# Worcestershire sauce: how long does it last?



## Stephie

Does anyone know the shelf life of Worchestershire sauce after it has been opened?  I have a gallon of it that is quite old and am unsure if I should use it.


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## attie

Stephie said:
			
		

> Does anyone know the shelf life of Worchestershire sauce after it has been opened? I have a gallon of it that is quite old and am unsure if I should use it.


Do you need it to the nearest Year?, a loooong time


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## YT2095

agreed, it does last quite a long time, although you will need to give it a shake before use as some of the particulate matter will settle over time.


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## Stephie

Well, It was given to me and I am guessing it is anywhere between 2-4 years old.  I know that the last bottle that I bought had an expiration date for 2008.  I just do not want to get anyone sick.

Thank you for replying.


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## Candocook

I like Attie's estimate!!  ;o)


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## Uncle Bob

In my kitchen: "When in doubt...throw it out!!!!


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## Andy M.

A gallon!!!!


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## Shunka

I have never had it go bad and have used some that was over 6 years old.


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## SizzlininIN

hmmmm...not really sure.  I ususally go through a bottle every year and sometimes sooner than a year. 

That brings up a good point.........when we were moving last February I cleaned out the refrigerator and cabinets and noted the expirations date on several things that were expired..... things I didn't even think about checking for an expiration date.  Now I really check my items.


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## jennyema

Andy M. said:
			
		

> A gallon!!!!


 
That's what I was thinking!

It would take me years to go through a gallon of that stuff.

But it's basically indestructable.


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## buckytom

jenny et al, you need a bigger veggie gardens.

worcestershire sauce is not only great on tomatoes, but on most steamed or raw veggies, especially young peas, brussel sprouts, or zucchini.

it's also great with raw fish, as a change from soy and wasabi.

or as the marinade for jerked or grilled meats.

i kill a large bottle every summer and fall. 

as i've recommended before, slice and marinate some raw tomatoes in worcestershire sauce. it's so good you be sucking up the seeds and sauce from the plate.


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## GB

I kill a bottle or two every summer as well Bucky. I use it in marinades. I put it in my burgers. I love it on veggies. Great stuff. 

Stephie, it will last almost forever.


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## Alix

And use it in every dip you make.


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## buckytom

Alix said:
			
		

> every dip you make.


 
that's "the police", from the synchronicity album.

oh wait, wrong thread...


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## jennyema

I use it a lot but in smaller quantities, I guess.  W-sauce and Soy sauce are "chef's secret" ingredients to bring out the umami in foods.

While I like W-sauce, I find that its assertive taste sort of drowns out others sometimes, which is why I don't use a whole lot of it.  Caesar salad dressing for example -- a drop of two really makes the dressing but too much ruins it, IMO.

Bucky -- I did take up your suggestion about drizzling it on fresh garden tomatoes and wow .  GOOD!


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## sattie

buckytom said:
			
		

> that's "the police", from the synchronicity album.
> 
> oh wait, wrong thread...


 
 

Yea, I think I have had my bottle for several years... I guess I am not using enough of it.  And the tomato pairing sounds devine!!  I must try this cuz I love tomatos!!!!

I have also noticed that xperiation dates are popping up on everything now... long gone the days when you thought stuff lasted forever!!!


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## Stephie

Thank you so much for the replies, I appreciate it.  The gallon is because it was given to me, however, I use it in just about everything.  I just wanted to make sure that it was still fit for ingestion.


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## XeniA

I think of it as one of those things that won't exactly "spoil" but its flavor depth will probably reduce -- much like old spices, I'd say.

I tend to have my bottles forever. Even worse, I made a mistake thinking I was buying a great, big, huge soy sauce recently (which I WOULD use up quickly) and it turned out to be a liter of _Worchestershire sauce_ instead! Aaaargh!


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## JoAnn L.

I went on some web sites for expiration dates for WOR Sauce and even they can't agree. One said a year and another one said 5 years.


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## FraidKnot

Considering, historically accurate or not, it took 2 years for Worcestershire to be "discovered" fermenting in a cellar and suddenly deemed to be delicious! (I love it myself) I wouldn't worry too much about it.  I have a bottle of it that must be at least 2 years old; it got buried in the back of my pantry so I bought a new bottle.  But the old bottle still tastes quite good. 

Fraidy


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## auntdot

We buy the stuff at Costco, two large bottles together is the way they usually sell them.

Doesn't last all that long.

Find it a great ingredient in many recipes, just often have to keep it under what I call the taste bud level (the point where one can actually figure out what gives it a bit of a zip).

Will even add a bit on top of a grilled cheese sandwich (yes, it is getting close to Welsh rarebit that way).

Have found abandoned bottles in the pantry.  Never worried about them.  Yes I know they find bacteria miles down in the ocean next to lava outpourings, and almost everywhere else.  There are even those who suggest life on terra frima may have come from bacteria on meteors, those miocrobes can live anywhere.  But I doubt there are any that have morphed to live in W sauce.

Only one question, who in the heck puts out Worcestershire sauce in gallon jugs?  (Maybe restaurants have them, heck if I know).

Happy new year.


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## jpinmaryland

Since you have so much of it, a phone call to the Worcestshire people might be in order. Personally I think it keeps for quite a while, but since you've got quit a bit why not call them?


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## a4q96

*expiration dates...*

One last question about this expiration thing on Worchestire Sauce... This is true even though it contains anchovies (once you have opened it)?  Sorry to be crazy, but just wondering.


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## kitchenelf

a4q96 said:


> One last question about this expiration thing on Worchestire Sauce... This is true even though it contains anchovies (once you have opened it)?  Sorry to be crazy, but just wondering.



Wow - you picked this one out of the bowels of DC 

Yes, even though it contains anchovies, it keeps QUITE a long time!  There is a code on the bottle and for the life of me I can't remember what that code is called......it is really aggravating!  If you call the company they will tell you how to decipher the code.


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## Callisto in NC

kitchenelf said:


> Wow - you picked this one out of the bowels of DC
> 
> Yes, even though it contains anchovies, it keeps QUITE a long time!  There is a code on the bottle and for the life of me I can't remember what that code is called......it is really aggravating!  If you call the company they will tell you how to decipher the code.


Production Code.  I call in on a lot of things and that's what they always ask for.


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## a4q96

*Thank you!*

So glad I found this site - lots of good info for a newbie like me.


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