# Refrigerate hot sauces? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 21, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912 "2013-12-21T19:30:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![DSeid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dseid/32/20194_2.png) [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 7:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/1 "2013-12-21T19:30:55Z")
The “refrigerate after opening” words seem to randomly appear on some hot sauce labels, independent of whether it is mostly vinegar based or has more juice in it. I pretty much keep 'em all out. What’s your practice? Why? ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 7:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/2 "2013-12-21T19:42:23Z")
If it says to refrigerate after opening, I do. If not, I don’t. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/3 "2013-12-21T22:34:19Z")
I keep them refrigerated because it seems like they’ll last longer. Weather this is, in fact, true or not I don’t care. I bring the bottle out before I use it, and it warms up a bit. Back in the frige when I’m done with it. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/4 "2013-12-21T22:41:28Z")
I wasn’t talking about the weather, you know. Missed the edit deadline. I was busy putting my sauces back in the fridge. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 11:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/5 "2013-12-21T23:42:22Z")
Some go in, some don’t. The more vinegar there is in the sauce, the less likely it is to be chilled. ---
**Author:** ![Leaffan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leaffan/32/299_2.png) [@Leaffan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaffan)\ **Post date:** [December 21, 2013, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/6 "2013-12-21T23:49:09Z")
I probably have at least a dozen bottles of miscellaneous hot sauces in the fridge. I believe they keep longer, for one. And for two, they don’t really take up much space, so why not? ---
**Author:** ![YoungKusher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/3e96dc/32.png) [@YoungKusher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/YoungKusher)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 12:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/7 "2013-12-22T12:59:20Z")
I keep my hot sauces in the refrigerator. That’s just what i like. > [@bobot](#): > > I wasn’t talking about the weather, you know. Missed the edit deadline. I was busy putting my sauces back in the fridge. Side note. Is there any way to build some kind of rep or seniority so you can have a longer period of time to edit? Another message board I like to use gives you an hour to edit. They also allow anyone to view all of the previous versions of the post once it has been edited. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 22, 2013, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/8 "2013-12-22T13:23:30Z")
We refrigerate them because there is a nice shelf that corrals the bottles nicely. Then again, our eggs and butter are at room temp. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/9 "2013-12-23T03:03:55Z")
I keep them in the fridge, just because it’s a convenient place to store them. They probably would be fine at room temperature, but they’re fine in there, too, so what’s the difference? ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/10 "2013-12-23T03:08:31Z")
All in the fridge for convienance. ---
**Author:** ![marshmallow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/df705f/32.png) [@marshmallow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marshmallow)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/11 "2013-12-23T03:14:10Z")
I like my sauces, salsas, and ketchup cold. I’m sure this makes me a pleb somehow. ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 3:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/12 "2013-12-23T03:15:11Z")
I have WAY too much stuff in my fridge so stuff that doesn’t seem to suffer get’s left out. That includes hot sauces, mustards, ketchup, peanut butter… ---
**Author:** ![Der\_Trihs](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/der_trihs/32/233_2.png) [@Der\_Trihs](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Der_Trihs)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 7:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/13 "2013-12-23T07:47:41Z")
> [@YoungKusher](#): > > Side note. Is there any way to build some kind of rep or seniority so you can have a longer period of time to edit? Nope. Short of becoming a mod I guess. > [@YoungKusher](#): > > Another message board I like to use gives you an hour to edit. They also allow anyone to view all of the previous versions of the post once it has been edited. Ha, when I joined here we couldn’t edit anything at all. ---
**Author:** ![don\_t\_ask](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@don\_t\_ask](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/don_t_ask)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 9:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/14 "2013-12-23T09:38:45Z")
I keep my lime and chili mayonnaise in the fridge. All other sauces are in the cupboard. ---
**Author:** ![Casey1505](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/dc4da7/32.png) [@Casey1505](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Casey1505)\ **Post date:** [December 23, 2013, 7:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/refrigerate-hot-sauces/676912/15 "2013-12-23T19:02:51Z")
I keep mine in the fridge mostly because it’s dark in there and it keeps other bottles from rattling around too much. Closes up the gaps. I kept a bottle on my desk once and the color browned a little, I’m guessing from all the light exposure. Still tasted fine, just didn’t look as bright red as it should have.