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Does Salsa Go Bad? How Long Does It Stay Good?

Salsa is great, we’re not talking about the dancing ;). We can use it with our breadsticks, nachos, and so on, the list is almost endless.

Even though you can use it with almost anything, some people will forget about it until they stumble upon it again and wonder if they can still eat it. How long does salsa last before it has gone bad?

There are different kinds of salsa. In this blog post, we will talk about the different kinds of salsa, their shelf-life, how to store it, and spoilage. We’ll equip you with the right knowledge.

Enjoy the read!

How Long Does Salsa Last

We will start with our table, as usual, so you can quickly see what you need for your situation.

SalsaPantryRefrigerator
Unrefrigerated and unopenedBest-by date + up to 6 months
Unrefrigerated and openedUp to 1 month
Refrigerated and unopenedDate + 5 days
Refrigerated and openedUp to 1 week (7 days)
HomemadeUp to 5 days
Indicative periods of how lang salsa can last. Always check for signs of spoilage.

You can buy salsa in the store in different sections. This is what we mean with different kinds of salsa: shelf-stable salsa and refrigerated salsa. This means that you’ll need to refrigerate it directly if you’ve bought it in the refrigerated section, otherwise you can save it in the pantry in a cool dark place.

We advise you to store it directly in the refrigerator because salsa is one of those sauces that don’t last very long, even the unopened shelf-stable version.

Before we talk about the different periods, know that these periods are indicative and must be seen as a moment in time where the quality won’t be the same, instead of it will definitely be bad and not consumable. Do your own research on whether you should toss it or not.

Shelf-stable Salsa

The unopened shelf-stable variant of salsa, thus not the one from the refrigerated section, will have a best-by date printed on it. If it remains unopened, it should be okay for a few months after this date. Be warned though, from the moment you open it, it can only last up to 1 month after the date on the bottle, in the refrigerator!

So always know: when you open the bottle, store it in the refrigerator or it will go bad very soon and we don’t want that!

The thing is, shelf-stable salsa has some additives added to it and is often pasteurized, thus better protected against external threats.

Refrigerated Salsa

Refrigerated salsa is bought in the refrigerated section of the store and can last up to 5 days past the printed date on the bottle if it remains unopened and stored in your refrigerator.

Also, when you open the refrigerated salsa, it will last up to 7 days after you’ve opened it.

Look and verify this date with the date on the label and check if it falls within this period. Opening this on the 5th day won’t prolong this period for another 5 days. Don’t be fooled!

Now that you know the indicative periods of how long salsa can last, we will talk more about how you should store salsa so you can get the best out of it.

How To Store Salsa

Since we are talking about different types and kinds of salsa, we will talk again about different kinds of salsa: shelf-stable vs refrigerated.

Shelf-stable Salsa

You can buy these in the store outside the refrigerated section. Store it in the same way as you should store mustard, in a dark and cool place, safely hidden away from direct sunlight and heat sources. You can store them in the pantry or somewhere else in your kitchen.

From the moment you’ve opened it, we can’t stress this enough, store it in the refrigerator. If you don’t do this, it will go bad a lot sooner than expected.

Tip: if you open your salsa pack, write down the date of opening and the moment, because this will make your GoodOrGoneBad-life a lot easier.

Refrigerated Salsa

Refrigerated salsa is simple, bought in the refrigerated section and it should stay refrigerated after using it. It’s for a reason that it’s sold in the refrigerated section.

We also advise putting homemade salsa, without additives for a longer shelf-life, to store in the refrigerator and consume it much sooner.

Tip: Divide into smaller portions

A great tip is to divide your salsa into smaller portions if you know that you won’t consume everything. Each time you have visitors, it will stand out in a rather warm environment and you’ll have more than half of it left, you can’t expect the same quality the other day.

Despite it might be more work to clean and transfer, it’s the most convenient way of maximising the shelf-life of your salsa sauce.

Freezing Salsa

You can also try to freeze salsa. Be warned though, freezing food means thawing food, and getting the most out of it will be difficult because it will change the texture.

You should maximize shelf-life and hygiene by dividing it into small portions in the freezer. You can put it in 2 bags (double-bag them) or into 1 bag and a container.

How Can You Tell If Salsa Has Gone Bad

There are some classic signs when it comes to foods and thus salsa.

It’s very important to trust in yourself and your own senses. It’s up to you to make that call but we on GoodOrGoneBad advise that if there’s any doubt, you should toss it. Don’t let it get too far!

  1. Take a look at the package of salsa: if you see the pack is a bit expanded or it’s leaking, toss it away. No need to take risks. You can also hear this to the sound when opening it, it might degass a bit.
  2. Check the color of the salsa: is there anything odd? Is the color a bit different, do you see black signs? Discard it immediately! This means the bacteria have done a great job already.
  3. Smell the salsa: take a sniff over the salsa. Do you smell something unpleasant or strange? Discard it, don’t take any chances.
  4. Taste the salsa: Taste it. Do you taste something unpleasant or strange? Spit it out immediately and rinse your mouth with water. Discard it. Salsa should taste like salsa!

The point in deciding whether salsa is good or already has gone bad is that you need quality and deserve quality. What is the point of eating salsa when it doesn’t taste like salsa? You might even hurt yourself in the process by eating spoiled salsa. You and your health deserve better!

After all, if you could dance the salsa fluently 😉 Life can be great.

Enjoy your salsa!