It expired WHEN?

[Zoning Goddess]

Anyone else check ingredients in their pantry and find, oh, a bag of flour with an expiration day in April 2008? Yikes! That was right next to the cornmeal that expired in Jan 2010.

I guess the kid missed it because he doesn't bake (well, obviously, neither do we...). He is weirdly obsessed with expiration dates. If the mayo expired Oct 2011, he won't touch it. If the milk expired yesterday, he won't drink it. Sometimes he goes thru the pantry and fridge and points out the expired goods. I'm still trying to figure out where that trait came from.

[mike gurnee]

Anyone else check ingredients in their pantry and find, oh, a bag of flour with an expiration day in April 2008? Yikes! That was right next to the cornmeal that expired in Jan 2010.

I guess the kid missed it because he doesn't bake (well, obviously, neither do we...). He is weirdly obsessed with expiration dates. If the mayo expired Oct 2011, he won't touch it. If the milk expired yesterday, he won't drink it. Sometimes he goes thru the pantry and fridge and points out the expired goods. I'm still trying to figure out where that trait came from.

We have stuff from more than a decade ago...and still use it.

[Dan]

When I was cleaning out my parents' house a while back, I found all kinds of over-the-counter and prescription medicines that expired in the early 1990s.

[jsk1983]

I passed on the advent calendars filled with candy that expired in 2009 at the thrift store yesterday.

[WSU MUP Student]

Anyone else check ingredients in their pantry and find, oh, a bag of flour with an expiration day in April 2008? Yikes! That was right next to the cornmeal that expired in Jan 2010....

I needed some whole wheat flour last Friday and after opening the bag in the cupboard and seeing all the little weevils living in it realized it expired in the summer of 2008.

We gave out some Twizzlers for Halloween that I found in the back of the pantry that expired in February.

[Maister]

split from RTDNTOTO6

I opened a vacuum sealed jar of dry roasted peanuts the other day that I distinctly remember getting in 1998. There was that suction sound when I removed the lid and they tasted no different than a jar of dry roasted peanuts purchased last week would.

My mother passed in 2007. A few months ago we got around to helping dad remove the detritus in his condo. There were shelves and shelves of canned goods most of them with expiration dates around 2008 (mom did all the shopping and all the cooking, dad can't boil water and eats out for any meal requiring more culinary skill than making a sandwich). We found a can of kidney beans with a 2000 expiration date. Up in the spice cabinet there was a container of ginger that I remember from my early childhood.

[Hink]

I am still confused as to how some things expire... like ramen noodles... they are just noodles... noodles can't go bad...

I found a peanut butter that I am pretty sure I bought in college when we moved out of our old house... it was 6 years old. Looked fine. Didn't try it though...

[MD Planner]

That's nothing! A few weeks ago I was doing some serious cleaning out at my mom's house. The same house I grew up in. One of the cabinets in the kitchen was always for oddly matched glasses and also served as a medicine storage area, primarily for over the counter stuff. Anyway, all the way in the back, I found prescription ear drops for me. No big deal you say right? Well, the date was from when I was 11 months old, in 1971!!!!! Good grief!

[btrage]

This happens to us a lot with cake/cookie boxes. My wife can't seem to stop herself when these things go on sale, so we sometimes end up with a lot. We often find a box that expired 4-5 years ago. They go in the trash.

[Mud Princess]

That's nothing! A few weeks ago I was doing some serious cleaning out at my mom's house. The same house I grew up in. One of the cabinets in the kitchen was always for oddly matched glasses and also served as a medicine storage area, primarily for over the counter stuff. Anyway, all the way in the back, I found prescription ear drops for me. No big deal you say right? Well, the date was from when I was 11 months old, in 1971!!!!! Good grief!

You win!

I think most processed foods that are in unopened containers and don't require refrigeration would be fine despite the expiration date. I had a similar experience as Maister opening an old jar of dry roasted peanuts; they were perfectly good.

A couple months ago, I went through all the condiments in the side door of the refrigerator -- no one ever remembers to check that stuff! -- and tossed out a lot of items, some of which dated back to when we first moved into this house... in 2001.

[zman]

Expiration dates from my grandmother's fridge while growing up are the reason I won't eat dairy foods outside of my house.

We found some interesting ones before, nothing I can recall now.

But what about weirdly "supposed" expiration dates. Like when Alton Brown on Good Eats says to keep spices no longer than 6 months? Is he f.k.? I use spices a lot, but I am not going to pay for new ones every 6 months...

[mgk920]

Do fruitcakes even have expiration dates?



Mike

[imaplanner]

But what about weirdly "supposed" expiration dates. Like when Alton Brown on Good Eats says to keep spices no longer than 6 months? Is he f.k.? I use spices a lot, but I am not going to pay for new ones every 6 months...

I've always wondered about that with spices. My best guess is they just start to lose their flavor?

It does seem like some things have unrealisticly short expiration dates. Things like pasta, rice, beans, etc. Maybe they just start to lose their freshness?

On the flip side, is that can of tuna REALLY going to last until 2016? I dunno - seems sketchy.

[Seabishop]

Stupid question but does an open bottle of liquor go bad? I know liquor is basically stuff "gone bad," but would an open bottle of rum or another hard liquor be OK? How would you even tell?

[zman]

Stupid question but does an open bottle of liquor go bad? I know liquor is basically stuff "gone bad," but would an open bottle of rum or another hard liquor be OK? How would you even tell?

I don't know.
What concerns me are mixers like ready-made margaritas or something.

[Tarf]

Do fruitcakes even have expiration dates?



Mike

I believe they expire shortly after the 25th re-gifting.

[TOFB]

Expiration dates have the same influence as shampoo bottles that instruct, "repeat'.

[Queen B]

We had the discussion about open liquor just yesterday at work.
Most said no they couldn't see how it would go bad.
That whole freshness thing about beer seems to be an issue with some.
I drink it fairly slowly but would find it hard to believe it would go bad quickly.

[Brocktoon]

Stupid question but does an open bottle of liquor go bad? I know liquor is basically stuff "gone bad," but would an open bottle of rum or another hard liquor be OK? How would you even tell?

From my research no unless they are exposed to extreme temperatures. I was told to give it a smell and if it does not smell like rum or whiskey or whatever then it is okay.

How can you tell if buttermilk has gone bad but is not yet chunky?

[Hink]

How can you tell if buttermilk has gone bad but is not yet chunky?

Drink a cup and see if you throw up in a hour...

[btrage]

Expiration dates and "best by" dates are two very different things. Arent't most dates on food items labeled as "best by" dates?

[mgk920]

IIRC, for food items, their expiration dates are the last days that they can be sold by retail stores while 'best by' dates are simply when they would be reasonably expected to retain their full quality if kept properly stored. For example, when I was growing up, the general rule was that liquid milk products would be good for at least a week after the expiration dates on the packages if kept properly refrigerated. If in doubt, one of us would take a sip and if good, drink up!



Distilled liquors (rum, whiskey, vodka, etc) should keep forever if not opened, but my sense is that once opened, they will lose their 'potency' as the alcohol slowly evaporates through the broken cap seals. Non-distilled 'adult beverages' such as beer and wine are highly perishable and should be used as soon as possible, although wine will last longer if the bottles are kept sealed/unopened and properly stored.

Mike

[Richmond Jake]

I view expiration and best by dates merely as suggestions. If it looks, smells and a small sample tastes OK, it can still be eaten.

[btrage]

IIRC, for food items, their expiration dates are the last days that they can be sold by retail stores while 'best by' dates are simply when they would be reasonably expected to retain their full quality if kept properly stored. For example, when I was growing up, the general rule was that liquid milk products would be good for at least a week after the expiration dates on the packages if kept properly refrigerated. If in doubt, one of us would take a sip and if good, drink up!



Distilled liquors (rum, whiskey, vodka, etc) should keep forever if not opened, but my sense is that once opened, they will lose their 'potency' as the alcohol slowly evaporates through the broken cap seals. Non-distilled 'adult beverages' such as beer and wine are highly perishable and should be used as soon as possible, although wine will last longer if the bottles are kept sealed/unopened and properly stored.

Mike

I concur regarding the liquor. When I was younger, I found an opend bottle of rum in my parent's basement. I would guess it was 5-10 years old based on the fading of the label. It tasted real bad and was not as potent.

[Seabishop]

THATs was graate ADvise! THaaT likker was the wikked best!! i freakin LOVE YOOU bros !!