Apple cider vinegar should it be refrigerated

And do you need to refrigerate it? I'm not entirely sure when I last bought a bottle of apple cider vinegar , but I'm certain it was a long time ago. And though I've definitely opened that bottle and used the apple cider vinegar a couple times, probably to make salad dressing or something, that bottle of apple cider vinegar—or ACV as some folks call it—has been sitting, mainly unused, on my pantry shelf.

But that can't be the best way to store apple cider vinegar , can it? Does apple cider vinegar need to be refrigerated , or can I just keep it out in the open until I need it? I know you can use ACV in pickling liquids, but I don't think that means the shelf life of apple cider vinegar is endless, right? That vinegar might still be perfectly fine for you to consume or use. Essentially, apple cider vinegar is vinegar made from fermented apple cider. This versatile pantry staple provides an endless assortment of purported health benefits, including stabilizing blood sugar , lowering blood pressure, killing E.

As an all-natural and cost-effective ingredient, apple-based vinegar has a mild taste that can be mixed with olive oil and maple syrup to create the perfect salad dressing.

It can be diluted and incorporated into your self-care routine as a DIY face toner or pH-balancing hair rinse. And apple cider vinegar can make effective all-natural cleaners for just about everything around the house. But when you open it, it simply smells as pungent as it always has. Has it gone bad?

How can you tell? Apple cider is one of the products that can be created from mashed-up apples. It can be pasteurized and filtered into pure golden apple juice, or left as raw, hazy apple cider. If the cider is allowed to ferment, yeast converts some of its sugars into alcohol. That process can take one to six months, and will produce the boozy cider or applejack that many of us revere. That converts the alcohol to vinegar containing acetobacter, a type of good bacteria which turns alcohol into acetic acid; acetic acid is what provides the vinegar with its characteristic sour, acidic quality.

While the look, smell, and flavor of ACV can change over time, studies conducted by the Vinegar Institute show that the shelf life of apple cider vinegar is nearly indefinite. Some jars list expiration dates ranging between two and five years, but apple cider vinegar is almost always safe to consume after the expiration date.

Coli, or staphylococcus aureus can only survive a few hours, not long enough to multiply. In fact, some experts believe that the ongoing fermentation process means that apple cider vinegar could become even safer once it passes its expiration date. Bragg ACV is generally considered the best quality product available.

Because the mother grows naturally in a bottle of apple cider vinegar and has a hazy, unpleasant appearance, a lot of apple cider vinegar manufacturers actually pasteurize their vinegar to prevent it from forming. When choosing an apple cider vinegar, in fact, skip the pasteurized varieties and go right for the raw ACV that still contains the mother. Get Daily Fitness Inspiration Right in your inbox. Customize Select the topics that interest you:.

Working Out. Weight Loss. Book Swipe Shop. We're Hiring! But this happens only when it is raw cider vinegar. However, leaving the vinegar uncapped and out on your kitchen shelf is also not a good idea.

Not that it would spoil instantly, but it could be contaminated by dust, bacteria and other tiny contaminants in the air. These little contaminants will surely make the vinegar lose its taste, quality and color very fast and eventually spoil it. Usually, vinegar is known to be one of the best natural preservatives available. It delays food spoilage. So there is no such need to refrigerate it, unless you like to have your apple cider vinegar cool and icy.

So the best possible option to preserve that taste and quality you so much crave for is quite simple. All you need to do is make sure that after every use you seal the bottle tightly and store it in a cool, dark and dry place like your pantry or cellar.

The high acidic nature of the vinegar takes care of the rest.