How Do You Know If Banana Ketchup Is Bad?
Use banana ketchup as you would any condiment, be that on top of a hot dog, as a dip for chicken fingers or French fries, or drizzled over meatloaf. It tastes a lot like regular tomato ketchup but has a sweeter backbone.
If you see mold on the surface of the sauce or the cap, it is time to throw it in the trash. One of the clearest signs that ketchup has gone bad is if it starts to smell sour. Ketchup should have a strong tomato smell that is slightly sweet. Any change in smell is a sign that the ketchup belongs in the trash.
Banana ketchup is still prevalent today and used in classic dishes such as tortang talong (an omelet made with eggplant), hamburgers, fried chicken, and Filipino-style spaghetti, which uses banana ketchup and sliced hot dogs, in lieu of tomato sauce and ground beef.
Look for banana ketchup or banana sauce by brands such as Jufran, Mafran, and UFC. Baron also makes banana ketchup, though this Caribbean version doesn’t have any sugar added. Keep banana ketchup as you would any ketchup. It’s shelf-stable until you open it, and once the top is popped, store the bottle in a refrigerator.
How to Store Ketchup?
Like most types of processed sauces, ketchup is shelf-stable. You can store an unopened bottle of ketchup in a cool and dark place away from sunlight and direct heat. A pantry or kitchen cabinet is the perfect place to keep unopened ketchup bottles.
If you have bought your ketchup from a store, there will be a best before date on the label. However, an unopened bottle of ketchup should be good to use for up to a year after this date. Even an opened bottle should be fine for at least a couple of months after the date.
Because artificial colors are added to the mix, the color of ketchup does not usually change when it is bad. Therefore, it is difficult to judge the freshness of your ketchup by sight alone. Fortunately, there are a few clear signs to look out for when ketchup has gone bad.
Is that a trick question? Why not dedicate a few meals to this delicious condiment? I’m talking french fries and kids’ fried chicken and pizza parties!