Refrigerate Condiments: Do I Really Have to Do That?

There are certain labor-intensive recipe phrases that can make the most diligent cook roll her eyes. "Do I really have to do that?" we wonder. Leave your Do I Really Have To Do That? questions in the comments and they shall be answered, saving us all a lot of needless trouble.

Nothing puts a damper on piping-hot pancakes or salty, golden french fries faster than frigid maple syrup and cold ketchup. Do we really need to refrigerate condiments? We turned to the great sage of all kitchen minutia, America's Test Kitchen, and the makers of many of these dips, sauces, and spreads, for the answers. Surprisingly, we learned that with most condiments, "refrigerate after opening" is a gentle piece of advice rather than a hard and fast food safety rule. Behold our condiment refrigeration cheat sheet.