Uh oh...have I ruined my soy sauce?

I bought a really nicely flavored soy sauce at an organic food store which indicated to refigerate after opening. I’ve used it a few times, the most recently was last week. When I was cleaning up today I discovered it hidden behind a roll of paper towel. I’d forgotten to put it back in the fridge, and it’s been sitting out for about 5 days.

When I opened it, it let out a little puff of air. I tried smelling it but I can’t tell if it smells off or not because…well, it’s soy sauce. I know it’s already fermented but I don’t know what its life would be outside of the fridge.

Would it still be safe to consume or should I trash it?

I say safe. In the Far East, it’s almost unheard of to refrigerate soy at all. Personally I keep my opened shoyu in a cupboard for months, with no ill effects.

I never refrigerated soy sauce when I lived on my own. Now I do, because Mr. Neville wants to and that’s a battle that isn’t worth fighting. I’ve never noticed any difference in quality between refrigerated and unrefrigerated soy sauce. Don’t most Chinese or Southeast Asian restaurants leave bottles of soy sauce out on the tables?

I never refrigerate soy sauce, and I’ve never gotten sick from it.

There’s so much salt in there that not a whole lot is comfortable growing in it. I wouldn’t worry.

Although most people recommend refrigerating soy sauce, I used to use an organic tamari and never refrigerated it, no problem. After only 5 days you should have nothing to worry about.

Alright…good to know! Thanks!

I wouldn’t worry about the puff of air, either.

Presumably, when you took it out of the fridge, used it and then recapped it, the remaining soy sauce was still cold. It just warmed up, the air expanded, and that was the probable reason for the puff of air, not fermentation or spoilage.

Disclaimer: PROBABLY.

Refrigerate soy sauce? My boyfriend’s entire (Chinese) family would faint. Collectively.

Another vote for “it should be fine”. Yummy, in fact.
Speaking of the Battle, my SO wants me to refrigerate peanut butter, which I don’t do either. I tell him, when he eats peanut butter he can refrigerate his.

Refrigerate peanut butter?

Now that’s above and beyond wild.

What’s his justification?

My Irish roomie used to do that with PB. It drove me crazy, as it made it impossible to spread. (This was the same girl who slathered her cheese sandwich first with very thick butter, then with mayo.)

I think…because it’s edible, and isn’t in the fridge. :confused:
Honestly, I have no idea. You must remember this is the same boy who won’t eat 4-day old sour cream. 3-day old is the max. He also doesn’t really like leftovers, whereas when I was growing up we had leftovers practically every other day.

The only valid reasons I’ve heard to refrigerate peanut butter are either if you live somewhere that it’s so hot in your house that your peanut butter melts down into liquid form unrefrigerated, or if you eat it so slowly that it goes rancid before you can finish the jar.

And yes, soy sauce is a fermented and highly salted condiment. If it makes you feel better, put it back in the fridge now, but I wouldn’t worry about the bottle after that short of a time out.

In Hawaii, we refrigerate shoyu so as to keep the bugs out. :stuck_out_tongue:

I put peanut butter in the fridge to keep it from separating. If left at room temp I have to stir it up every time to mix in the oil. This isn’t a problem with lard-based peanut butter, but real peeny boo is just peanuts and a little salt.

The bottles on the tables at Chinese or sushi restaurants never see the inside of a fridge. Soy sauce tastes better at room temp.

Same with hot sauce.

Weird. I grew up in Miami, famous for its heat, humidity, tenacious ants, and giant roaches, so I’ve always refrigerated everything out of habit: open peanut butter jars, soy sauce, hot sauces, vinegar, all condiments, and even open bags of bread and chips. My mom was neurotic about refrigerating any open foodstuffs. She even refrigerates bottles of oil, which even I don’t do because the olive oil is always congealed when you want to pour it.