To CHILL or NOT too CHILL…
A veteran chef and Quality Assurance Manager of TCS answers the largely American-made question of the refrigeration of acidified and or shelf-stable condiments
Along our journey to create and bring to market the first and only North American-sourced and produced fish sauce, we have been asked many questions. None, perhaps as ubiquitous and somehow overlooked by me as the question of whether or not to refrigerate our products.
We all have Marcy Standage, the General Manager of Goat Hill Marketplace in Duluth, Minnesota’s Lincoln Park, to thank for her precision and detail-oriented style of product research. Thank you, Marcy! We are grateful.
Let me first give you a background on how I envisioned these products before we began our journey. As a chef and a lover of all things beautiful. Whether it be visual art or the beauty that graces our many other senses, this theme has magnetized me my entire adult life. So, there was no question that our packaging was going to evolve into something more beautiful than any of us could imagine. It would be a work of fine art to adorn your countertop, to grace your kitchen. The space where magic happens and family comes together to appreciate sustenance, each other’s love, and love of life.
This all made sense to me with my lack of scientific knowledge behind a centuries-old process of creating shelf-stable products using salting, and fermentation. Thankfully, through years of scientific process refinement and guidance by our Maverick food safety experts, we were able to prove to the FDA that our process and fish sauces meet and exceed the necessary standards for consideration as a shelf-stable product.
So, in short, my recommendation is that you not only enjoy the multitude of culinary applications our fish sauce provides with glee, but You also confidently display our fish sauce in a place where you are able to visually appreciate its immense beauty and confidently know that, yes, it is safe and will not compromise its quality at room temperature.
Furthermore, here is a little history behind the refrigeration trend in America and the science behind products like ours. As always, happy cooking!
Love and light,
Steven
Spirit of the Great Lake, Third Coast Superior Fish Sauce.
In the United States, it's a common practice to store condiments like fish sauce, vinegars, chili sauces, Worcestershire sauce, and soy sauce in the refrigerator. However, these items are typically shelf-stable and don't require refrigeration. Let's delve into the history behind this American trend and the science that ensures these condiments remain safe without chilling.
The American Refrigeration Trend
The widespread use of home refrigeration in the U.S. began in the early 20th century. Before refrigerators became household staples, Americans relied on methods like canning, salting, and fermenting to preserve food. As refrigeration technology advanced and became more affordable, it revolutionized food storage habits. By the mid-20th century, the refrigerator was a standard appliance in American kitchens, leading to the practice of refrigerating a wide array of food items, including those that are shelf stable. This shift was partly due to a growing emphasis on food safety and the perception that refrigeration could extend the freshness of all perishable and non-perishable items.
Understanding Shelf-Stable and Acidified Condiments
Shelf-stable foods are products that can be safely stored at room temperature for extended periods. Their stability is achieved through methods like pasteurization, fermentation, or the addition of preservatives. Acidified foods are low-acid foods to which acids (like vinegar or lemon juice) are added, resulting in a final pH of 4.6 or below, which inhibits the growth of harmful bacteria. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) regulates these products to ensure their safety. According to FDA guidelines, acidified foods must have a water activity (aw) less than 0.85 and a finished equilibrium pH of 4.6 or below.
The Role of Water Activity in Food Preservation
Water activity (aw) measures the availability of free water in a product, which microorganisms need to grow. It's expressed on a scale from 0 to 1, with pure water having an aw of 1. Foods with low water activity, typically below 0.85, are less prone to microbial growth, making them shelf-stable. For instance, condiments like soy sauce and fish sauce have high salt concentrations, which bind free water, resulting in low water activity and preventing bacterial growth. The FDA uses water activity as a critical factor in determining the safety and shelf stability of foods.
Why Refrigeration Isn't Necessary for Certain Condiments
Condiments such as fish sauce, soy sauce, vinegars, and Worcestershire sauce are formulated to be shelf-stable. Their preservation is due to factors like high salt content, acidity, and fermentation, all of which inhibit the growth of spoilage organisms and pathogens. For example, the fermentation process in fish sauce produces lactic acid, lowering the pH and creating an environment unfavorable for bacteria. Similarly, the acetic acid in vinegars provides a low pH that preserves the product. Therefore, these condiments can be safely stored at room temperature, and refrigeration, while not harmful, is unnecessary.
While the American inclination to refrigerate all condiments stems from a culture of caution and the widespread availability of refrigeration, many condiments are designed to be shelf stable. Understanding the science behind their preservation can help consumers make informed decisions about storage, potentially freeing up valuable refrigerator space.
Refrigeration & Shelf Life: Why Our Shiitake Garum is Different
“Do I need to refrigerate this?”
For many fermented condiments, the answer is usually no. Thanks to high salt content and natural acidity, traditional fish sauce, soy sauce, and other fermented products can sit on your pantry shelf for years without an issue. But when it comes to our Shiitake Garum, things work a little differently.
Less Salt, More Enzymatic Power
The key difference? Our fermentation process. Instead of relying on high salt concentrations to control microbial activity, we use koji-infused short grain rice (koji being the mold Aspergillus oryzae). Koji is the enzymatic powerhouse that breaks down proteins into rich, savory amino acids. It’s what gives our garum its deep umami character—but it also changes the way we must handle the final product.
Unlike traditional fish sauces that use extreme salinity to prevent unwanted microbes, our koji-based process allows us to use less salt without compromising flavor. However, this comes with one important consideration:
Water Activity & Refrigeration
Water activity (aw) is a measurement of how much free water is available for microorganisms to grow. Most shelf-stable condiments, like fish sauce, have a water activity below 0.85, meaning there’s not enough available water for spoilage organisms to survive.
Koji mold, however, can survive in liquid fermentations where the water activity is above 0.85—which is exactly what happens in our lower-salt shiitake garum. While pasteurization ensures that the product is safe and stable, once opened, it’s more susceptible to microbial activity than traditional high-salt ferments.
That’s why our Shiitake Garum needs to be refrigerated after opening. Once opened, it stays fresh for 90 days, maintaining its complex, earthy, and umami-packed profile.
Shelf Life & Best by Date
Because of this difference in formulation, our Shiitake Garum also has a shorter overall shelf life. While traditional fish sauce can last indefinitely, we set a Best by Date of 1 year from the date of pasteurization and bottling. This ensures the highest quality, freshest flavor, and best experience when using it in your cooking.
So, in short:
Refrigerate after opening
Use within 90 days
1-year Best by Date from bottling
We craft our products with intention—maximizing flavor, tradition, and science in every bottle. And sometimes, that means breaking away from old norms (and making a little room in the fridge).
As always, we want to thank our small circle of sources:
Bodin Fisheries and Bill Bodin
Jacobsen Salt Co.
Pinch Spice Market and Tom and Family
Thank you! From the bottom of our hearts and souls, we thank you for your continued devotion to our mission to create not only the most amazing fish sauce on earth, the only one in North America, but also our evolution into vegan garums and especially our unwavering commitment to regenerating our ecosystems and communities.
We also want to thank all the amazing sauce lovers out there, whether you're a celebrity or quiet like me.
We see you, we feel you, and we feel the love. You will all feel the sauce soon.
To read other Third Coast Superior blog posts, including Steven’s recipes, visit Third Coast Blog.