There are different types of soy sauce, e.g. Kikkoman soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sweet soy sauce, usually stored at room temperature. However, do you have a soy sauce bottle in your house that you abandoned for long and you are not sure if it’s still good or not? Did you buy new soy sauce and you are thinking of the best place to store it, your kitchen shelf or refrigerator? Does soy sauce need to be refrigerated before and after opening? Let’s talk about that.
Does Soy Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated Before Opening?
It’s not necessary to refrigerate soy sauce before it is opened because soy sauce can last up to three years if left unopened. If it can last that long before it is opened why bother to refrigerate it? What about after it has been opened, does soy sauce need to be refrigerated after opening?
Does Soy Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated After Opening?
Soy sauce is indeed a fermented condiment, so it can last up to one year if not refrigerated after opening. There is no need to refrigerate soy sauce after opening if you will use it up within a short time.
However, once the soy sauce is opened, it will gradually start losing its freshness and quality. So, if you want to keep it for a very long time, you should refrigerate it to keep the freshness and quality intact.
Does Kikkoman Soy Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
One thing that affects Kikkoman soy sauce is oxidation. This happens when the sauce gets in contact with oxygen. The oxygen makes the Kikkoman soy sauce darker. So if you don’t want your Kikkoman soy sauce to change color, lose quality or flavor, for as long as possible, it’s good to refrigerate after opening.
Does Dark Soy Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
If unopened, dark soy sauce does not need to be refrigerated for up to three years or even more. If an opened dark soy sauce is stored properly under friendly and balanced room temperature and if it’s sealed well after each usage, it can last for months.
But if you do not want any change or reduction in quality and freshness, you can consider keeping it in the fridge.
Does Sweet Soy Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
What makes sweet soy sauce different from other soy sauces is the large quantity of palm sugar added to it. The palm sugar makes it thicker and sweeter.
Like other types of soy sauce, the sweet soy sauce has a very long lifespan if unopened, but if opened and you want to have it with you for long in great condition, it’s better to refrigerate it.
Read also: Does Fish Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
Does Soy Sauce Go Bad?
Although soy sauce does not go bad for a very long time, especially if not opened, and even when opened, boasts a long lifespan, the truth is that it does not stay fresh and retain its original flavor forever. So yes, soy sauce goes bad eventually.
Does Soy Sauce Go Bad If Not Refrigerated?
If soy sauce is not refrigerated when unopened, it can last for years, even past the best before date on the bottle. But if it’s opened and often used without refrigeration, it will only last fresh and retain its good flavor for about one month.
If it stays any longer without refrigeration, it will lose taste and become inedible. So, soy sauce goes bad much faster after opening and not refrigerating.
Read also: Does Peach Cobbler Need to be Refrigerated?
Does Gluten Free Soy Sauce Need to Be Refrigerated?
Gluten free soy sauces like tamari are brewed and fermented naturally, this makes their life span different from the other types of soy sauce.
They go bad faster than other soy sauces. If sealed, the gluten free soy sauce can be stored in a cool dry place and can last up to two years in that state. But if you open a bottle of gluten free soy sauce and will not need it frequently, it can only last for a few months. You can refrigerate it to help keep the gluten free soy sauce long past its best-before date in great shape.