Refrigerating ketchup

[Raiders Army]

I was talking to a co-worker on Friday and the subject of refrigerating ketchup came up. I had thought about this a few years ago but hadn't thought of it since. Why is it that we refrigerate ketchup? I mean, in restaurants it sits out all day long. I asked a few people if they refrigerated their ketchup and why. They all said that they did, and it was because their parents did when they were a kid.

After taking a trip to our commissary (supermarket), I checked the bottles of ketchup. None of them said to refrigerate after opening (as I remembered from a few years ago).

Doing a little more research, I found this (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ketchup):

In the past, ketchup was produced from fresh tomatoes after harvesting. Vacuum evaporation made it possible to turn tomatoes into a very thick tomato paste that is easy to store at room temperature. This enables a factory to produce ketchup throughout the year.

Also, Heinz's FAQ on their website (http://heinz.com/Consumer_faq.aspx) states:

Should ketchup be refrigerated?
Because it is a very acidic product, ketchup does not spoil easily. Once opened, in order to maintain the product's quality more effectively, we do suggest that ketchup (and any other processed food) be refrigerated after opening because refrigeration retards spoilage.

So my conclusion is that while you don't need to refrigerate ketchup, it's recommended. I suppose restaurants don't refrigerate their ketchup because it's used so much that it doesn't get a chance to spoil. Just thought I'd share some musings...

[cartman]

What better, ketchup or catsup?

[Ben E Lou]

I never do. I've had ketchup opened and unrefrigerated for over a month with no problems.

[rjolley]

I don't refrigerate ketchup because I don't want cold condiments cooling off my hot food.

And ketchup is better than catsup.

[JonInMiddleGA]

'Cause it's better cold than room temperature.

[Ben E Lou]

I don't refrigerate ketchup because I don't want cold condiments cooling off my hot food.That's exactly why I don't.

[JPhillips]

'Cause it's better cold than room temperature.

I've tried to retain civility when dealing with Jon, but this is just too fucking much. Cold? It's better cold? Bullshit. Ketchup is meant to be room temperature, period. I suppose mustard should be cold? What about the salt and pepper shakers. Hell, why don't we grill the hamburgers and then stick them in the freezer for an hour before we eat.

I swear, I knew this country was going down the shithole, but I had no idea folks like you were greasing the way with your cold fucking ketchup.

I hope you get hit by a bus.

[kcchief19]

That was unexpected.

[ctmason]

Into the Sherry a little early, I see.

[Raiders Army]

I really didn't see the thread going in this direction. Hopefully my parody meter is off today.

[jeff061]

I'm quite sure it was a joke playing off how unimportant the subject was. At least sure enough that I didn't think it would need to be explained.

[Greyroofoo]

Gold

[Tekneek]

I suppose mustard should be cold?

Storing it in a cool area will help it maintain its flavor, but it is not required.

You're welcome.

[Desnudo]

What about butter?

[Flasch186]

I agree with Jon, tis better cold.

[Lorena]

Ant and I were just discussing this; I wonder if glass bottled ketchup is okay if not refrigerated? I checked our ketchup and mustard and they both say "refrigerate after opening".

[Tekneek]

What about butter?

More than you wanted to know...

Storage: Storing butter properly, lengthens the shelf life so it can be used over a longer period of time. To prevent a type of spoilage called rancidity, protect butter from heat, light and air by storing it covered in the refrigerator. Rancid butter has an unpleasant taste and smell.

Butter absorbs odors from other foods rapidly. To prevent flavor changes, keep butter wrapped in moisture- and vapor-proof material or in tightly covered containers. For refrigerator storage, leave butter in its original wrapper. Opened portions of butter should be refrigerated in a covered dish.

Butter can be stored for up to two weeks at refrigerator temperatures (below 40 °F). Higher temperatures cause off-flavors and unpleasant odors to develop. Butter should not be stored in the butter keeper (set at warmer temperatures) on the refrigerator door longer than two days. For ease in spreading, remove butter from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before using it.

For holding longer than two weeks, butter should be frozen. To store butter in the freezer, wrap it in moisture- and vapor-proof freezer packaging material to keep the butter from absorbing odors from other foods and to prevent freezer burn. Butter in its original carton can be over-wrapped. Butter in one-pound blocks can be cut into smaller portions, repackaged and frozen for future use. If properly wrapped and held at 0 °F or lower, butter will keep well in the freezer for six to nine months. Thaw butter in the refrigerator.

[Lorena]

dola,

if you notice when you go to a restaurant, the ketchup is in glass bottled containers and always left out.

[Desnudo]

More than you wanted to know...

Storage: Storing butter properly, lengthens the shelf life so it can be used over a longer period of time. To prevent a type of spoilage called rancidity, protect butter from heat, light and air by storing it covered in the refrigerator. Rancid butter has an unpleasant taste and smell.

Butter absorbs odors from other foods rapidly. To prevent flavor changes, keep butter wrapped in moisture- and vapor-proof material or in tightly covered containers. For refrigerator storage, leave butter in its original wrapper. Opened portions of butter should be refrigerated in a covered dish.

Butter can be stored for up to two weeks at refrigerator temperatures (below 40 °F). Higher temperatures cause off-flavors and unpleasant odors to develop. Butter should not be stored in the butter keeper (set at warmer temperatures) on the refrigerator door longer than two days. For ease in spreading, remove butter from the refrigerator 10 to 15 minutes before using it.

For holding longer than two weeks, butter should be frozen. To store butter in the freezer, wrap it in moisture- and vapor-proof freezer packaging material to keep the butter from absorbing odors from other foods and to prevent freezer burn. Butter in its original carton can be over-wrapped. Butter in one-pound blocks can be cut into smaller portions, repackaged and frozen for future use. If properly wrapped and held at 0 °F or lower, butter will keep well in the freezer for six to nine months. Thaw butter in the refrigerator.

Who wrote that? The anal retentive chef?

[Tekneek]

Who wrote that? The anal retentive chef?

This information has been reviewed and adapted for use in South Carolina by P.H. Schmutz, HGIC Information Specialist; D.T. Vines, Extension Dairy Specialist; and E.H. Hoyle, Extension Food Safety Specialist, Clemson University.

This information is supplied with the understanding that no discrimination is intended and no endorsement by the Clemson University Cooperative Extension Service is implied. All recommendations are for South Carolina conditions and may not apply to other areas. (New 2/01).

Oh... Thanks for encouraging me to check out the fine print at the bottom of the page. Turns out these recommendations are only good for South Carolina. :)

[Eaglesfan27]

When we got married, refrigerating ketchup and peanut butter were two of the issues my wife and I had to adjust to. Rather, I had to adjust since she won both arguments (I like to think I was picking my battles.) She insists that we refrigerate ketchup which I don't like because I don't like it cooling off my hot food. However, she is against refrigerating peanut butter which we always did when I was a kid. Anyway, I guess I've got it good if those are two of the bigger adjustments that I remember.

[JonInMiddleGA]

I suppose mustard should be cold?

Of course it should.

F'n moron.

[stevew]

The scary thought, is that a restaurant starts with like 3 cases of ketchup bottles when they open. Then as they use the ketchup up, they combine bottles to fill them, and enter new bottles to the equation. But, however, there is always that distinct possibility that a "pocket" of old ketchup may be passed around, rebottled and rebottled for months to years. Meaning that your favorite joint could have ketchup tainted with Clinton Era opened ketchup.

[jeff061]

I like my ketchup and my mustard cold. I like my salsa for my chips cold too.

I've never considered cold peanut butter, but I suspect I'd enjoy that as well.

[JeeberD]

dola,

if you notice when you go to a restaurant, the ketchup is in glass bottled containers and always left out.

The sportsbar I went to last night had plastic bottles that were sitting out all night...

[ageofquarrel]

I hate ketchup anyway, only thing i use it on is steak fries. My theory is cold or hot if you need to put ketchup on something it probably tastes nasty anyway

[bbor]

The scary thought, is that a restaurant starts with like 3 cases of ketchup bottles when they open. Then as they use the ketchup up, they combine bottles to fill them, and enter new bottles to the equation. But, however, there is always that distinct possibility that a "pocket" of old ketchup may be passed around, rebottled and rebottled for months to years. Meaning that your favorite joint could have ketchup tainted with Clinton Era opened ketchup.

This is a major reason why a lot of restaraunts use plastic bottles instead of glass.Dumping new ketchup on old ketchup will cause the glass bottle to explode eventually if the process of refilling old bottles goes on too long.

[Cringer]

When we got married, refrigerating ketchup and peanut butter were two of the issues my wife and I had to adjust to. Rather, I had to adjust since she won both arguments (I like to think I was picking my battles.) She insists that we refrigerate ketchup which I don't like because I don't like it cooling off my hot food. However, she is against refrigerating peanut butter which we always did when I was a kid. Anyway, I guess I've got it good if those are two of the bigger adjustments that I remember.

You can't refigerate PB! How the heck do you spread it on your bread without ripping it up?

[MizzouRah]

Only a fool doesn't refrigerate ketchup or mustard. What are we in France?

I supposed you folks prefer miracle whip to mayonnaise as well? Maybe some grey poupon to good old fashioned mustard?

[MizzouRah]

btw, Hunt's is the best ketchup!

[jeff061]

It's all about Gulden's spicy brown mustard.

[Pyser]

i think we've now, as a community, officially talked about everything.

[terpkristin]

You can't refigerate PB! How the heck do you spread it on your bread without ripping it up?

I could see (and have done it, actually) refrigerating natural peanut butter. On the chance I have ketchup in the house, I refrigerate it (just what we did when I was growing up), though I rarely use ketchup and don't think I have any around here. Usually if I eat ketchup, I'm putting it on something while eating out--at home for burgers and dogs I tend to use salsa (which I definitely refrigerate).

/tk

[Cringer]

btw, Hunt's is the best ketchup!


I disagree. The best ketchup is Whataburger ketchup.

[st.cronin]

Ketchup is vile stuff. I won't have it in my house.

[JonInMiddleGA]

The best ketchup is Whataburger ketchup.

Only if they're using the same stuff that McDonald's uses in the to-go packets.

[dawgfan]

Maybe some grey poupon to good old fashioned mustard?
Actually, dijon mustards (such as Grey Poupon) are "old-fashioned" mustards in that they are a much older and more traditional form of mustard than the bright yellow stuff most Americans use.

[kcchief19]

I supposed you folks prefer miracle whip to mayonnaise as well? Maybe some grey poupon to good old fashioned mustard?
Sorry to say, Miracle Whip is far superior to mayonnaise. My mom switched to Mircle Whip during my teen years and I wonder where it had been all my life.

As for mustard -- yellower the better. I'm anti-mustard snob -- the cheaper the mustard the better.

[MizzouRah]

Sorry to say, Miracle Whip is far superior to mayonnaise. My mom switched to Mircle Whip during my teen years and I wonder where it had been all my life.

As for mustard -- yellower the better. I'm anti-mustard snob -- the cheaper the mustard the better.

Okay, I'll use miracle whip for turkey sandwiches, but for tuna, it HAS to be mayonnaise.

[stevew]

Miracle whip pwns everything. And hunt's sucks, Heinz all the way!!!

[cartman]

A1 Sauce is best. Just make a poll, you see. And it look like AI. :)

[lighthousekeeper]

A1 Sauce is best. Just make a poll, you see. And it look like AI. :)
lol

[14ers]

However, she is against refrigerating peanut butter which we always did when I was a kid.

You so crazy. Who refrigerates peanut butter?

I can't imagine my Jif being stored in a cold refrigerator.

[Antmeister]

Wow...who knew you could get this much mileage from the topic of ketchup or what some people call catsup.

Anyway, I never refrigerated Peanut Butter until we bought the natural kind. The kind that has that oil rise to the top. Since we are trying to stay away from sugar as much as we can, we decided to go in this route.

Now I refrigerate the peanut butter, jelly, ketchup, mustard and definitley salsa. Actually I pretty much follow what the label tells me how a product should be stored to avoid getting sick.

[Eaglesfan27]

You so crazy. Who refrigerates peanut butter?

I can't imagine my Jif being stored in a cold refrigerator.


It's just what my mom always did when I was a kid, so I didn't know any other way until I moved in with my wife.

[MizzouRah]

Miracle whip pwns everything. And hunt's sucks, Heinz all the way!!!

Heinz is only good in the McDonalds packets.

[Logan]

I refrigerate damn near every condiment.

But when one of my college roommates put his peanut butter in the fridge for the first time, it completely freaked me out. And like someone just said...you can't spread the damn thing when it's cold.

[RendeR]

If its not Weber's Mustard, it ain't worth spit.

Weber's is the ONLY mustard for me.

[CU Tiger]

Hunts ketchup in the fridge
Heinz Mustard in the fridge
Duke's Mayo in the fridge
Peter Pan PB not in the fridge

That is all

[timmynausea]

I've tried to retain civility when dealing with Jon, but this is just too fucking much. Cold? It's better cold? Bullshit. Ketchup is meant to be room temperature, period. I suppose mustard should be cold? What about the salt and pepper shakers. Hell, why don't we grill the hamburgers and then stick them in the freezer for an hour before we eat.

I swear, I knew this country was going down the shithole, but I had no idea folks like you were greasing the way with your cold fucking ketchup.

I hope you get hit by a bus.

That was awesome.

[oykib]

If its not Weber's Mustard, it ain't worth spit.

Weber's is the ONLY mustard for me.

Damn straight. But you forgot the "o."

Hot and spicy on a ham and swiss with balsamic vinegar and cold pressed peanut oil...:D

[Glengoyne]

Ketchup... room temperature, but my wife won't go for that. So I have my ketchup refrigerated.

Mustard...I think I've always had my mustard cold.

[Butter]

What about butter?

I do not need refrigeration.

[MizzouRah]

Sometimes I'll order some Weber's mustard and have it shipped to me because it's so damn good.

[bryce]

Back on peanut butter. Why are PB jars designed as they are? When the jar gets low, it's a royal pain to dig down deep with a knife, and you inevitably wind up getting some on your wrist or whatnot... Why not have PB containers be bowl-shaped instead - shorter and fatter rather than tall and skinny as they are now? Plus, that would make it easier to dip an apple slice right in the PB...

[cuervo72]

My wife used to refrigerate the PB, but I think I've broken her of that. Don't see any reason to and it just gets the stuff hard. Plus, we forget it's even in there.

I think I've about convinced her that crackers and croutons don't need to be in the fridge either.

[Toddzilla]

I go toa sports bar that typically didn't refrigerate their ketchup. One time I opened the bottle and it made a sound like cracking open a beer - PSSSSSSHHHHHT! The ketchup had spoiled. I think refrigerating the ketchup would probably have prevented that.

[Joker]

Dumping new ketchup on old ketchup will cause the glass bottle to explode eventually if the process of refilling old bottles goes on too long.

WHAT! NO WARNING LABEL?

DANGER!!!
MAY EXPLODE!
DO NOT REFILL ME

[bryce]

I think I've about convinced her that crackers and croutons don't need to be in the fridge either.

Actually, I can see the value in that. Admittedly, though, I keep bread and tortillas in my freezer - it's the only way those items don't go bad on me before I finish them...

(Grocery shopping for one person kind of sucks...)

Yesterday, actually, I went to the store to get some corn tortillas. For just me. They had a package of 36 for $1.59 - clearly I don't need 36 tortillas, and they will clearly go bad or freezer burned before I even come close to finishing those. So I then was going to get the pack of 10, until I saw the price on those suckers - $1.99. Huh? 36 tortillas it was.

Freezer, meet tortillas - be nice to each other...

[JeeberD]

I caught my wife putting the PB in the fridge once.

Once...

[Buccaneer]

Follow directions. If the container says "refigerate after opening", then you better believe that there's a f'n good reason to do so. If it don't say that, then it's your choice.

Peanut Butter: For those of us that choose to eat healthier with natural PB (the kind you have to stir before using), yes, it's kept better refrigerated. Fake PB like Jif is non-biodegradable so you can shelf it, like forever.

Mayo is a dairy product. You keep it out for any length of time and then use it, you will die.

:)

[Ben E Lou]

Follow directions. Weenie.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Weenie.

Maybe ... but look how many years it's kept him (and me) alive ;)

[Ben E Lou]

Maybe ... but look how many years it's kept him (and me) alive ;)You are, what, a year older than me? :D

[cuervo72]

Mayo is a dairy product. You keep it out for any length of time and then use it, you will die.

:)

The Hellmann's Mayonnaise ingredients label shows that it contains the following ingredients, which are listed in the quantity order in which they occur:

Soybean oil, whole eggs, vinegar, water, egg yolks, salt, sugar, lemon juice, natural flavors, calcium disodium EDTA (used to protect quality).


Depends on your definition of "dairy" I suppose. But I'd beware the egg part, yeah. :)

[bryce]

How can mayo be so disgusting but ranch be so delicious? Don't they have essentially the same ingredients?

[cuervo72]

Mayo? Disgusting? That's crazy talk. Everything is better with mayo (or Miracle Whip).

[Buccaneer]

Somehow, I group as being a dairy product. It's in the dairy case at the store, right? Eggs, like milk and butter, is something you don't want to keep out.

[cartman]

I can't stand either ranch or mayo. Come to think of it, I can't stand any condiments. My hamburgers I always order dry, with only lettuce, pickles and onions. At home, the only condiment I put on burgers is either A1 sauce or picante sauce.

[cartman]

Somehow, I group as being a dairy product. It's in the dairy case at the store, right? Eggs, like milk and butter, is something you don't want to keep out.

Actually, the US is about the only country in the world that refrigerates eggs. In just about every other country I've been to, the eggs aren't sold refrigerated. Not sure why the practice of refrigerating eggs seems to be mainly a US phenomenon.

[WSUCougar]

This thread is hilarious, but I digress.

The first argument of my marriage was whether to refrigerate ketchup. She wanted to, I didn't. I WAS CONTROLLING HER LIFE! MOM'S KETCHUP WAS ALWAYS REFRIGERATED! Dear god, you'd think I'd asked her to eat mushrooms on her steak or something.

Anyway, we worked it out.




*we've refrigerated ours for 17 years*