Does Red Wine Vinegar Ever Go Bad?

Red wine vinegar, with its distinctively puckery scent and flavor, is one of the most underrated condiments in the kitchen, lending a pleasantly fruity acidity to sandwiches, salads (and ), and even your . If you've ever found an old bottle haunting the back of your pantry like a watery red ghost, you might be wondering if it was still safe to use. There is good news: Red wine vinegar, because of its fermentation and acidity, doesn't actually "spoil" the way perishables do, so you can use up your bottle until the very last drop, even years after you first opened it.

Red wine vinegar has a pH of 3, making it one of the most acidic food products on the scale (a quick pH primer: the scale ranges from 0 — battery acid, to 14, which is the most "basic" or non-acidic/alkaline rating). This gives red wine vinegar strong antimicrobial power to keep bacteria from festering and spreading, even once the bottle is opened and the liquid within is exposed to the air. Tips for storing red wine vinegar While red wine vinegar does last a very long time — nearly or actually indefinitely — its quality can disintegrate over the years if stored improperly or carelessly.

Unlike some other condiments, red wine vinegar does not need to be refrigerated, so you don't have to clear out a spot in your fridge for it. It does need to be kept cool, in an area without major temperature fluctuations (nix keeping it above or near your stove), and it does best in a dark environment, so keeping it in your.