Ketchup is one of America’s favorite condiments. In fact, the average American eats 71 pounds of it per year. But it turns out that we’re very torn on where we actually keep those bottles.
Heinz—one of our top-rated ketchup brands—polled its customers on X, and found that people are almost evenly split between fridge and cabinet storage. And, of course, we’ve all eaten at diners where the ketchup sits right out on the table. So does ketchup need to be refrigerated? What is the best way to store ketchup? Here’s the deal.
Should you refrigerate ketchup?
STEFANI REYNOLDS/Getty Images
It seems that ketchup is one of those foods people often store incorrectly. Officially, ketchup should be refrigerated. USDA guidelines stipulate that ketchup should be refrigerated once it’s opened. Once it’s in the fridge, it will last a long time—up to six months. On X, Heinz confirmed that the condiment is best kept chilled.
In general, storing food in the fridge is a smart call for two major reasons. First, cold food lasts longer, so it stays safe to eat for longer. Better still, chilled food is fresher than unrefrigerated food in terms of texture, flavor, color and consistency.
Why don’t restaurants keep ketchup in the fridge?
Small eateries, like local diners, and big chain restaurants generally keep bottles of ketchup out at room temp. This is mostly for convenience. It’s just not practical to bring ketchup in and out of the refrigerator every time a customer sits down.
Here’s the catch. The major difference is the time it takes for a restaurant to go through a bottle of ketchup. It’s not unusual for restaurant ketchup bottles to be refilled daily. Even the biggest ketchup lovers are probably not consuming the red sauce at that rate—no matter how many recipes with ketchup they’re preparing! If your ketchup is going to be open for more than a week, it’s best to keep it in the fridge.
Is it safe to eat ketchup that’s been left out?
Bottled ketchup that’s been left out for a few weeks, or even a month or two, will be safe to eat. The condiment is highly acidic and also contains a decent amount of sugar—both fact