Ketchup is a familiar seasoning sauce often used as a dipping sauce for foods like French fries, and can also be added to stir-fries like tomato fried rice. Should ketchup be refrigerated during storage? Does water separation affect its quality?

How to Refrigerate Ketchup

After opening, refrigerate ketchup directly. However, it should not be too cold. It is recommended to store it in the refrigerator, on the inside shelf of the door, rather than deep inside the refrigerator.

Also, when storing ketchup in the refrigerator, do not store it upside down. Instead, store it upright.

Many people like to store ketchup containers upside down to allow the ketchup to settle in the lid, making it easier to squeeze out later. However, if the container is left upside down for too long, the water that separates from the ketchup will accumulate around the lid, making the ketchup watery when squeezed out next time.

Will this water separation affect the quality of the ketchup?

If some water comes out when you use the ketchup, this is the liquid that has separated from the ketchup after it has been left standing for a long time. It does not affect the quality of the ketchup. In fact, every 100g of ketchup contains about 66g of water. If the water separates, simply shake the container to mix the contents thoroughly, and the ketchup will return to its original state.

So what are the signs of spoiled ketchup? If the ketchup has an unusual odor, mold appears on the lid or inside the container, or the container is unusually bulging, discard it immediately. If the ketchup is still past its expiration date, do not consume it.