How long does barbecue sauce last?

An unopened bottle of barbecue sauce keeps about 1 year in the pantry. Once opened, keep it in the fridge and use it within about 4 months. Homemade sauce canned with a tested recipe keeps 9 to 12 months unopened.

Food	Fridge	Pantry
Bottled barbecue sauce	—Opened: 4 months	1 yearfrom purchase
Homemade barbecue sauce, canned	—	9–12 months

Fridge at 4 °C (40 °F) or colder, freezer at −18 °C (0 °F). Freezer times are for best quality: food kept frozen stays safe, but slowly loses taste and texture. These times are USDA guidance, not a guarantee. When in doubt, throw it out.

How to tell if barbecue sauce has gone bad

Mold around the cap or on the surface.
A sour, fermented or alcoholic smell, or a bulging bottle.
A darker, thicker sauce has aged but isn't necessarily spoiled.

How to store barbecue sauce

Keep unopened bottles in a cool, dark cupboard.
Refrigerate it once opened.
Don't put a basting brush that has touched raw meat back into the bottle: pour some into a separate bowl.

Can you freeze barbecue sauce?

Yes, homemade sauce freezes well in small containers or ice cube trays for several months. Bottled sauce doesn't need it.

Questions

Does barbecue sauce need to be refrigerated?

Once opened, yes. It contains sugar and less acid than ketchup, and keeps about 4 months in the fridge.

Can you reuse barbecue sauce that touched raw meat?

Not without boiling it first. Sauce used to marinate or baste raw meat can carry bacteria.

Can you use barbecue sauce after the date?

An unopened bottle is usually fine a little past its best-by date if it looks and smells normal.

Add sauces to ShelfLife with the date you opened them.

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