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Does Soy Sauce Go Bad? How Long Does It Stay Good?

You always use soy sauce for making sushi. The last time you made sushi was about 6 months ago. Now you’re ready for a new round of sushi. You’ve stumbled upon half a bottle over 6 months old. Does soy sauce go bad?

Of course, it can go bad. What should you do with it after opening it? Did you store it properly? Did you know that you can use soy sauce for many recipes, not only sushi?

In this article, we will cover all you need to know about soy sauce, how to store it properly and what signs you should check when it comes to spoilage.

Enjoy the read!

What Is Soy Sauce

Soy sauce is a popular Chinese condiment, mainly made of soybeans. It is made by fermenting soybeans or broken down with acid. The soy sauce looks brown, because of the release of sugars and umami elements.

It has a balanced flavor profile and you’ll taste the salt, sweetness, umami, and finally a bitter note. Not a lot of people know this liquid condiment.

Soy sauce can be used as a key ingredient in other condiments and foods.

How Long Can Soy Sauce Last

We will start by giving you a quick overview of how long soy sauce can last:

Soy SaucePantryRefrigerator
UnopenedBest-by date + up to 2 yearsBest-by date + up to 2 years
OpenedUp to 1 monthUp to 6 months
Indicative timetable for how long soya sauce can last before it goes bad. Always check for signs of spoilage!

Soy sauce can last for quite some time, several years past the best-by date when unopened. From the moment you open it, it will be good for up to 1 month when stored at room temperature and up to 6 months when stored in the refrigerator.

Remember, the above periods are just for general advice and don’t mean the soy sauce has already gone bad and won’t be good in quality. The closer it gets to the labeled date, the more likely the quality won’t be that high. Always check for signs of spoilage, more on that below.

Soy sauce does go bad, but going bad isn’t an exact science and depends on a lot of factors we can control, one of them is proper storage.

How Long Does Soy Sauce Last Unopened

A bottle of soy sauce can stay good for several years past the printed date and longer. Soy sauce stays good for a long time and doesn’t spoil easily. The latter doesn’t mean that you have let it sit there just because of that. It will stay good for years past the best-by date on the label.

Your soy sauce will spoil faster when you open the bottle.

How Long Does Soy Sauce Last Once Opened

From the moment you open it, you can store your soy sauce in the fridge. Soy sauce that is opened will last for up to 1 month when on the counter (at room temperature) and up to 6 months when stored in the fridge. It’s very likely it will still be good after those 6 months.

When you open it, don’t think the period of 1 month or 6 months doesn’t prolong its shelf life, always look at the best-by date on the label and do your math.

When you’re unsure about soy sauce, you can try and taste it and use it in other condiments or foods that contain multiple ingredients. Of course, make sure the other ingredients are good and not close to going bad because that means the final taste is going to be very bad.

How Long Does Soy Sauce Last In The Fridge

Soy sauce lasts for over a few years when stored unopened in the fridge, even past the best-by date on the bottle. When opened, it will last up to 6 months in the fridge.

The above periods and ranges are common advice and based on the fact they’ve been stored properly.

How To Store Soy Sauce

As we’ve said earlier, soy sauce is a condiment that can stay good for a long time before going bad. You can easily store it on the counter for up to 1 month but don’t be fooled: soy sauce is always better stored in the fridge. Period! Refrigerating it will let it last longer for at least a few months (up to 6 months).

Of course, if you’re an avid soy sauce consumer, you can probably manage it outside the fridge.

A great tip is: you can store the main bottle in the fridge and transfer everything to a separate airtight container. When transferring, always use a clean spoon to minimize the risk of bacteria transfer and other external threats. This tip can be used for almost all drinks and condiments like mayonnaise, mustard, ketchup, and so on…

How To Store Soy Sauce After Opening

You can store soy sauce in the same bottle after it has been opened, assuming the bottle can be resealed. It can be stored on the counter at room temperature but can also be stored in the pantry, cupboard, or any other place you see fit at room temperature.

The best place, however, is the refrigerator, as this will extend its shelf life by a few months at least.

Usually, extending the shelf life further can be done by freezing the sauce. This isn’t exactly true for soy sauce because soy sauce contains a lot of salt. You can freeze it, but you’ll need to freeze it at very low temperatures and not all household freezers won’t be able to reach these temperatures.

We on GoodOrGoneBad say you shouldn’t freeze your soy sauce as it stays good for a very long time when stored in the fridge.

If you’re unsure about your soy sauce, always check for signs of spoilage.

How Can You Tell If Soy Sauce Has Gone Bad

When it comes to checking for spoilage signs, you’ll need to trust your senses.

Your senses can save you from a lot of bad-tasting experiences because after all, eating and drinking does start with your senses. You look at it, you smell it… The last part is tasting.

Luckily, we have a condiment here that doesn’t spoil very fast, but it does spoil, as every food and drink does so watch out!

Use the following tips for checking on your soy sauce:

  1. Does the soy sauce have another color? If yes, watch the color. Is it white, it’s very likely it will be white substances. This can be yeast and won’t spoil your soy sauce but alter the flavor a little bit. This film yeast grows in environments that are rich in salt and sodium. Just filter the white substances.
  2. Is the soy sauce darker in color? This can be a sign of mold. Always discard when you’re in doubt, it isn’t worth it.
  3. Does your soy sauce have a weird smell? If you smell something funny or strong, toss it away.
  4. Is the texture changing? If yes, throw it away.
  5. How is the taste? Does it taste odd? Get rid of it.

When it comes to taste, not everyone maintains the same standards. One will say it’s good and the taste won’t be as it should have been, the other will only want to taste the real thing, meaning soy sauce tasting to regular soy sauce.

On GoodOrGoneBad, we say that if you have any doubts about your soy sauce and can’t decide whether it’s good or already has gone bad, you should get rid of it and buy some new soy sauce. It’s not worth taking unnecessary risks with your health and well-being if you can avoid it for a small price.

When the taste isn’t that great but it still tastes to soy sauce a bit, you can try to use it in other sauces like teriyaki or fish sauce.

Enjoy your Soy Sauce!