Why Your Mustard Is Spoiling In The Fridge Faster Than It Should

We've all had those moments of opening the refrigerator, reaching for a condiment, and immediately questioning how long it's been sitting on the shelf. Out of everything you need to know about mustard, proper storage technique is at the top of the list. Mustard is full of salt and vinegar, which often operate as preservative ingredients, but that doesn't mean it'll last forever. If you want to keep your mustard as fresh as possible, you could be making a big food storage mistake by not properly sealing the jar or cap after using it.

An airtight seal and storage temperatures below 40 degrees Fahrenheit are both important to prolonging the shelf life of just about any condiment. Mustard is no exception. If you open the cap and notice plenty of dry, crusty mustard, that's a telltale sign that you're not properly sealing the container. To prevent early spoilage, wipe the cap down with a damp cloth before sealing the mustard and returning it to the fridge. Double-check that the cap has been screwed back on tightly to allow as little oxygen into the condiment as possible.

Cleaning the cap and keeping the mustard in the refrigerator are two easy ways to prevent spoilage. You can technically store mustard at room temperature, but if you want it to last for several months, then you should absolutely store it in the refrigerator. Colder temperatures will help your condiment keep for longer.

Beyond these basic storage tips, if you're using mustard from a jar, make sure you're only inserting clean utensils into it. For example, don't take a scoop of yogurt, which expires within a couple of weeks, then use the same spoon to grab a scoop of mustard. Mixing foods like this introduces new bacteria that could cause the mustard to spoil more quickly. It's also important to avoid licking the spoon in between scoops from the jar, even if you're the only one using it. The bacteria from your mouth speed up the spoilage process.

If possible, it's best to go for a squeeze bottle. Pushing the mustard out of the bottle from the outside is safer because it prevents you from introducing new bacteria via a dirty utensil. When mustard is stored using the above suggestions, an opened and re-sealed bottle should keep at peak quality for roughly a year.