Why is the "Use Within # Days of Opening" timeframe so tight for jarred pasta sauce?

[Anonymous]

It's not as if people put their mouths on the jar rim and introduce bacteria. It doesn't contain eggs or dairy or chicken or any really perishable item, really. So why do I need to use it within 3 days, as they suggest?

[Anonymous]

bump, darnit

[Anonymous]

You need to make a decision - are you going to live by their rules, or your rules?

[Anonymous]

I would not use a jar of sauce even a day after I opened it. Go ahead and cook it and save the leftovers for up to 2 days in the fridge or freeze them. Are you really going to make another sauce dish in a day or two? I like to change things up and have some sauce, I always add fresh veggies, in the freezer for meals when we have a late night. Unless foods have a lot of preservatives, and who wants that, they should be used while fresh or cooked and frozen. Even if I can or freeze fresh foods as soon as I open the jar or thaw them out I cook them and/or eat them.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I would not use a jar of sauce even a day after I opened it. Go ahead and cook it and save the leftovers for up to 2 days in the fridge or freeze them. Are you really going to make another sauce dish in a day or two? I like to change things up and have some sauce, I always add fresh veggies, in the freezer for meals when we have a late night. Unless foods have a lot of preservatives, and who wants that, they should be used while fresh or cooked and frozen. Even if I can or freeze fresh foods as soon as I open the jar or thaw them out I cook them and/or eat them.

Whatever.

[Anonymous]

Ha! I didn't even know pasta sauce said this on the label. Oops. I keep it unless it's fuzzy. So far, no one in my house has gotten sick from spaghetti sauce - and I add garlic and herbs to it but then I always pour leftovers back INTO the opened jar to keep! Guess I live on the wild side.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You need to make a decision - are you going to live by their rules, or your rules?

LOL!

My guess is they put that on there so you toss the leftover sauce and spend money on a new jar. I never listen to that and, like a PP, eyeball the sauce. If it smells ok, tastes ok, and doesn't look fuzzy, then it's fine.

[Anonymous]

I don't know why but every jar of sauce we buy seems to grow mold super fast. My husband has a dish he makes with it that is comfort food and I've noticed that the leftover sauce doesn't last more than 10 days or so without mold.

[Anonymous]

They assume that most people don't know about food hygiene..i.e: not sticking a spoon you just licked back into the jar, and probably much worse...so they keep their liability down by preparing for the worst case scenario. That's just my guess. They are making food poisoning slob-proof

[Anonymous]

Great idea of the year-every pasta sauce company should introduce four ounce jars-some do now, but not enough. Vent over and feeling like I just invented scotch tape. Saw a 5 oz. jar of Rao's sauce at Bloom today. Cost $6.49. How about a Sun of Italy four ounce jar that costs $1.29-now that would be progress.

[Anonymous]

Wow, I've used it up to a week after opening, no evil results.

[Anonymous]

Ha! I didn't even know pasta sauce said this on the label. Oops. I keep it unless it's fuzzy.

My method exactly. Mom, is that you?

[Anonymous]

Another vote for 16:27's method!

[Anonymous]

Another person who never noticed this directive. I make my own judgment on its usability. They have to protect themselves from lawsuits.

[Anonymous]

http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/18362