Pantry and shelf-stable reference

Does chicken broth need to be refrigerated after opening?

Yes. FoodKeeper gives commercially produced broth, stock and consommé three to four days refrigerated once the carton or can is open.

Unopened and opened

A shelf-stable package has two different lives, and only one of them is printed on the label. These are the windows FoodKeeper App, FoodSafety.gov publishes, in its own units. Where it publishes none, this page says so rather than filling the gap.

Unopened: The use-by date printed on the package
After opening: 3 to 4 days refrigerated
Where to keep it once open: Refrigerator. Refrigeration is required here, not optional.

How to use this window

The after-opening window runs from the day the package was opened, not from the date printed on it, so that date is only useful if you wrote it down. Well Stockd does not know when this package was made, bought or opened: record the opened date, follow the package directions, keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below, and use the official item listing when food safety is in question.

Primary sources and limits

The windows above are quoted from FoodKeeper App, FoodSafety.gov. Storage times are guidelines: quality varies with packaging, temperature, and how the jar is handled between uses. Nothing here overrides a package instruction that says to refrigerate.