Time to make room.
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The holidays are here again.
Either way, it’s time to make room in my fridge.
Simply Recipes / Getty Images
Here are the 10 items that I’ll be checking for freshness and potentially tossing.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
1.
The culprit is usually the toast crumbs embedded in the jars that cause mold and bacteria growth.
Simply Recipes / Sally Vargas
Maple Syrup
Many thanks to maple syrups sugar for making it both tasty andslow to expire.
While pure maple syrup doesnt have an expiration date, it can spoil from contaminants like water or crumbs.
Mustard
Another hotly debated does it really ever expire condiment is mustard.
Mike Lang
Open mustard should be stored in the fridge to extend its shelf life.
Ketchup
Americas favorite condiment, ketchup never seems to go bad before a bottle is finished.
Its best to consume it withinnine monthsof opening.
Simply Recipes / Photo by Victor Protasio / Food Styling by Ruth Blackburn / Prop Styling by Claire Spollen
The range is actually quite short.
It’s just one to two months forcreamy dressingsregardless of whether they are homemade or store-bought.
Vinaigrettes have a slightly longer shelf life thanks to the amount of vinegar in them, about three months.
Leela Cyd Ross
Hot Sauce
There is some debate about whether youneed to store hot sauce in the fridge.
Ingredients mattervinegar-based hot sauces last longer than those with fruit as an ingredient.
Check the manufacturer’s best-by date and toss any sauce that is discolored or has visible mold.
Emma Christensen
Drink Mixers
That bottle of Bloody Mary mixer from last New Year’s Day has got to go!
Pickles
You might think of pickles as a forever-preserved food, but even they have a shelf life.
Fresh pickles (think Grillos orhomemade quick pickles) should be eaten within three months of opening.
Be sure to examine the brine and pickles for mold before digging in.
Lucky for me, this is totally fine.
Jarred olives stored in the brine last from 12 to 18 months.
Olive bar olivesalso known as dry oliveshave a much shorter shelf life of five days.
Mayo
This one surprised me!
Maybe because my family eats through a jar too quickly for it to spoil.
Mayo is an egg-based condiment thatonly lasts about two months once opened.
Seems a good enough reason to whip up achicken saladto me.
