I have seen this in the home of more than one person and it kinds of tears me up. On one hand, I'm GLAD that they purchased the undisputed #1 hot pepper sauce, but on the other, they clearly do not know what they are doing with it!
Tabasco does not go in the refrigerator. It is best kept at room temperature. Nowhere on the bottle does it say "Refrigerate After Opening." It only says "Shake Well," which is pretty funny if you think about it. You shake BEFORE using, but also WHILE using, ha ha. (Sorry, Tabasco humor.)
Anyway, remember what Tabasco is. It's peppers, vinegar, and salt. You don't need to chill those things. You wouldn't put a nice bottle of dry red wine in the refrigerator, would you? Well I guess you MIGHT, if you didn't know much about wine. Beginner's mistake, basically. and the same happens frequently with Tabasco.
What can you do when you spot an instance of this? Not much. You obviously don't want to offend your host by moving things out of the fridge and into the kitchen cabinets without permission. and as IMPORTANT as Tabasco and its proper storage may be, it isn't everyone's favorite topic of conversation (believe it or not).
But if the timing ever does feel just right enough to allow you to take a stand, I recommend feigning confusion. "Oh...you keep your Tabasco in the FRIDGE? Why is that?" The other person won't have an answer. No one's ever going to say "I like it better cold!" Instead, they will appear to shrug off your question as if it doesn't matter, but secretly, on the inside, they'll be doing some real soul-searching. ("Tabasco in the FRIDGE?!?! What was I THINKING?")
and then chances are, upon your next visit, you'll find Tabasco relocated to a proper home.
Don't make a big deal out of it or anything, though. Just a subtle, knowing wink will suffice.
That's all for now, more Tabasco thoughts to follow.
Thanks for reading!
