How Long Can You Keep Red Wine Vinegar Once Opened and How Long Does It Last After the Expiration Date? (2024)

FAQs

How Long Can You Keep Red Wine Vinegar Once Opened and How Long Does It Last After the Expiration Date? ›

Though there's no expiration, there is a sort of "sweet spot" for vinegar storage, and it varies by the type. For wine vinegars, balsamic, and rice vinegar it's about 2-3 years, whereas apple cider vinegar is 5 years; and distilled white is, well, whenever the apocalypse is.

All vinegar bottles will have a "best by" date printed on them, but don't get too hung up on it—since vinegar doesn't technically expire, these dates are simply a clue of when to expect peak freshness. For most situations, you can keep a bottle of vinegar on hand for two to three years without cause for concern.

If you're noticing a general cloudiness in your vinegar, that's your signal to buy a new bottle. “When the vinegar starts getting cloudy, or the flavor is off, then oxidation has significantly changed the quality of the product,” explains Regusci. “But I wouldn't say spoiled, I would say low-quality.”

Overconsumption can have adverse effects

Red wine vinegar may have a few downsides. Daily consumption over several years has been shown to increase your risk of negative effects ( 40 ). For example, drinking too much vinegar can worsen digestive symptoms, such as nausea, indigestion, and heartburn.

Have you ever reached for your favorite bottle of vinegar from the pantry to find a weird amorphous blob floating near the bottom? You're not alone! This slime-like protein can look unsightly, but rest assured that its a natural by-product of the fermentation that makes vinegar from wine.

Red wine vinegar is loaded with healthy nutrients, including several key vitamins, minerals, and some iron and potassium. Vinegar has been found to help slow the absorption of sugar from a meal into the bloodstream, which suggests that it has real potential to help people with diabetes.

Vinegar does not expire. Consuming "old" vinegar will not harm you, the way other old food items might, but the flavor and quality will certainly change over extended periods of time. Though there's no expiration, there is a sort of "sweet spot" for vinegar storage, and it varies by the type.

How to store it. As long as your red wine vinegar is in a glass bottle and tightly closed, it should last indefinitely without any risk of spoilage or foodborne illness. You can store it in a cool, dark place to preserve the quality if you like, but refrigerating it is unnecessary (2).

Even if your red wine vinegar becomes cloudy or you notice what looks like dirt or slime settling at the bottom of the bottle, it is still safe to eat. You can pour the vinegar through a coffee filter to make it look better, but the vinegar is okay to use even if you don't strain it.

Improves heart health: Studies suggest that red wine vinegar may help lower blood pressure and reduce cholesterol levels. Regulates blood sugar: Red wine vinegar has been shown to slow the absorption of sugar in the bloodstream, helping manage diabetes.

Which is healthier apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar? ›

The question of which vinegar is better for you is difficult to answer because both red wine vinegar and apple cider vinegar have different health advantages. Apple cider vinegar may help with blood sugar regulation and digestion, while red wine vinegar may contain antioxidants from grapes.

Does red wine vinegar promote weight loss and reduce belly fat? It's unlikely. While some studies have weakly linked weight loss, decreased belly fat, and lower blood lipid (fat) levels with apple cider vinegar, there is no evidence to suggest any connection with red wine vinegar.

In some cases mold can grow on the mother of vinegar and in this case, the batch should be discarded. Preventing mold can be done in several ways. First, make sure your vinegar vessel is covered during fermentation. This gives spores less of a chance to enter.

Mother of vinegar is a biofilm composed of a form of cellulose, yeast, and bacteria that sometimes develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids during the process that turns alcohol into acetic acid with the help of oxygen from the air and acetic acid bacteria (AAB).

A vinegar mother is a gelatinous disc that looks like a slice of wobbly raw liver. It's composed of a form of cellulose and acetic acid bacteria (mycoderma aceti) that develops on fermenting alcoholic liquids, and turns alcohol into acetic acid with a little help from some oxygen in the air.

Typically within two to three years post expiration date you may see changes in the color, but the change isn't harmful so much as just potentially undesirable. "Typically, vinegar is best from one to three years after opening or two to five years prior to opening it.

But the clock is ticking: in as little as two days, oxidation can spoil a wine and, soon enough, this process will turn it to vinegar. First, the fruity aromas disappear, then its flavors turn dull and flat, with a sharp or bitter edge, and the color changes.

Generally, an opened bottle of red wine can last for up to 5 days if stored properly in a cool and dark place with a wine stopper or cork in place to prevent excess oxygen from getting in. For white wine, it can last for up to 3 days under the same storage conditions.