Should you store it in the fridge or the pantry? Find out once and for all where you should be storing your ketchup (and your eggs and butter)

  • Debate raging on social media over whether sauce belongs in fridge or pantry
  • Ketchup should be kept in fridge, along with eggs, butter, mustard and jams
  • But Marmite, peanut butter, and Worcestershire sauce belong in the larder

By Imogen Blake For Mailonline

Published: 06:26 EST, 9 February 2017 | Updated: 06:44 EST, 9 February 2017

A debate has been raging on social media for the past few weeks: should you keep your tomato ketchup in the fridge, or in the cupboard?

The answer is the fridge, once the bottle has been opened, but that hasn't put paid to the row on Twitter and Facebook where some users continue to insist chilling the sauce is wrong. 

Supermarket Asda has even started stocking its own-brand ketchup both in the chilled aisle and on normal shelves to please customers on both sides of the fence.

But what about the other grocery staples that divide the public - with some keeping them chilled while others store them in cupboards - like eggs or butter?  

Here FEMAIL reveals which foods should be kept in the fridge, and those better left in the pantry, to settle the debate once and for all...

WHAT GOES IN THE FRIDGE

Once opened:

Jams and marmalades

Mayonnaise 

Lemon juice  

Jars of mustard

Eggs

Salad dressings 

Nut oils 

Butter 

The British Egg Information Service recommends chilling eggs as they need to be kept below 20C to keep from spoiling. It adds that most supermarkets are kept below this temperature which is why they are put on shelves there, but at home, it's best to refrigerate

The British Egg Information Service recommends chilling eggs as they need to be kept below 20C to keep from spoiling. It adds that most supermarkets are kept below this temperature which is why they are put on shelves there, but at home, it's best to refrigerate

Though some experts have said that store-bought mayonnaise (left) contains enough preservatives to last out of the fridge, Hellmann's advises refrigerating after opening because the product contains fresh eggs
Creamy salad dressings need to be kept out of the fridge because they often contain perishable ingredients such as eggs or a dairy product

Though some experts have said that store-bought mayonnaise (left) contains enough preservatives to last out of the fridge, Hellmann's advises refrigerating after opening because the product contains fresh eggs. The same rule applies to creamy salad dressings (right)

If you keep lemon juice out of the fridge once opened, it will spoil, but otherwise can last for weeks
Nut oils, such as almond oil, also need to be kept in the fridge to stop them from breaking down in the heat - the exception is peanut oil which can withstand high heats

If you keep lemon juice (left) out of the fridge once opened, it will spoil, but otherwise can last for weeks. Nut oils, such as almond oil (right) also need to be kept in the fridge to stop them from breaking down in the heat - the exception is peanut oil which can withstand high heats

For the same reason that ketchup should be kept in the fridge after opening, jars of mustard will last much longer if you keep them chilled
Jams and marmalades will also quickly spoil and grow mould after opening if you don't keep them chilled

For the same reason that ketchup should be kept in the fridge after opening, jars of mustard (left) will last much longer if you keep them chilled. Jams and marmalades (right) will also quickly spoil and grow mould after opening if you don't keep them chilled

Stop using your butter dish! Butter should only be kept at room temperature for a maximum of a day, otherwise it will go rancid. Keep it in the fridge to make it last longer - but take it out an hour before you want to use it if you like your butter soft

Stop using your butter dish! Butter should only be kept at room temperature for a maximum of a day, otherwise it will go rancid. Keep it in the fridge to make it last longer - but take it out an hour before you want to use it if you like your butter soft

WHAT GOES IN THE CUPBOARD

Marmite

Worcestershire sauce 

Bread 

Peanut butter

Soy sauce 

Mustard powder 

Marmite contains high levels of salt, which preserves food and keeps it from spoiling. When chilled, Marmite goes hard - not so great for spreading on toast

Marmite contains high levels of salt, which preserves food and keeps it from spoiling. When chilled, Marmite goes hard - not so great for spreading on toast

Worcestershire sauce does not need to be kept in the fridge as it lasts a long time - though some people do keep it chilled if they want a bottle to last years
Soy sauce contains high levels of salt which preserves the condiment so just keep it in a cool dark place

Worcestershire sauce (left) does not need to be kept in the fridge as it lasts a long time - though some people do keep it chilled if they want a bottle to last years. Soy sauce (right) contains high levels of salt which preserves the condiment so just keep it in a cool dark place

Studies have found that bread goes stale much more quickly if it is kept in the fridge, so just keep it in a cool dark place

Studies have found that bread goes stale much more quickly if it is kept in the fridge, so just keep it in a cool dark place

Processed peanut butters are fine to keep in the pantry for several months after they've been opened and taste won't be affected
Powdered mustard is another condiment that does not belong in the fridge because it won't spoil at room temperature

Processed peanut butters (left) are fine to keep in the pantry for several months after they've been opened and taste won't be affected. Powdered mustard (right) is another condiment that does not belong in the fridge because it won't spoil at room temperature

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