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

thriftlady_2

Phoolgrrrl wrote: »

on this topic, I have defrosted soup overnight, not all going to be eated today. Will it be ok to eat the rest for lunch tomorrow if kept in fridge?

Have posted on quick questions thread too but want to be sure!!

Absolutely;)

Phoolgrrrl

Thanks. Can't believe I wrote eated!oops!

purplegirluk1

Hello, I have a quick question. I planned to make falafel for dinner and have just reaslied the mix is three months out of date, well past its best before date. I am thinking that they will still be fine as it is a dry mixture in a sealed packed and containes no ingredients that would really go off. What does everyone think?

mudgekin

I would think so. I was clearing out cupboards last week and found a pack thats 18 months out of date:rotfl:Will try it one night and see how fusty it is

EssexHebridean

If it's a best before date then it might not be as nice as it would have been before that date (although in practise, at just 3 months over, I doubt you'd taste the difference!) but it won't do you any harm to eat it. If somethinhg is over a Use By date then I am duty bound to inform you that it should be thrown away. As I do myself, of course. Really..... :rolleyes:

LollyLou_2

Morning all - saw this article on the Times website and thought you would be interested. Hope it's ok to do this - apologies if not!

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/food_and_drink/article5569061.ece

TGI Friday!! :T

thriftlady_2

My first thought on reading this was 'speak for yourself-I know exactly what is in my freezer (and it isn't gateaux from Iceland thanks Kerry) and then as I read on I thought 'hang on did I write this?'

This bit in particular about food not being unfit to eat after being a long time in the freezer is worth quoting

What we need is more common sense: most people don't realise that you can leave food in the freezer for years - the worse that will happen is that it will degrade slightly or get freezer burn but as long as you defrost it slowly in the fridge and then cook it immediately it should be perfectly safe to eat. And anything that doesn't freeze that well can be used in other dishes. The only rule is that if you change your mind and decide not to eat it that night, don't refreeze it. Instead, marinade it if it's meat or make it into something such as Bolognese and then freeze it in batches as a readymeal for another time - just remember to label it first or you'll never be able to tell your risotto from your chicken soup.”

mummysaver

Great article - think she follows my principles! Liked reading what other people kept in their freezers as well, only 3 things to say: Gillian, get over yourself, I don't want to film your freezer! Freeze leftover wine? What leftover wine, nope, none leftover in this house! And please stop telling everyone to look in the reduced cabinets, the crowds round them are getting bigger and bigger, turns ugly sometimes!

newlywed

my first thought was, things are rarely in my freezer for more than a month...

second thought was Kerry can't cook then :rolleyes: and does she get paid to say that???

Bunny200

I have an inventory of whats in my freezer so that I can menuplan properly, then I know whats to eat and where it is. I must admit I'm about 50/50 at keeping it up to date though, OH is rubbish!. Every 3/4 weeks I have to stocktake and reprint the inventory but works ok cos I do a monthly menuplan at the same time.

I must admit that I'm freezing and reusing food more than I was say 2 years ago, and I'm much better at labelling the stuff, before it was Freezer Roulette as you were never quite sure what the reddish brown ice cube would turn into when it defrosted! Now I have a huge collection of plastic boxes and permenant pens to mark it down. In fact OH was shocked the other day to find an ice cream box in the freezer that had ice cream in it rather than scones, soup or leftovers!