If you have opened a can of pizza sauce and cannot finish it all, then you store the leftover sauce in the fridge, but how long does pizza sauce last in fridge?
There are so many different opinions on this out there, and I see a standard answer- Pizza sauce lasts in the fridge for 5-7 days, but is it real?
Can it last longer than that?
In my personal experience, I have found the results to be a bit different, and the pizza sauce has lasted longer than just the classic 7-day rule that every blog post is giving out there.
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How long does Pizza sauce last in the fridge?
Pizza sauce can last for about 10 days in the fridge. So, why is everyone so insistent on freezing it after the 7-day mark?
The longevity of your pizza sauce depends on several factors. However, if you consistently refrigerate the pizza sauce container without repeatedly exposing it to room temperature, you should be fine.
If you’re still skeptical, you can put it to the test: store your pizza sauce in the refrigerator for around 8-10 days and see if it spoils. You’ll likely find that it remains perfect.
However, before conducting this test, there are a few essential things to remember, so read the full post for additional information.
How to make pizza sauce last longer in the fridge?
If you want to make your pizza sauce last for ten days or even longer in the refrigerator (but not more than 14 days), be sure to follow these guidelines to extend its shelf life:
1. Cover the jar or container where you store the pizza sauce. This prevents the sauce from drying out and developing an unpleasant odor if left exposed for several days.
2. Avoid repeatedly bringing the sauce jar to room temperature and returning it to the fridge.
Doing this multiple times can accelerate the spoiling of the pizza sauce. When the sauce is at room temperature, it can create conditions conducive to bacterial growth and mold formation.
3. Use clean, dry spoons to scoop out the pizza sauce every time. It’s crucial to avoid cross-contamination and bacteria formation by using a clean spoon for each serving.
4. To minimize temperature fluctuations, take out the pizza sauce from the storage container in the fridge with the help of a clean, dry spoon, placing it in a separate bowl for pizza preparation.
This way, you won’t repeatedly bring the entire pizza sauce container to room temperature and back from the refrigerator.
This method has helped me keep my pizza sauce fresh for an extended period in the fridge.
How do you know that Pizza sauce has gone bad?
Some signs can tell you for sure that the pizza sauce has gone bad.
1. Smell- This is the first way to check the pizza sauce without touching it: through the smell.
If the pizza sauce smells funky and you think it smells unlike how pizza sauce smells typically, then you know for sure the pizza sauce has gone bad. Toss it out immediately, and do not consume the sauce in that case.
2. Taste- If the pizza sauce tastes sour or unpleasant, it has gone bad, and it would be best to spit out whatever you have tasted and throw out the rest.
It is unfit for consumption if it tastes bad.
3. White fuzz on top or some discoloration– If this has happened, then you know who has come into the sauce container for a party? Mold!!!!
Throw away the pizza sauce immediately, and do not do a taste test. It would smell bad anyway, so you can do a smell test to confirm and safely throw it off.
Sometimes, the mold is formed on the corners of the jar or container; even then, it would be best to throw off the pizza sauce.
At what temperature does pizza sauce go bad?
If you leave the pizza sauce at room temperature for a very long time, which could be anywhere from 8 to 24 hours or more, the pizza sauce can go bad.
It also depends on how you make the pizza sauce and the temperature of your location, so these factors can heavily influence when the pizza sauce goes bad.
How do you freeze leftover pizza sauce?
Freezing leftover pizza sauce is easy; you can store it in a zip lock bag, jar, or an ice cube tray.
If you store it in a jar, leave some space on the top, as liquids expand when they freeze. Zip-lock bags are very convenient as well. Just pour the sauce in them, remove all the air from the bag, and then shut it.
Take out the sauce when cooking your next batch of pizzas, and it will taste as good as new.
Frozen pizza sauce lasts for about 3-6 months in the freezer, after the 3-month mark, the pizza sauce taste begins to deteriorate.
Pizza sauce vs tomato paste
Pizza sauce has tomatoes and other ingredients like garlic, oregano, salt, and basil. However, tomato paste is like a concentrated version of tomatoes, and it can be used in recipes to make something more out of it.
Tomato paste can be used in pasta or to add flavor to pizza sauces but cannot be used alone as it wouldn’t taste that great.
Pizza Sauce alternatives
Some of the best pizza sauce alternatives that are close to how original pizza sauce tastes are Marinara Sauce and Spaghetti sauce, which are the best.
Some other alternatives have to be these-
1. Alfredo Sauce
2. White Sauce
3. BBQ Sauce
4. Hummus
5. Pesto
6. Garlic and herb infused Olive Oil
7. Buffalo Sauce
8. Ricotta Cheese
9. Chimichurri
10. Sweet Chilli Sauce
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