Ok, when I say ‘edible’, of course I mean it’s like tasting the devil’s snot, but that’s normal - it is after all, made with Carolina Reaper chillies, which are the hottest on earth (or were until very recently anyway).
I bought it last Jan/Feb, and because it only needs a tablespoon’s worth mixed with another curry to render me a dribbling mess, I still have half of the jar remaining.
My last taste was November, but I just checked inside, and while the oils seem to be escaping, and the sludgy part is a little thicker than it used to be, it still seems perfectly fine with a bit of a shake (if by fine I mean horrendous).
It has never seen inside of a fridge… So it’s been at room temperature the entire time.
As a comparison, I had half a jar of Balti and that went completely mouldy in 3 months.
Is this stuff so strong that bacteria simply cannot grow? Is the capsaicin acting as a super form of preservative? Is there more life on Mars than inside that jar?
I’d throw it out. Unrefrigerated and getting sludgy sounds unappealing to me and you don’t know if something will make you sick or not until it does. If nothing else, things do break down and it’s not as fresh as it could be.
It’s a custom made type thing from a small brand, not one you can buy from an official retailer or supermarket, so the labelling isn’t the best - so it doesn’t say anything about refrigeration.
However, it does say Apr 2017 on the lid - but I’m assuming this is for an unopened jar.
I’m not going to chuck it…
Like I said, I last ate some in November and gargled with some in water for a sore throat in January (it works), so if it didn’t kill me then, I doubt it would now.
The smell, colour and taste hasn’t changed at all, only that it’s a bit sludgier than it was when I first opened it… but I assume that’s just a moisture thing.
It’s very unlikely to have food danger issues. Some of the more delicate pepper essence flavors are probably flat by now but I doubt you’ll really notice them anyway given the heat of the overall mixture.
doesitgobad.com (is the Internet great, or what?) has similar advice on hot sauce:
"If you find a bottle of opened hot sauce siting in your pantry, one that should have been refrigerated, then don’t risk using it. Most of the time, your hot sauce will be fine to use otherwise. Unless it has gone years past its expiration date, it should be fine to use, but it’s always better to (be) safe than sorry.
I would be alarmed at the possibility that a life form resistant to Carolina Reaper essence could evolve in the bottle over time, and that the OP risks having it spread into the ecosphere. :eek:
Eating old, gross food seems to be a weird point of pride with some people. Have you ever eaten at someone else’s house and been served something dubious? Eek.
I’d like to point out while the thread is in it’s infancy… I’m not asking if I should use it or throw it away.
I’m wondering why, given a normal jar of curry sauce has mould growing inside it within 3 months, an extremely hot and spicy curry sauce manages to remain seemingly intact after 12 months…
I’m just guessing the inside of that jar is not exactly the most hospitable place for life to flourish… and if so, why that is the case?
I think this was answered succinctly in the very first reply you got. High acid & capsaicin kills bacteria and high sugar mixtures (as in chutney) feeds it.
I’m still eating El Yucateco that I bought six years ago before moving to China. Yeah, I took a lot, didn’t eat it all, and brought a lot of it back with me.
