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

msb5262

If you can, take the stock out tonight and boil it as described above. It really isn't much work and is the best way to safeguard yourselves against food poisoning.

PossumMum

Ok - will do, good idea thanks!

motherkitty

I have a packet of ready to eat dates in my cupboard which I must have bought and opened in November. Have only just noticed that it says on the packet to keep refrigerated and use within 3 days of opening.
Should I now throw them out? They seem Ok but don't want to use them if they are going to make us ill. What would you do?

huston_kw

I've used prunes that have been opened longer than that and I'm still here. Have done the same with apricots as well.

poppy-glos

i'd use them as long as there isn't any obvious white furriness or mould. how about sticky toffee pudding, these are boiled and baked so any bugs would be knocked on the head.
http://www.jamieoliver.com/recipes/other-recipes/sticky-toffee-pudding

this is the first recipe that came up when googling it, it doesn't boil the dates but other recipes i've used have boiled them for a few minutes to soften them up.

good luck!

motherkitty

Thanks for the replies. I have to say I have been dipping into them now and again and they tasted OK. Doesn't seem to be any white/furry bits but I will look them over before use. Thanks for the recipe, I had originally bought them for sticky toffee pud but never got round to it and thought that, like other similar fruits, they would keep for ages.

greenbee

For future reference, you can freeze them too!

I always take longer to eat them that it says you should, and so far I'm fine. Unless they're fresh dates (in which case, treat as fresh fruit... you'll know if they're off) then they're either dried or preserved specifically so they'll last.

Chop them up and use them in muesli...

elsien

how long after the best before date would you carry on munching them?
Just been given a Tesco box that run out tomorrow, but on the basis that it's a best before not a use by date, I can't see me poisoning myself in the near future.
(No use freezing them as they'd sit in freezer for months then get thrown away anyway.:o)

zippychick

i imagine they wouldn't go off so quickly.... Sniff, look, seems ok - eat. I would probably eat them a couple of weeks after - if they passed the test! Im sure even longer, i think they would last for donkeys though

3v3

The mincemeat part might last quite a while if it has booze in it; the pastry part may not last quite as long.

If you plan on eating them any longer than a week hence, you're better off freezing them.