How to Store Creole sauce (Salsa Criolla)

The creole sauce is a typical recipe in Latinamerica that can not be missed when preparing a barbecue or the famous “asado.” If you have the pleasure of tasting this sauce, you will indeed wonder How to preserve creole sauce?

It is possible to store the creole sauce for a week if you keep it refrigerated in an airtight container. However, you can extend its shelf life by freezing the creole sauce for up to 3 months.

Store Creole sauce

Below I will explain in detail how to preserve it, step by step.

How to preserve creole sauce in the fridge

You need to keep in mind that there are several recipes to make the creole sauce, but you will commonly find that there are two vital ingredients that help in the storing process. 

Those ingredients are the oil and the vinegar, and if you have read some of the articles I’ve posted on the site, you may have noticed they are present in a few methods.

Anyways, the step by step to store the creole sauce in the fridge is the following:

  • Step 1: Remove the bay leaf from the creole sauce.

If your recipe has bay leaves, remove them since they tend to accelerate the decomposition in the fridge.

  • Step 2: Find a glass container.

I recommend that the glass container has an airtight lid. It is a must to sterilize the container previously.

  • Step 3: Pour the Creole sauce into the container.

Add the Creole sauce to the glass container and then close it tightly.

  • Step 4: Store the sauce in the fridge.

You take the Creole sauce to the fridge and place it in the coldest place, the bottom. With this preservation method, you can keep the creole sauce refrigerated in perfect condition for one week. [1]

An additional tip: 

Every time you want to try the sauce, make sure the spoon is super clean, which will prevent cross-contamination.

How to freeze creole sauce

Is it possible to freeze Creole sauce? Of course, it is possible, and its ingredients withstand the freezing process very well. However, it may change its texture, ruining your eating experience.

So, how to freeze Creole sauce? Here you have it.  

  • Step 1: Remove the bay leaf from the sauce.

Remember to remove the bay leaf from the Creole sauce as we did in the previous method.

  • Step 2: Find a bucket to freeze the Creole sauce.

Find an ice bucket and add the Creole sauce to each space until you fill it or you don’t have more creole sauce. 

  • Step 3: Freeze overnight.

Take the bucket with the creole sauce to the freezer and let it freeze overnight.

  • Step 4: Store Creole sauce in ziplock bags.

The next day, remove the bucket from the freezer and unmold the sauce cubes to transfer them into a ziplock bag. 

You must ensure that the bag does not have air inside and seal it tightly. Use a straw to remove as much air as possible.

  • Step 5: Bring the Creole sauce back to the freezer.

You take the bag with the cubes of creole sauce to the bottom of the freezer, where the temperature is lower and more constant.

This method of preserving creole sauce in the freezer lasts up to 3 months in perfect condition.

Recommendations for thawing creole sauce

  • Remove the sauce cubes you need from the freezer and place them in a container inside the fridge to thaw. 
  • It is not advisable to place the cubes in the microwave because you would end up cooking the sauce, losing its characteristic flavor. 

How do you know when the creole sauce is bad?

This type of recipe is straightforward to distinguish when they are in poor condition because the creole sauce will show some signs that indicate it has become bad, and those signs are:

  • We observe that the sauce is bubbling, which signifies that it is unsuitable for consumption.
  • A Creole sauce in poor condition has a powerful smell like acid
  • If the duration of the sauce has passed, you may notice that it accumulates mold with greenish colorations.

How long does Creole sauce last?

The duration of the Creole sauce will always depend on the method of handling and storage, which will go from 2 hours to 3 months.

So, how long does creole sauce last? In the following table, I answer this question more clearly. 

Conservation methodDuration time
Refrigerated creole sauce1 week.
Frozen creole sauce3 months.

What is the best way to preserve Creole sauce?

If you want to preserve creole sauce in the short term, the best way is to keep it refrigerated

In the long term, the creole sauce can be frozen in cubes with the help of a bucket to make the freezing process more practical.

Taking into account that you must consume it as soon as possible so that its texture does not change when frozen for a long time. 

I hope you liked the ways to preserve the Creole sauce; I assure you that you will not have to waste it if you follow the steps and tips I gave you. In the same way, I invite you to read other articles I have made on various food preservation methods. 


[1] https://pirhua.udep.edu.pe/handle/11042/4199