Don’t you just hate leaving food out to spoil?
No matter how meticulous with portion sizes you are, you inevitably have leftover food at times and be undecided on what to do about it.
The same goes for balsamic vinegar.
Sometimes, you make the perfectly delicious, deep rich color, and intense flavored balsamic glaze and just doubt if you really need to refrigerate it.
Well, good news! Many people are surprised to learn that balsamic glaze does not need to be refrigerated.
This thick, sweet condiment is made from reduced balsamic vinegar and is a popular addition to salads and cooked dishes.
Because it is already highly concentrated, the vinegar in the glaze is less likely to spoil.
However, if you do choose to refrigerate your balsamic glaze, it will keep for up to six months.
When stored at room temperature, the glaze will last for up to a year.
If you’re using it for your salads and love to enjoy your salads chilled, you may consider refrigerating it.
If however, you need the glaze for your sauces, you may skip refrigeration.
You should also know that if you like your balsamic glaze to drizzle, refrigerating it may take away that effect unless you allow for a sitting-out time after refrigeration.
This is because the balsamic glaze thickens when it is refrigerated.
Whether you refrigerate it or not, be sure to keep the bottle tightly sealed to prevent the formation of mold.
With proper storage, your balsamic glaze will be a delicious addition to your kitchen for months to come.
Where Do I Store Balsamic Glaze?
You may either store your balsamic glaze in your refrigerator or in a cupboard.
Both work just great although storing it in a refrigerator makes it much thicker.
Using either of these options, the shelf life of balsamic vinegar should be between 3-5 years.
However, because of the versatility of the usage of balsamic glaze in use in various dishes from grilled or roasted meats, salads, and even ice creams, there’s a good chance you won’t even use it for that long.
If however for some reason you need to keep it for that long, the high acidity of the glaze will keep it preserved for a long time.
Before you however store your balsamic glaze in a cupboard you want to make sure it is as cool and dark as possible.
This is because it helps to better retain the quality of the balsamic glaze, helping it last longer and retain a higher quality.
In a case where you prefer to consume commercially produced balsamic glaze instead of homemade, you can have it stored in a dark cool place and use it for the same 3-5 years.
To help you further improve the shelf life of your balsamic glaze, you want to make sure you keep the bottle tightly sealed after opening.
You should also aim to have your balsamic glaze stored at room temperature.
How Long Is Balsamic Glaze Good For After Opening?
Balsamic glaze is good for three to five years after opening if you store it in an airtight container and in a dark and cool place.
It may also be dependent on how long you keep it open before storing it.
The longer it takes before being stored, the quality of your balsamic glaze starts to decrease and it shows in the appearance.
Here are a few checks you may think make your balsamic glaze bad but may not necessarily mean it has gone bad:
Cloudiness
If you notice your balsamic glaze becoming very cloudy, it is still edible and will have no effects if consumed.
However, if you can’t consume it looking that way, you may consider filtering it.
This way you can clear out the cloudiness and be left with clear balsamic glaze.
Color Change
If your balsamic glaze completely changes color, it may be time to completely throw it out.
However, if after prolonged storage it becomes slightly different, it is still consumable, the container was covered properly and the glaze may have been exposed to air.
Vinegar Blob
After prolonged storage, you may find a gel-like substance in your glaze bottle.
You may automatically think it gross and want to throw it out, but it’s actually harmless.
This gel-like substance is a form of cellulose.
If there’s a gross gel-like blob floating in your vinegar bottle, that blob is called the mother of vinegar.
It’s a form of cellulose and it’s completely harmless.
Many people may even consume it alongside their balsamic glaze, if it however makes you uncomfortable, you may consider straining it out or filtering it.
Sediment
After storing your balsamic glaze for some time, you may notice that sediment has gathered at the bottom.
However, if you haven’t filtered it, the sediments appearing shouldn’t make you assume that the balsamic glaze is no good.
Once given a good shake or filtered, it’ll look as good as new.
On the other hand, there are signs your balsamic glaze is bad
- Mold – If you find molds of any sort in your glaze, they should no longer be consumed rather it is to be thrown out and completely replaced.
- Rancid Smell – Your balsamic glaze isn’t supposed to smell rancid. A rancid smell means it is spoilt and should not be consumed.
- Taste – If your glaze tastes funny and no longer like what you first purchased or made, it is a clear indication that it may no longer be consumed.
What Happens If You Don’t Refrigerate Balsamic?
Nothing, you do not need to store your balsamic vinegar in the fridge.
It just won’t be cold.
This is a plus for you if you need your balsamic glaze for sauces or any other food item that does not require it to be cold.
On the other hand, if you need it for your salads, you may want to refrigerate it to enjoy the cooler temperature.
If you’re not using it as a salad dressing, refrigerating your balsamic glaze should be optional and not a rule.
If your dishes require it cool, then you should refrigerate them but if not, you may completely skip the process.
Refrigerating your balsamic glaze may make it thick and this may make it difficult to use in some dishes.
Additionally, refrigeration may also speed up the spoilage effect as exposure to water may make it more prone to go rancid.
Alternatively, you may opt to store your balsamic glaze in an airtight container.
Three things to look out for are temperature, light, and evaporation.
This means for the best storage effects storing your balsamic glaze in a cool, dark area is your best bet and not a refrigerator.
An exception to this would be if you live in a place that is very hot without a cool place to store your balsamic glaze.
If this is your case, it would be okay to store it in the refrigerator or a high cupboard away from the stove.
This is to account for the high temperature and cooking heat in the kitchen.
Another tip is to keep your containers as airtight as possible.
Exposure to air could alter the quality of your balsamic glaze and accelerate spoilage.
The final tip would be to keep it as far as possible from light.
For extra precaution, you make consider using dark bottles even as you store them in a dark place.
I’m Chris Watson & the Founder of EatForLonger.com. I’m a food and wellbeing enthusiast researching and sharing foodstuffs and simple food-based concepts, such as fasting and clean eating.
I hope it inspires you to make tiny changes to what you eat and when you eat while optimizing your healthspan and all-around well-being.
Read more About Me here.