People who have never used fish sauce before often want to know how long a bottle lasts and how to store it. The answer isn’t clear-cut because it depends on the type of fish sauce you have and how often you use it. A bottle of fish sauce can last for two to three years after it has been opened, or even longer. Hopefully you’ll go through a bottle of nuoc mam faster than those estimates.
To be honest, my kitchen isn’t neat, but I’ll let you look in my fridge, cabinet of condiments, and pantry (a dark hall closet). I spread my fish sauce stash in all three of those spots. The explanation below will hopefully explain my strategies.
As a home cook who loves whipping up Asian-inspired dishes, fish sauce is one of my essential pantry staples A dash of this umami-rich condiment can instantly elevate stir-fries, curries, dipping sauces and more. But I often get asked – does fish sauce actually go bad?
In this complete guide, I’ll share everything you need to know about maximizing the shelf life and freshness of fish sauce You’ll learn
- How to tell if your fish sauce has gone off
- Proper storage methods
- How long fish sauce keeps unopened and opened
- What to do with older fish sauce
- The shelf life difference between homemade and store-bought
I’ll also tackle some common questions about fish sauce expiration dates, safety, and more. Read on for pro tips to make the most of this flavor-boosting Asian ingredient!
How to Tell If Your Fish Sauce Has Gone Bad
It’s rare for fish sauce to truly spoil, but its flavor and aroma can degrade over time. Here are some signs your fish sauce may be past its prime:
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Off or sour smell: Fresh fish sauce has a pleasant briny, seafood scent. An unpleasant or ammonia-like odor means it’s gone off.
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Change in color: Fish sauce naturally darkens with age. But extreme darkening, cloudiness or a white film on top signals spoilage.
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Texture changes: Crystals or thick sediment forming in older fish sauce is natural. But slime, stickiness or mold growth indicates it’s gone bad.
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Strange taste: Fish sauce should taste pleasantly salty, savory and umami. A bitter, metallic or acidic flavor means it’s no longer good.
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Expired ‘best by’ date: The manufacturer’s recommended date offers a general guideline of when to use fish sauce by. Fish sauce can often last 1-2 years past its date if unopened.
When in doubt, remember – “if it smells funky, it’s junky!” Trust your senses to determine if your fish sauce has gone off.
How to Store Fish Sauce for Maximum Freshness
Proper storage is key to maintaining the quality and extending the shelf life of your fish sauce. Here are some storage tips:
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Unopened: Store in a cool, dry pantry away from light and heat. Refrigeration is optional for unopened bottles.
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Opened: Keep fish sauce in the fridge after opening to optimize its freshness, especially for premium varieties or infrequently used bottles.
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Leftovers: Transfer any remaining fish sauce to a sealed container before refrigerating to prevent air exposure.
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Freezing: Portion fish sauce into an ice cube tray or muffin tin then freeze for long term storage up to 4-6 months.
Always check the product label as some brands recommend refrigeration after opening while others don’t. It comes down to personal preference and usage frequency. Keeping fish sauce chilled can help it retain maximum aroma and flavor.
How Long Does Fish Sauce Last?
Wondering what the shelf life is for fish sauce? Here’s a breakdown:
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Unopened fish sauce: 1 to 3 years from the manufactured or ‘best by’ date when stored properly.
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Opened, refrigerated fish sauce: 6 months to 1 year.
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Opened, not refrigerated: 3 to 6 months. Flavor and aroma start degrading faster.
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Frozen fish sauce: 4 to 6 months in the freezer before noticeable decline in quality.
As you can see, fish sauce has an impressively long shelf life compared to many other condiments. The high salt concentration prevents microbial growth, while refrigeration and freezing slow down flavor degradation.
For best quality, I recommend using fish sauce within 1 year of purchase. But even fish sauce 2-3 years old is often still safe to cook with.
What to Do with Old Fish Sauce
Don’t toss old fish sauce just yet! Here are some ideas for using up fish sauce that’s past its prime:
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Simmer it – Gently heating fish sauce improves both flavor and shelf life.
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Balance it out – Mask any off flavors by pairing with acidic citrus, sweetness, herbs and spices.
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Cook with it – Older fish sauce may lose some nuance but still enhances savory dishes.
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Make a marinade – Thin with lime juice or vinegar for a quick meat or shrimp marinade.
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Add richness – Whisk a splash into sauces, gravies and soups.
With a little creativity, that bottle of fish sauce lingering in your fridge can be put to good use. But if the smell or taste is really off, it’s safest to discard.
Is Expired Fish Sauce Safe to Consume?
I’m sometimes asked if expired fish sauce is safe to eat. There’s no definitive answer, but here are a few factors to consider:
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If fish sauce was stored properly sealed, the risk of harmful bacteria growth is low.
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Refrigeration and freezing help slow spoilage, extending the safe shelf life beyond the “best by” date.
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Consuming small amounts of fish sauce that’s slightly outdated in cooked dishes is generally low risk.
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People with compromised immune systems should exercise greater caution with expired foods.
My recommendation is to inspect and do a small taste test of expired fish sauce before using. If it smells and tastes relatively normal, it should be fine for cooking. But if you have any doubts about the safety, it’s best not to chance it.
Does Freezing Fish Sauce Extend Its Shelf Life?
Freezing is an effective way to prolong the shelf life of fish sauce. Here’s how freezing impacts freshness:
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Unopened fish sauce can be frozen near its “best by” date for optimal extension of shelf life.
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Opened fish sauce that’s frozen will maintain quality for up to 6 months in an airtight container.
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Fish sauce frozen using ice cube trays can be thawed as needed, avoiding waste.
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Freeze fish sauce that you don’t use often for maximum freshness between uses.
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Some subtle flavor deterioration may occur over time in frozen fish sauce.
Freezing prevents microbial growth and slows down the enzymatic reactions that cause fish sauce to degrade. For infrequent fish sauce users, freezing helps ensure you can enjoy it while it’s still fresh.
Does Homemade Fish Sauce Last Longer Than Store-Bought?
While making your own fish sauce at home is rewarding, it won’t have as lengthy of a shelf life compared to commercial, shelf-stable varieties. Here’s the difference:
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Homemade fish sauce: Lasts 4 to 6 months refrigerated or frozen. No preservatives are added when making it yourself.
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Store-bought fish sauce: Keeps for 1 to 3 years unopened thanks to higher salt content and sometimes preservatives.
For most home cooks, keeping some store-bought fish sauce on hand for convenience is recommended. But homemade fish sauce can be worth the effort for certain recipes and the pride of crafting your own umami ingredient.
Tips for Cooking and Storing Fish Sauce
Here are a few final tips for handling fish sauce:
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Add fish sauce at the end of cooking for best flavor. Extended high heat cooking can diminish its flavor.
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When substituting fish sauce for soy sauce, use about half the amount of fish sauce since its saltiness is more concentrated.
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Look for fish sauce bottled in glass versus plastic to optimize flavor and shelf life.
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Wipe any drips from the bottle before closing to avoid the cap getting stuck from fish sauce residue buildup.
Integrating just a splash of fish sauce into your favorite marinades, stir fries, dipping sauces and more can seriously upgrade them with savory umami depth. Follow these fish sauce storage and shelf life recommendations to keep this flavor booster fresh and maximize its lifespan in your pantry.
Why Refrigerate Fish Sauce
To refrigerate fish sauce or not — that’s a personal and functional choice. My 85-year-old mom doesn’t refrigerate nuoc mam. She blasts through fish sauce with all the Viet cooking that she does. A cheaper bottle is for cooking, and a better bottle is for dipping foods. She usually has two open at the same time. That’s the typical, old-school Viet approach. Save the good stuff for the table.
There are eight bottles open right now so I can test them out in class, use them to make good recipes, and just be interested in the different brands I find. I dont refrigerate them all.
Son and Red Boat are two brands of Vietnamese artisanal fish sauce that I keep in my fridge. They have high nitrogen levels, which are a measure of how umami-rich a condiment is. A relatively high nitrogen level (“N”) means big flavor but it also makes fish sauces somewhat delicate. Left out at room temperature, those brands quickly develop gas inside their bottles. Open the cap and the fish sauce farts, which is somewhat alarming. I consider a fish sauces gassy stability to decide if it needs to be refrigerated.
Danny Tran of Son Fish Sauce suggested refrigerating high-grade fish sauce to keep them better. He said finding a good cap for fish sauce bottles is a challenge. It needs to fit tight but people should be able to open a cap with relative easy.
Cuong Pham of Red Boat used to advise keeping fish sauce at room temperature but the RB label now says to refrigerate also. He’s also careful in sourcing the caps for his bottles. He mentioned that the caps Red Boat uses give a little but are strong and tight fitting.
My fridge door also has a supermarket fish sauce, made by A Taste of Thai. I like that fish sauce, and even though it’s not expensive or high-end, I plan to keep it for a long time so I can use it to test recipes and bring it to class to taste nuoc mam. It’s a brand that’s carried at at only a handful of supermarkets so replacing it is hard. I’d rather keep it in a safe place — the fridge.
Another reason to keep fish sauce in the fridge is that the smell of the salty, savory fish will be less strong if you keep nuoc mam, nam pla, or patis cool. Note that high quality fish sauce is heady like dried porcini mushroom. Chill fish sauce to downplay its aroma.
Fish Sauce Storage Basic Know-How
Let’s get this over with. You do not have to refrigerate fish sauce. In an article published at The Takeout, Cynthia James at Cornell University’s Cornell Food Venture Center discusses how soy sauce and fish sauce have “water activity” that are controlled, meaning that the water in the liquid condiments are very well bound to salt and other molecules.
The result is this: there’s little opportunity for pathogens to proliferate. So yes, you can keep fish sauce at room temperature without bacterial harm.
But just because you can do something, is it wise to always follow that rule? I do not.
Does fish sauce expire?
Does fish sauce go bad if not refrigerated?
Fish sauce won’t go bad instantly when not refrigerated, thanks to the amount of salt in it. In the Asian kitchen, it is quite common to leave fish sauce outside the fridge since it’s used very frequently if not daily. How Long Does Fish Sauce Last? Fish sauce bottles come with a “best-before” or “best-use-by” date.
Can one eat hot sauce?
Hot sauce is considered a healthy condiment when they don’t contain sodium or added sugar. Studies suggest that it can show some health benefits such as supporting heart health and assist in weight loss. However, if you have a sensitive stomach or intestine, you may want to limit the intake.
Is fish sauce safe?
However, you can be sure that the fish sauce will still be safe to add to your favorite dishes. You may notice that clear crystals have formed at the bottom of your bottle of fish sauce. These crystals are actually sea salt, which has separated from the rest of the fish sauce. However, this does not affect the quality of the fish sauce in any way.
Does fish sauce spoil?
Fish sauce is not one of those foods that will spoil in a way that makes it dangerous to eat. It’s more likely that the flavor will fade over time, so you’ll want a new bottle because of the quality. However, some rare cases of spoilage are possible in very unfavorable storage conditions, and the signs would be as follows.