Dr. Oz played a game to help people realize that condiments go BAD and become rancid after a short period of just a matter of months. But just putting an arbitrary time line on rancidity is asking for a potential disaster and a major tummy ache.

You need to know how to spot or taste rancid foods with more than just a calendar date. Really…this is your ‘learning moment’.

When condiments are not properly stored in the refrigerator at the appropriate temperature, they can go bad very quickly. For instance, if you forget to put a bottle of ketchup or a jar of mayo in the frig after making a sandwich or a burger and it is left out until the next day; then you have compromised the condiment with temperature, light, and possible pathogens. It may or may not grow bacteria in the fridge, but can you be sure?

When certain warmer temperatures, exposure to light, and the introduction of common bacteria which are in the kitchen get into the jar or bottle, it can affect the quality of the taste and it can even separate and look like a mess.

Even gunk that remains of the edge of the jar when you are too lazy to clean the rim of the jar before you screw on the lid can contaminate and ruin what’s left in the jar. Using unclean spoons or knives to scoop out some mustard or mayo may introduce bacteria into the container. Be smart when you are in the kitchen…it only takes a moment to do it correctly and stay healthy. Food poisoning hurts, your lymphatic vessels become red and inflamed, and it is a serious situation when you skip these basic kitchen food safety practices.

Emulsions like you’ll find in mustards and many aolis will separate and it can be gross when you dip your spoon or knife back into the jar to spread on your next slice of bread or bun. Crust can form on the top or sides of the condiments if you leave the lid off the jar and that is going to leave a horrible feeling in your mouth. I won’t even use a jar if it has been air-dried by another member of the family… You have to remember to put your condiments away and keep the lids on…right after you use them. Every time!

If you are doing this properly, then you can expect an ordinary shelf-life, but take a good look before you eat it the next time you use it. If you have no idea how long it’s been since you bought the bottle, then rotate it every month, just to take all the precautions necessary to prevent contamination and accidental food poisoning. If other bits of food get into a jar, then dump the entire thing to avoid problems from cross-contamination.

Look for discoloration… When color changes, it can indicate that there is a chemical reaction or some process in the works that can ruin the condiment.

Taste your condiments before you add them to other foods to ensure that they are still good. However, if you doubt that a condiment is safe, don’t put it in your mouth, just dispose of it accordingly. Don’t risk it! If the taste is off, even a little, you might get a tummy ache or put pathogens into your system. If you get diarrhea after eating a questionable condiment, you need to use some products to cleanse the digestive system and eliminate any bugs that you’ve ingested.

The best piece of advice that we can share with you today is to purchase fresh organic condiments and use them up within thirty to sixty days max. You are going for flavor, so don’t compromise here by seeing how long a jar can last.

If you have mustard and you need to use up the last third of the jar, make some egg salad or tofu salad. Make a honey mustard salad dressing and finish off the jar. You can do the same with a jar of mayo or a container of a tapenade.

When you are purchasing your condiments, pick the freshest and healthiest condiments on the market. We want to direct your attention to Frontier and SageSpices which do an excellent job. If you start with product quality, then it is more reasonable to assume that you will get the best from your ingredients to make fabulous dishes and enhance your food with real flavor!

Dr. Oz gave the time lines in terms of months, from a couple of months to a maximum of six months, but we feel that six months is too long.

If you think that a condiment might be old or rancid, don’t feed it to the dog or to the kids just to get rid of it. Toss it.

You should make sure that your spices and seasonings are as fresh as possible and keep them out of direct light, out of extreme temperatures, and in good containers.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, March 24th, 2010 at 8:26 pm and is filed under Health. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.