Archive:Quick Questions on food safety / sell by / use by dates

thriftlady_2

Food cannot go off in the freezer (unless it stops working of course).

Pink.

Hi raphanius,

I too would use the meat...as Thriftlady says it will not go off in the freezer, it's just that the quality can deteriorate.

I've added your thread to the quick questions on food safety thread as your query may help others in the same position.

Pink

Meadows

raphanius wrote: »

its a massive stew so i'm making for the freezer.

The meat will be okay to use especially in a stew, are you planning to re-freeze the meat once cooked?
I myself would not re-freeze it if has freezer burns, freezer burns mean it has lost some of its moisture and to cook it, re-freeze defrost and re-heat make make the meat tougher and lose some of its flavour.

HypnoNu

raphanius wrote: »

i am making jamie olivers beef stew recipe because i have some red wine to use up

I've made this before and it's lovely, the mix that you sprinkle on at the end really makes it into something else! We've got 2 portions of it in the freezer actually, i might have to get them out and have that for dinner....Yum yum yum!

Gunna

I have always wondered how long you get out of tuna when it is opened...

I mix it with mayo and ususally use half of it then forget about it in the fridge(fully covered) for up to a week then bin it even though it smells ok as it is fish and i worry lol but my father in law has a shop and makes fresh sandwiches(tuna being one of them) he has them in the shop for up to 5 days which gets me thinking is it ok after that time as he has done it for years without complaints, anyone know the same goes for opened tinned salmon?

Over the years i must have binned loads of just out of date stuff lol i used to be really thrifty and good(mum reared me that way) but since i got with my OH who is very picky (his mum got him that way) i never raided the discount or whoppsie bit of stores or used anything out of date now however i bleeding well am.......right now i have a tin of peaches 2 months out of date and 2 packets of oxo gravy mix 2 months out of date, they are going to get used as i can't see how peaches in syrup and gravy powdered can go off quickly.

I opened a tin of tomatoes for a curry the other day it was use by july 08 lol,smelt,tasted fine and were yum in the curry.

With Potatoes i go by smell,colour and feeling if they are off but they last a good 2 weeks before they look worse for wear, amd going to buy a potato bag or make on to see if i can get more time out of them or might try the box method as mentioned.

My absoloute pet hate is Weevils or psocids these annoying blighters just lurve anything floury or crackery or biscuity grrrrrrr a good way to see if you have them is to take some flour and spread it on some dark cloth or cardboard then leave it for about 20 mins and the weevils should be bouncing or moving about on the top layer(ie you will see it moving lol)keep anything floury in bags or boxes(plastic) and try to air your cupboards so they dont retain moisture(ideal for the wee gits)also freeze flour(as mentioned) when you get it home as the chances are it will have the eggs at least in it as it is almost impossible for supermarkets to get rid of them(even though i chatted with a head or morrisons who told me there is very strict checks done on flours and if they have an infestation the whole area is pesticided but he said they are notorius breeders and very hard to control) i try to grit my teeth if i know i am eating cereal that has been in a cupboard opened for a few weeks/month or so as i hope they aint swimming in my milk lol(don't think about it, it helps lol)but hey what can i do if they are it's their tough luck lol.

Meadows

I would probably use the opened tuna within a few days 3 - 4 tops (not that it would still be there in my house, one of us would have eaten it ), if in doubt throw it out (remind me not to get a sandwich from your father-in-laws shop ).
As for canned goods most have a BBF (best before date) which is different to a sell by or use by date, all BBF means is it may loose some of flavour and not be as good as if used up to this date, where as use by means it should be used by this date, sell by shouldn't be on sale after this date.

Potato bags do preserve the potatoes, so yes I would get one, I use potatoes that are slightly going to seed as we don't eat that many potatoes and they sit there a while, but make sure you cut out the sprout areas and any black bits.

JayJay14

Just a note here,.

I have worked in catering for some years and when the environmental health have been for their regular checks they have always said chilled food should be chucked after 2 days. A caterer should date everything with its own use by date and this is the day after tomorrow ie today Wed. good until Fri night.
This is not to say it will be off then but it is good practice.

In your own fridge which is unlikly to be opened as often as a catering one and therefore has a better temperature ballance, it will last longer - I would probably keep tuna mayo about 4 days.

Psykicpup

madhouse wrote: »

Thank you for the replies. There are loads of beansprouts in it and I wondered if it was because of these. When they go soggy do they just taste horrible or do they become unsafe to eat.

having had food poisoning from beansprouts I would say they are something I only ever buy the day of cooking or at most the day before! - its really not very nice

Burlesque_Babe

A friend was clearing stuff out of the cupboard and gave me all the castoffs :beer: which I was grateful for!

One item is a jar of Sainsbury's Taste The Difference Lemon and Piri Piri Marinade which is unopened, seal intact etc.......with use by end of April 08 :eek:

any thoughts on it being useable? I was thinking of using it on chicken tomorrow to make kebabs.

Ingredients all look long life.........water, oil, lemon, white wine vinegar, chillis, garlic, cornflour, cayenne.

HypnoNu

I'd use it if it was still sealed....