This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz (2024)

Not sure if you should store ketchup in the fridge or in the pantry? Learn the best way to store the beloved condiment.

By

Laurel Randolph

This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz (1)

Laurel has over 10 years of experience developing recipes and writing about food. She is the author of 4 cookbooks, including the bestselling "The Instant Pot Electric Cookbook."

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Updated November 06, 2023

This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz (2)

When it comes to refrigeration, some foods—like milk, meat, and delicate leafy greens—are obviously team fridge. But what about the bottles and bottles of sauces and condiments, like ketchup? What needs the cold environment of the refrigerator, and what’s safe to store in the pantry?

This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz (3)

One condiment that’s always at the forefront of the debate is ketchup. Diners and restaurants often leave their bottles out at room temperature, while many home cooks stash the bottle in the fridge. Does ketchup need to be refrigerated?

The Case for Storing Ketchup in the Pantry

Ketchup is highly acidic thanks to its two main ingredients: tomatoes and vinegar. It also contains a good amount of salt and sugar, which are natural preservatives. Because of this, and the fact that ketchup is cooked, the condiment is shelf-stable according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

You’ve probably noticed that many diners and burger joints leave their ketchup bottles on their dining tables at room temperature. This is because ketchup is safe to store in an airtight container in the pantry… with one caveat.

The Case for Storing Ketchup in the Fridge

How often are you consuming ketchup? Do you go through a bottle in a few days? Or does it take a month or more?

Unless you’re a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.

To slow down this process way down, stash it in the fridge. This keeps your ketchup tasting salty, savory, sweet, tangy, and perfectly tomato-y. According to the USDA, ketchup can keep in the fridge for about six months after it’s open.

This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz (4)

The Verdict

Even Heinz weighed in on the subject a few years ago, stating that “because of its natural acidity, Heinz® Ketchup is shelf-stable. However, its stability after opening can be affected by storage conditions. We recommend that this product, like any processed food, be refrigerated after opening. Refrigeration will maintain the best product quality after opening.”

Who knows ketchup better than Heinz? Unless you’re a ketchup fiend and plan to use a whole bottle within a matter of days, we too recommend storing ketchup in the fridge.

This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz (2024)

FAQs

This Is Where You Should Be Storing Your Ketchup, According to Heinz? ›

We recommend that this product, like any processed food, be refrigerated after opening. Refrigeration will maintain the best product quality after opening.” Who knows ketchup better than Heinz?

What does Heinz say about ketchup? ›

Heinz's American brand has previously said that its ketchup is shelf-stable because of its acidity (vinegar is the second-listed ingredient after tomatoes, which are themselves acidic) but nevertheless has advised users to keep it refrigerated after opening to “maintain product quality.” And the bottles bear the ...

What is Heinz's slogan? ›

Heinz Company, Inc., became famous for its slogan “57 Varieties.” Heinz became interested in selling foods when he was a child; by the age of 16, he had several employees working to cultivate the hotbeds he had built and to deliver his produce to Pittsburgh grocers.

Is it true that ketchup should not be refrigerated? ›

Once you've opened a bottle of ketchup, you should keep it in the fridge alongside other condiments that need to be refrigerated. Homemade ketchup, however, because it isn't subject to the factory-sealed bottled as store-bought varieties, must always be kept in the fridge until it's time to serve it with the meal.

Should tomato sauce go in the fridge or pantry? ›

Tomato sauce

Technically the 'pantry' advocates are correct, however, there's a catch. According to news.com.au, thanks to its high acidity and processing, tomato sauce (alongside other sauces like BBQ sauce and mustard) doesn't require refrigeration after opening.

Where should ketchup be stored? ›

Unless you're a busy diner going through and refilling ketchup bottles every day or two, you should store your ketchup in the fridge. This is because, just like pickles, the flavor and texture declines after you open the bottle or jar and the ketchup is exposed to air.

What is the Heinz controversy? ›

The SEC specifically accused Kraft Heinz of engaging in various types of accounting misconduct, including recognizing unearned discounts and maintaining false and misleading supplier contracts, which allegedly achieved “cost savings.”

What is the Heinz dilemma in short? ›

a story about an ethical dilemma faced by a character named Heinz that was used by Lawrence Kohlberg to assess the moral reasoning skills of those he asked to respond to it. Having exhausted every other possibility, Heinz must decide whether to steal an expensive drug that offers the only hope of saving his dying wife.

What is the Heinz bean slogan? ›

“I had my layout pad with me and, fiddling with it, came up with 'Beanz Meanz Heinz',” Drake says. Not only did he invent the great line, but “I also came up with the jingle 'A million housewives every day, open a can of beans and say Beanz Meanz Heinz'.”

What does the 57 stand for on Heinz? ›

The reason for "57" is unclear. Heinz said he chose "5" because it was his lucky number and the number "7" was his wife's lucky number. However, Heinz also said the number "7" was selected specifically because of the "psychological influence of that figure and of its enduring significance to people of all ages".

Why should you not put mustard in the fridge? ›

Mustard . . .

Dijon and horseradish-based mustards should be refrigerated, but others are OK to leave out if you prefer them at room temperature. Refrigerating yellow mustard will help maintain its flavor, but it doesn't contain any ingredients that spoil.

Can unopened ketchup go bad? ›

Does Ketchup Go Bad? Yes, ketchup can go bad. If unopened, commercial ketchup “can last for up to a year in your pantry,” says Okegbe, but once opened and refrigerated, it should ideally be consumed within six months. If left in the pantry once opened, use up the ketchup within a month to be safe.

Can I freeze ketchup? ›

Ketchup – If you are like me and only use ketchup on occasion, you can freeze most of it. Spoon the ketchup into ice trays and freeze so you can easily pop some out when needed. When it is time to warm it back up, just put the container under some hot water.

Should peanut butter be kept in the fridge? ›

Natural peanut butter, which is made of ground roasted peanuts, should be refrigerated immediately after purchase. "Because it does not have preservatives or stabilizers, it is best refrigerated to keep it fresh and to prevent the oil from separating out," says Margarethe A.

Is it safe to eat tomato sauce left out overnight? ›

Opened jars of store-bought sauce and all homemade pasta sauce creations, regardless of ingredients, fall under the umbrella of perishable foods. Here's the golden rulefrom food safety experts: never leave perishable foods out at room temperature for more than 2 hours.

Can you store tomato sauce in Ziploc bags? ›

Homemade pasta sauce can be kept in a plastic bag, like Glad® Flex'n Seal Gallon Bags, and should always be refrigerated.

Why avoid Heinz ketchup? ›

It contains high quantities of sugar, salt, fructose, preservatives and corn syrup. All of these ingredients when combined together have an adverse effect on the body.

What does the 57 on Heinz ketchup mean? ›

The '57 varieties' label represents the variety of products that Heinz has, but the number was actually selected at random by founder Henry Heinz himself. He didn't have 57 varieties when the brand began. Instead, it was a clever way to create authenticity and attract customers.

What is the Heinz ketchup effect? ›

The brand anonymously asked people from 18 countries to draw a bottle of ketchup – and what it got back was thousands of pictures of Heinz. The Kraft-owned brand claimed to see a near 1500% uplift in social conversations relating to the brand and a 10% uplift in sales.

What is so special about Heinz ketchup? ›

Apparently, Henry Heinz, when he was developing his ketchup, included a greater percentage of tomato solids, which boosted the amount of umami. Heinz's recipe also included a greater concentration of vinegar, which increased the acidity, making it more sour than its competitors.

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