smell. If something rots, it produces a weird pungent smell. Curry sauce contains perishable ingredients. If they go wrong, they can smell funny too!
Also, some bacterial growth and molds can appear in a bad curry sauce. Look for areas of abnormal color or unusual growth. It can indicate a mold infestation.
What Happens If You Accidentally Consume Out Of Date Curry Sauce?
You can get sick from consuming out-of-date products. But it will depend on the condition of the product. If your curry sauce is intact or if you have stored it in your freezer for long, do not worry. Otherwise, you may contract food poisoning if it has already gone off!
Now, let’s talk about the different kinds of dates on the food packaging first. Usually, there are three different kinds of dates.
Firstly, there is the “Best-by” date. The date on your curry sauce bottle indicates how long the sauce will remain in its best form, taste, and texture. That is to say; the sauce doesn’t necessarily become harmful past this date. It just loses its previous taste and flavor.
Secondly, there is the “Use-by” date. It is more like an expiration date. Some preservatives can become harmful after the mentioned date as they start to change into other compounds. Also, the food may become rancid after this time. So, in a sense, your curry sauce may become toxic past the use-by date.
Lastly, there is the “Sell-by” date. It is for the dealers and manufacturers. Your curry sauce can definitely go lousy past this date. So, make sure you have checked the sell-by date as well before consuming it.
Now, if you accidentally consume a curry sauce past its use-by or sell-by date, what should happen depends on the condition of your sauce too. If you have used this sauce long ago and left it unattended, it may have already harbored microbes.
You can suffer from nasty food poisoning. The common symptoms are fever, nausea, vomiting, chills, abdominal cramps, pain, diarrhea, etc.
But if the sauce is intact, it has no history of exposure to external agents like air or organisms. Or, say, you stored it in the freezer. So, it hinders the temperature for microbial growth. Ultimately, the sauce remains in good form and is suitable for use.
If you consume this sauce willingly or accidentally, you have nothing to worry about. In fact, it can remain good for many years past its expiration date when you store it properly.
How Long Does Homemade Curry Sauce Last?
Many people tend to make curry sauce at home to devour the fresh taste. Now, if you have prepared this at home, you definitely need to preserve it well. If kept in regular refrigerators, curry sauce can last for three to five days.
Perhaps, you don’t know how to make curry sauce at home, but you want to make some yourself. So, here is a quick recipe to follow. I followed this recipe, and it tasted great!
If you store the curry sauce in a glass jar or a plastic bottle, you should keep it in the normal refrigerator after use. Usually, it stays well for five days at best. But if you keep it outside, it may go off way sooner. Also, keep the lid tightly closed and always try to store it in glass containers.
However, using plastic bottles is not great. The plastic starts to degrade at one point, and the sauce’s taste changes. Also, the plastic begins to absorb the color of the sauce and takes up that stain.
A clever way to make it last longer is to store the curry sauce in ice trays as cubes. After they become frozen, separate the cubes and store them in a zip lock bag.
In this way, you can even use it for months! Storing in freezing temperatures ensures the quality remains unharmed. Don’t put glass jars in the freezer. The glass may crack. So, I prefer storing it in zip lock bags instead.
The homemade curry sauces have no labeled dates on them. It is your conscience that has to deal with it. You should look for obvious signs if the sauce has gone off. Preserve it properly, and you can use it for longer than you thought!
