Does Vinegar Need To Be Stored In The Refrigerator? Ina Garten Thinks So
With refrigerator organization being a lifelong pursuit, it's nice to be able to store ingredients in cabinets or that classic cool, dark place whenever possible. Open peanut butter is the classic example that does just fine in the pantry, but some folks stick it in the fridge in any case. Ina Garten does the same with her collection of vinegar.
"For anything I'm making, if it has like a little splash of vinegar, it just gives it an edge and wakes everything up," Garten told Food & Wine. "And I keep them in the fridge," she said. "I know a lot of people keep them in the pantry. I might take hell for this, but I just find that they don't develop bacteria in the fridge." Although we doubt anyone's sharpening their pitchforks for the Barefoot Contessa, white vinegar does not require refrigeration for safety. However, a lot of varieties' flavor can change when kept at room temperature over time. This can alter the dynamic of marinades, salad dressings, and other recipes down the line.
When to refrigerate your own vinegar at home
If you, too, are in possession of a vinegar menagerie with red wine, rice, sherry, and even homemade apple peel vinegar ready for all manner of recipes, odds are you aren't using them up very quickly. With the precise kinds in your possession, you just won't need to deplete any one reserve all at once. That's when you really need to pay attention for any signs of degradation before you're in the muffler of a recipe and need to figure out what you can swap for rice vinegar because your ancient bottle has lost its flavor. Refrigeration can stave off that decline.
You can also date your vinegars with a Sharpie upon opening and give any known deep cuts a quality check now and then. If you haven't touched the Champagne vinegar in the deepest recesses of your refrigerator since your now-abandoned DIY oyster shucking endeavors and it's a few years old, it probably won't perform as well as you remembered. Give it a taste to confirm before you count on it for your next culinary lark.