Use it up! Don't throw it in the bin!

Angel_S_2

Hi I am new to this forum but have been reading this thread over the past few days and it's so interesting. I really want to reduce our food wastage and learn how to use up food in new recipes rather than throwing so much out and buying more.

I wonder if I could ask a few questions as I'm still new to all this. I have some chicken and bacon in the freezer still sealed in the pack from Tesco, on the back of the pack it says freeze on day of purchase and consume within one month, why do they say this? I always assumed that if the food was frozen before it went out of date it would be fine for ages. Is it still safe to eat, it must have been in there for over a month.

Also, I have some choc chips for baking bbe Mar 09 and some porridge oats that must have been in the cupboard for over a year but in one of those Ikea plastic cereal containers so I don't know what the use by date is - will they be ok to use for flapjacks?

I've always been really funny about best before and use by dates but reading this thread I realise I'm probably way too over cautious and could make use of a lot more.

Oh and by the way I am pregnant so am even more over cautious than usual about stuff like this.

Thanks for all the helpful advice so far, I can't stop reading this thread :j

savingforoz

Hi, Angel S. I'd say all those items were fine to eat. There's a thread somewhere that gives more info on "best before" dates and all that, and I think Penelope Penguin will know more, if I remember her signature correctly!

As far as I know the chicken and bacon, now that they're frozen, will keep for ages. The oats etc should be fine too. I used flour the other date that was supposed to be used by March 2007, it hadn't been in a sealed packet or anything, and I'm still here after eating the bread rolls that I made. If it smells OK to eat, looks OK then it probably is.

furndire

Just watch out for opened flour - I had some a while back that got flour weavils in. Tiny little black things - first time in 40 years of keeping flour for a while - must just have been unlucky, as the bag wasn't that old.

Sometimes stuff that is high in fat can change flavour when left in freezer too long. I've found that this happens with oily fish -

noynoy

ok so i have half a tin of baked beans and some cheese sauce and 2 very small cabbage and califlower that needs using up

so im going to add lasagna sheets some butter and tinned toms and csome grated carrots and i also have a dried yougury ranch style herb mix so im going to make veggi lasagna..see how it goes lol well its only veg and pasta and cheese at the end of the day!

Gunna

Might seem weird but i store my flour in the fridge if i don't have enough room in a container for it as i hate flour weevils so much and am terrible for scouring things for them lol.
At the minute i have 4 half bags in the fridge just in case.
I also put all new flour i buy either in the fridge of freezer for a few days to kill the eggs as i was told that the eggs are present in most flours nowadays whether that's true or not i don't know but i chill it to kill anything anyway.

The_Golden_Goose

Top thread!!!

Can you help me out?

I have 2 leeks and a pack of celery in the fridge?

What can I do with those?

Pink.

Some kind of soup....do you have any potatoes to make leek and potato soup? Add other veg to make into a minestrone soup? Or braise the leeks and celery and top with a cheese sauce or breadcrumbs and grated cheese?

These might give you some inspiration:

What to do with oodles of leeks?

What to do with celery

Pink

The_Golden_Goose

ooo!

I used to buy a leek and cheesey thingy from Morrisons years ago a pre-made one.

Cool. Excellent idea.

Huge thanks!

mama67

I have been putting single portions of meals in tubs in the freezer for ages and we regularly have a "leftovers night" where these all get pulled out and served buffet style.

This is basically a free dinner as it was all cooked before is the extra which is often thrown away.

The_Golden_Goose

In the end I made a leek, mushroom, pepper and caper pasta thingy ma bob with cheddar cheese on thrown in for good measure. Tasted quite spiffing so it did. A real storecupboard, leftovers chuck in a pan meal. Hmmmmm. Nice.

Thanks again!

Love the OS forum.