It seems pretty particular for a fast food restaurant to be in the spotlight due to their sauce rather than the actual meals. The same has happened to Chick Fil A. Ever since they launched their signature product in 2014, it has been a great hype among food lovers. As a matter of fact, even years later, their signature chicken sandwich is still a best seller.
But truth be told, the one that is a household must-have is the in-house sauce. Therefore, many customers confess they take home more than one bottle of sauce every time they go to eat out there.
If you are one of those who have purchased more than one bottle of this sauce and you regularly use it, you might wonder about the “best to use before” topic. So is Chick-Fil-A-Sauce a long-term use cooking product? While many customers have recently purchased this sauce for regular use, only a few are aware of the period after which this product expires.
How much does Chick-Fil-A-Sauce last? Can you prolong the expiry date if you keep it in the fridge or refrigerator? Can you store and use a bottle of this sauce for longer periods of time? If you are still wondering about all these topics, keep reading this article until the end.
First Things First: What Does Chick-fil-A Sauce Contain?
The Chick-Fil-A-Sauce has as its main ingredients mayonnaise, honey, mustard, and barbecue sauce. Technically speaking, most of these ingredients have a long consuming period. Yet, mayonnaise will not last too much, causing the sauce to go bad in the end. Although the oil would slow down the molding process, it cannot keep the sauce forever fresh.
Yes, it is true that the Chick-fil-A-Sauce also contains preservatives meant to keep the sauce as stable as possible for an extended period. However, like any other type of food, the sauce cannot last forever. It may degrade after some time and transform its texture and taste.
How Long Is Chick-Fil-A-Sauce Good For?
The validity period mainly depends on whether this sauce is bottled or comes in individual packages. Generally speaking, the bottled version will last much longer. It can even go for several months. On the other hand, the separate box might last only a few days. As a bottom line, the large bottled versions of this sauce would have a longer best before date period than individual packets.
The reason why this happens is easy to understand. The small packages are designed to be used quickly in the restaurant. Meanwhile, the bottled versions are meant to preserve and stay fresh for much longer.
People who have been using single sauces found they spoiled quicker than the bottled versions.
Personal opinion: Click-fil-A constantly restores the single sauces and sells them fast. The small packages cannot last so much, so avoid getting some extra when ordering the fast food.
Signs To Tell A Sauce Has Expired
The first thing you should do is to give the sauce a deep smell. Do you feel an unexpected odor? Is the smell fresh, or do you feel something a bit acidic? If you think that the smell is a bit funny, it means the dip might lose the initial freshness. The growth of spoilage microbes, mold, bacteria, or yeast is some of the possible reasons for a bad smell.
Do you notice anything strange about the sauce’s look? Maybe it is thicker or has another color than the original one. Usually, this sauce has a light and smooth texture. Remember that you should generally compare the old sauce with the original and fresh version. If you do not have a fresh sauce but you still have doubts about yours, you should probably throw out the old one.
The decay process is quick, especially when it comes to an open sauce pack.
Last but not least, even if the sauce looks and smells okay, the taste can also be altered. So before you ruin all your meal, give it a quick taste. If the sauce has expired, it will change its consistency and flavor.
Tip: When fresh, the sauce has a thick consistency, so that is actually the first sign.
Is it Necessary To Refrigerate The Sauce?
It is not mandatory to refrigerate the Chick-Fil-A-Sauce, although cold will extend its freshness as with any other food. As such, the sauce will last longer when stored in the fridge.
For instance, the small, individual packages of sauce you usually get in the restaurant are not refrigerated. On the other hand, the bottled versions of this sauce have explicit instructions that they are best to refrigerate after opening. Perhaps this is why individual packets don’t last for a long time.
Can You Freeze Chick-fil-A Sauce?
Considering this sauce contains mayonnaise, you should not freeze it. Freezing will only separate all the ingredients and make the sauce taste and look odd. Cold temperatures will also burst the container because when frozen, the bottle will swell, making it messy and wasteful.
Therefore, it is not wise to put Chick-fil-A in the freezer. But if you don’t believe me and you still want to freeze the sauce, experiment first with very small amounts of it and place them in special containers, and see how it behaves.
Can You Prepare Your Own Chick-fil-A Sauce?
If you cannot consume a whole bottle of Chick-fil-A sauce or you are the kind of person who prefers 100% homemade food, you can consider making one yourself. Consider the four ingredients mentioned previously, and mix them to obtain a delicious homemade dip. Keep the resulted sauce in your fridge.
My way of doing it: whisk together 2 tbsp of mustard, 3 tbsp barbecue sauce, 4 tbsp honey, 4 tbsp mayonnaise, and a bit of lemon juice until you obtain a thick dip.
However, keep in mind that you cannot keep a homemade dressing for a long period without preservatives. Luckily, you can make a fresh dip in seconds when you need one.
Last Thoughts
Chick-Fil-A-Sauce will eventually expire, like any other food product. Therefore, manufacturers recommend using it according to labels. Try keeping the sauce bottles in the refrigerator to increase their longevity. Eventually, you can whip up a batch of your sauce whenever you need a fancy dip.