Shelf Life Tips
- How long does homemade meat sauce (including Bolognese sauce) last in the fridge or freezer? The precise answer to that question depends to a large extent on storage conditions - refrigerate meat sauce within two hours of cooking.
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To maximize the shelf life of cooked meat sauce for safety and quality, refrigerate the meat sauce promptly in covered airtight containers.
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Properly stored, cooked meat sauce will last for 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator.
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To further extend the shelf life of cooked meat sauce, freeze it; freeze in covered airtight containers or heavy-duty freezer bags.
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How long does cooked meat sauce last in the freezer? Properly stored, it will maintain best quality for about 4 to 6 months, but will remain safe beyond that time.
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The freezer time shown is for best quality only - cooked meat sauce that has been kept constantly frozen at 0°F will keep safe indefinitely.
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How long does cooked meat sauce last after being frozen and thawed? Cooked meat sauce that has been thawed in the fridge can be kept for an additional 3 to 4 days in the refrigerator before cooking; meat sauce that was thawed in the microwave or in cold water should be eaten immediately.
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How long can cooked meat sauce be left at room temperature? Bacteria grow rapidly at temperatures between 40 °F and 140 °F; cooked meat sauce should be discarded if left for more than 2 hours at room temperature.
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How to tell if cooked meat sauce is bad? If cooked meat sauce develops an off odor, flavor or appearance, or if mold appears, it should be discarded.
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Sources: For details about data sources used for food storage information, please click here
