How Long Is Pasta Sauce Good After Opening?

Pasta sauce is a soul ingredient in many Italian dishes, but it also has other variations around the globe. Further, it usually comes in a suitable jar for a medium-size family to use in one pasta recipe. But if you have not used the whole container of pasta sauce, you need to store it properly. 

How long is pasta sauce good after opening?

The pasta sauce will be good for 3 to 10 days if refrigerated in an airtight container after opening. However, it will be shelf-stable for up to 6 months when you store it in the freezer in a tight box. Further, the homemade sauce will have a shorter shelf life because it does not have any added preservatives.

If you are not sure how to store pasta sauce for a long time, continue reading to learn the shelf life of pasta sauce jars (if opened or unopened) and how to extend that.

In this guide, we’ll explain how to tell if your pasta sauce has gone bad. Further, we will let you know what can happen if you eat expired pasta sauce. 

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How Long Is Pasta Sauce Last After Opening?

The pasta sauce can last up to 3 to 10 days after opening, depending on storage conditions, pasta sauce type (homemade or canned), the storage temperature, and how much it remained at room temperature before storage. For this reason, you should store it properly to extend its shelf life. For that purpose, store it in the refrigerator in an airtight container.

Furthermore, the pasta sauce ingredients also determine how long the sauce will last after opening. For example, tomato-based (5-10 days), dairy-based (3-7 days), oil-based (7-10 days), and wine-based pasta sauces (10-14 days) have different shelf lives. Also, make your pasta sauce at home. It will be edible for a shorter period because no preservatives are added. 

Moreover, you should remove the pasta sauce from the original packing to make it last longer. It may not be closed tightly in its packaging and may be exposed to air and moisture. Therefore, transfer it to a secure box and then store it.    

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How To Tell If Pasta Sauce Is Bad?

A bad pasta sauce has a moldy smell, and strange taste becomes thicker, and darker, and has an unpleasant odor or appearance. 

If mold appears on pasta sauce or develops an unpleasant odor, appearance (it becomes thicker), color (i.e., darkens), strange taste, or fluid on the surface. Therefore, you should discard it and not consume it because it can result in foodborne diseases. In this case, your eyes and nose judge the quality of the pasta sauce. 

Additionally, leaving your opened pasta sauce jar on the counter for a few hours will likely turn bad. Furthermore, it is advisable that you can reheat the pasta sauce at 145 degrees F before using it to prevent any bacteria that have developed due to mild spoilage.

Also, check our guide on leaving the pasta in water after cooking.

Does Jar Pasta Sauce Go Bad?

The jar pasta sauce may have a longer shelflife compared to homemade pasta sauce, but it can turn bad if you do not store it properly. Most people follow the expiration date on the packaging to get an idea of when to discard it. However, those dates are just for reference, and pasta sauce can get nasty or not depending on how you use it and store it.

Do You Have To Use Pasta Sauce Within 5 Days?

You may have to consume pasta sauce within five days if it is opened because an opened jar of pasta sauce is shelf-stable for around 3 to 10 days. It will depend on how you have stored your sauce and what ingredients are in it. But if your pasta sauce is sealed and has not opened yet, you can use it up for an extended period.  

How Long Does Pasta Sauce Last If Unopened?

A jar of pasta sauce may be shelf-stable for up to one year if unopened. Also, some experts say that a pasta sauce may be edible even after the expiration date if it is sealed and has not opened yet. 

Additionally, Barilla (an Italian food company) has stated that you should store unopened jars of pasta sauce at room temperature. However, since they can develop spoilage bacteria once opened, they should be kept in the refrigerator to slow mold growth.

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How Long Can Cooked Pasta Sauce Stay In The Fridge?

The cooked pasta sauce can stay in the fridge for up to 3 to 5 days because the shelf life of the cooked pasta sauce is shorter. Therefore, you should eat pasta sauce as soon as possible, once it is heated. But if you have to store it for later, do it instantly and correctly.

The homemade pasta sauce lasts longer than the one bought from the market. Also, the ingredients used to cook the pasta sauce have an effect that how long it stays good in the fridge.

See Also: How Long Can Spaghetti Sauce Sit Out

What Happens If You Eat Expired Pasta Sauce?

The expired pasta sauce may not make you sick if it is expired and not spoiled, which can be 1-2 weeks after the expiration date. But if you eat expired pasta sauce that is spoiled, you may get a foodborne illness or food poisoning. The usual symptoms of a foodborne disease include fever, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea, chills, and nausea. It happens because of bacterial growth and mold that leads to contaminated food. 

Nonetheless, if you have symptoms of food poisoning, rest and drink plenty of fluids. But if you have extreme or prolonged symptoms, you should contact your doctor to prevent dehydration or serious consequences. 

Also, check our detailed guide on boiling pasta in milk, for more information about pasta.

Conclusion

In summary, pasta sauce is a staple in many Italian dishes, but there are other variations worldwide. Also, the pasta sauce is a crucial ingredient in many recipes, and you can use homemade or canned pasta sauce.

But homemade pasta sauce has a shorter shelf life than canned pasta sauce. However, you need to store it properly in the refrigerator in an airtight container for later use and can use it for up to 3 to 10 days.