# How long will a red wine sauce keep in the fridge?



## otaku gurl (Sep 6, 2012)

I found an old family cookbook, Hungarian American Cooking, a while back and started trying recipes from it. One I particularly like and have become fond of is Hungarian Plum Pie. It's relatively simple, so I decided to experiment with it one day. Rather than using plain sliced plums, I poached them in a mulled red wine with sugar. Makes the simple plum pie very tasty and also leaves a wonderful sauce when reduced slightly after poaching the plums.

The recipe I used is about 1 cup red wine (I used a Red Moscato), about 1/3-1/2 cup sugar, and about 1 - 1 1/2 tbsp mulling spice. I bring it to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and add the plums and continued to simmer for some time. After, I removed the plums and continued to simmer until reduce until the liquid because more viscous like a syrup. I then removed from heat, let it cool a little, and strained out the mulling spices. 

It's a wonderful sauce for desserts, but I have no idea how long it might keep. Any guidelines on such sauces?


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## kaneohegirlinaz (Apr 24, 2011)

Aloha, Welcome to Chef Talk Otaku gurl, cute avatar btw.

I'm not a professional but I would venture to guess that your plum wine sauce could last in the 'fridge a good long time. 

I also would think that I could dunk an old shoe in it and it would be heavenly!


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## chefedb (Apr 3, 2010)

dEPENDS ON THE AMOUNT OF SUGAR.


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## boar_d_laze (Feb 13, 2008)

Since you're not following canning guidelines, your syrup won't stay safe for that long. 

While I hate to disagree with Ed, and more sugar will help it stay safe a little longer than less sugar, the amount of acid is more important than the amount of sugar.  Because wine is fairly acidic, your syrup will keep longer than something equally sweet, for instance a slightly reduced syrup from canned peaches.  

It will keep for a very long time if you freeze.  But if, as you seem to imply -- you're storing in a clean jar in the fridge -- you've got a couple of weeks of safe storage.  I'm not saying it will spoil on the fifteenth day, but am saying that the risk rises to unacceptable levels.  Freeze what you can't use within a week. 

BDL


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## meezenplaz (Jan 31, 2012)

i agree, its all about the ph. something generally sweet is much more prone to  

moulding of course. the second risk with wet sugary fruity things even in the fridge is fermentation--wild airborne yeasts can be very hearty and aggressive. 

So as boar-d-laze mentioned, its all in the preservation procedures, ie creating a sanitary airless environment for extended storage. in this case perhaps you should apply some jam-making techniques.


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## sophiec016 (Nov 2, 2012)

Opened wine spoils fast. Red wine lasts about 1 day, white wine lasts about 3 days. You can prolong this _slightly_ by putting it in the refrigerator, but only by a few days at most, and it depends on the wine.


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## otaku gurl (Sep 6, 2012)

Okay so what I'm getting from all of this is.... The sauce will keep a couple of weeks in the fridge. Ideally if I have left overs, they should be frozen so they can be reused later. And I should be wary of things like mold and fermentation. Thanks guys!


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