Navigating the aisles of our preferred supermarket and determining which food items need to be refrigerated and which ones don’t may be very challenging.
It makes sense to assume that a product doesn’t need to be at home if it isn’t chilled in stores. However, that isn’t always the case.
If we look closely, we can find the humble term “refrigerate after opening” in fine font on the labels of numerous products on the shelves of grocery stores. Unfortunately, not everyone follows this little advice, and occasionally those who do choose to do so. One great example of this is ketchup.
In fact, Heinz, the well-known ketchup company, suggests cooling their product as soon as you bring it inside. “But why does ketchup need to be refrigerated when I see bottles of it sitting on the store shelves,” you might be wondering. But Heinz wants you to know that everything worked out for the best.
I was intrigued by this ketchup conundrum and decided to investigate it further. I went to my own kitchen, got a bottle of Heinz ketchup, and carefully studied the label. And there it was, printed in tiny letters on the label on the back, the caution to “For best results, refrigerate after opening.” It follows that refrigeration is strongly advised.
Did you know that Heinz also tweeted about this issue? They tweeted a brief message that read, “FYI: Ketchup goes in the fridge!!!” This tweet sparked a contentious discussion among ketchup enthusiasts and attracted attention on social media.
Heinz even went so far as to conduct a survey asking individuals how they store their ketchup at home. The results were quite fascinating. Sixty-six percent of ketchup users store it in a cupboard, and sixty-two percent store it in the refrigerator.
Finding out the reasons behind some people’s choices to disobey fridge advice is fascinating. They claim that ketchup doesn’t spoil easily and tastes nice even when stored at room temperature. The good news is that refrigerating your ketchup will extend its shelf life and keep it fresher for longer.
So, if you’re still not sure whether to refrigerate your ketchup, remember what Heinz says. And why not put that bottle of ketchup in the fridge, nice and cold, like the rest of us? It’s an easy way to ensure that your favorite condiment stays fresh and tasty.
Now is your chance to weigh in on the ketchup debate! Which is preferable for keeping ketchup—in the fridge or a cupboard? Let’s carry on the discussion and find out what kind of ketchup you prefer!
