Never Put Mustard in the Fridge, Here's What Happens

I’ve been keeping my mustard in the refrigerator for 50 years and I’ve never had a problem😂

I've been keeping my Mustard and Ketchup in the Fridge for 60 years and I have never had a problem!

Now that I know nothing bad is going to happen I'm going to continue keeping my mustard in the fridge.

We've kept ketchup and mustard in the fridge since I was a kid and never had any issues. As a side note, I literally just checked both those bottles and on the bottle it says "REFRIGERATE AFTER OPENING". I would suggest you look on the packaging of the food you are buying to see for yourself if it needs to be refrigerated or not.

I checked my ketchup, mustard, pickles, hot sauces, soy sauce, etc. and ALL of them have "Refrigerate After Opening" on the label. WTF!

The purpose of refrigerating most of these products is to slow down the oxidation process; making the shelf life last a bit longer. Condiments are probably used less frequently in households than in resteraunts, so comparing the two is silly. Sure, they can last a good period of time on the table, but they can last even longer in the fridge.

Not all pickles are the same. Hot brine pickles are fine at room temp, but cold brine pickles actually do need to be kept refrigerator because of the picking process. That’s why you find them in the cooler section at the grocery store and not on the shelf with the other hot brine pickles.

I've been keeping my Mustard and Ketchup under a rock for 60 years and I have never had a problem!

I've been keeping all that stuff in the fridge for 50 years and I always will. I clicked edit to state a couple more things since my post received 18 replies. Heinz made a statement just the other day that their catsup should be kept in the refrigerator. The bottle ingredients on the Great Value mustard lists vinegar, water, mustard seed, salt, turmeric, and paprika. I've lived in cold climates and in hot climates and I have never in all my life had an issue keeping catsup and mustard in the fridge. What you want to do with your mustard (and other foods) is certainly up to you. I was simply making a comment that at my age (almost 70) I have always kept those products in the fridge and I always will as long as I am alive and have a fridge. I will add, in regards to some diners leaving bottles of catsup on the tables, a big reason why they do that is because the catsup is used up very quickly by the customers. I don't consume an entire bottle of catsup or mustard in a day or two which is what happens at most diners.

I don't keep the stick of butter I'm currently using in the fridge, only the butter I'm storing. Much easier to spread at room temp.

I think putting your condiments in or out of fridge that have a base of vinegar might also depend on how quickly you consume the product once opened. Restaurants are busy enough that they go through the contents rather quickly. At my house with just my husband and I eating, we won’t go through a container very quickly. Squeeze bottles don’t have the issue of cross contamination which helps with keeping bad bacteria from spoiling the unit. We all should have a certain amount of common sense as knowing if an item has eggs as a base it needs to be refrigerated after opening. ❤

I read years ago to never refrigerate tomatoes, so my next purchase was out in a colander. Within two days, insects that I had never seen in my house had thoroughly enjoyed them. Lesson learned. And honey does crystallize, but it's still OK. I once took the advice to leave it out. Then I was living in a converted garage apartment. I went to the honey bottle to find three large ants affixed to it in a death grip. Again, lesson learned.

Are the ketchup manufacturers aware that ketchup shouldn’t be refrigerated? Label: refrigerator after opening.

The real question is, "Who actually runs the FDA and how many times have they fudged up since their inception?"

Hint for avocados: Pick the fattest ones no matter how green and put them in with an apple in a plastic produce bag. Leave them on the counter (turning once a day) and they will be ready to eat in two days. They might not look dark enough but if you test their firmness, they will have some softness to them. You will get the fattest juiciest avocados in two days. BUT, make sure you take out the apple and put the avocados in the fridge so they don't continue to ripen and get dark. The gas the apple is releasing matures the avocados (and other fruit like tomatoes). Get the cheapest apple, they all work the same. Or get your favorite to eat.

I’m all about saving room in my refrigerator since I live in a apartment with a smaller than the standard size refrigerator. I also know the many fruits and vegetables that last longer at room temperature like tomatoes, peppers, onions, potatoes, apples, citrus fruits, bananas, to name a few. I have always stored ketchup and mustard in the refrigerator since the label states “For best results refrigerate after opening” Honestly if I never had to refrigerate these things it would make me very happy and save much room for other things! I’m going to check the FDA website to see what they recommend before I make that change before believing some video I watched on YouTube

I always put mustard and ketchup in the fridge. I love the coldness, especially in contrast with something hot like a hot dog or hamburger.

On my bottle of French’s mustard it says to Refrigerate After Opening, so that’s what I’m doing.

I've been keeping mustard in the fridge for 300 years and I've never had a problem.

I left out an already opened jar of preserves. It didn't take long before it became moldy! In the refrigerator...it's NEVER become moldy since.😊