We have finally settled the decadeslong debate surrounding every home’s condiment collection.
On June 27, the official Heinz UK Twitter account answered the age-old question: Should you keep ketchup in the fridge? The 154-year-old company issued guidance on its equally mature 147-year-old tomato-based condiment with six simple words:
“FYI: Ketchup. goes. in. the. fridge!!!” tweeted Heinz, sparking hundreds and hundreds of responses. Oddly, none are from well-known pantry-ketchup advocate Cardi B, but many people took to the comments to express their shock, woe and disagreement.
“Bestie no I don’t want cold ketchup,” replied one Twitter user.
"Heinz don’t even know where their product should be stored," wrote another.
“Of course it does. after opening is this controversial?” tweeted someone else.
“If it was meant to be in the fridge, they’d put it there at supermarkets,” wrote yet another user, willfully ignoring the concept of refrigerating something after you open it.
“Cupboard until its opened and as per instructions in the fridge. Anyone who keeps in the cupboard after opening is weird,” tweeted one person in response.
“I keep my jar of pickles and ketchup on top of the fridge after they are opened and they are just fine,” another Twitter user weighed in. “Anything with vinegar and citrus plus preservatives isn’t going to spoil and that’s the ONLY reason for refrigeration.”
Luckily, according to a poll taken by the company under its now-viral tweet, most people (at least who are on Ketchup Twitter) already adhere to this kitchen rule, with 63.2% of 13,178 pollsters saying they, of course, keep their favorite condiment cool as their cucumbers.
Heinz has long said its ketchup should be refrigerated after opening. In 2017, its website stated that because of its “natural acidity” that the product would be “shelf-stable” — but with a caveat.
“However, its stability after opening can be affected by storage conditions. We recommend that this product, like any processed food, be refrigerated after opening. Refrigeration will maintain the best product quality after opening,” Heinz wrote at the time.
Although its website has been redesigned and its suite of products have since expanded — here’s to you, Mayochup — the company’s new guidance seems to be much more straightforward, leaving no possibility for ketchup in the pantry.
“Try on all your outdoor favorites, burgers, hot dogs, and fries. Shake well before first use. For best results, refrigerate after opening,” reads the description on every bottle of ketchup on the Heinz website.
Whether it’s blended with jalapeno, chipotle or simply au naturel, after you pop open your ketchup, pop it in the fridge.
