How Long Can You Store Homemade Tomato Sauce In The Fridge?

While there is nothing better than homemade heirloom tomato sauce, a lot of us end up going to the grocery store, grabbing some marinara sauce and parmesan cheese off of the shelf for dinner. "History of Pasta and Its Influence in the U.S." by June Sohn states that pasta with tomato sauce became a part of Western cuisine after Italian immigrants brought their love of pasta to the New World with them and assimilated. But instead of making pasta and tomato sauce fresh, with the need for a quick and easy meal, Americans canned and packaged the necessary ingredients for a warm and flavorful meal.

Most marinara and tomato sauces are made of tomatoes, salt, pepper, herbs, and sometimes onions and garlic blended. If you buy them from the store, they are thrown in with a few preservatives to keep things fresher for longer. But honestly, homemade sauces just seem to taste better. So, it makes sense why people still like to make the homemade stuff. So if you like to make your own tomato sauce concoction, how long does it last in the fridge?

Tomato sauce is super easy to make and costs very little. Plus, if you make it from home, you get to customize it by adding as much roasted garlic, basil, and spices as your heart desires. Hopefully, you made just the right amount of sauce for yourself and maybe a few friends. But let's be honest: We often over-prepare and make a little too much sauce. That's okay because you will have more for later. Of course, you could always freeze your pasta sauce for safekeeping, but what if the amount you have left is worth freezing?

According to Martha Stewart, homemade tomato sauce won't last as long in your fridge as the store-bought kind. While fresh produce tastes better, it doesn't have a long shelf-life. The site states that homemade tomato sauce lasts anywhere from 3-5 days in a sealed container in the refrigerator. Lacademie, however, suggests inspecting the base you used for your pasta sauce. If you use an alcohol base for your tomato sauce, such as vodka or wine, it will help to preserve it a bit longer in the fridge. You'll know your tomato sauce has gone past its prime when it begins to smell, change in flavor, or starts growing mold (via The Crowded Table).