Out of date stuff - help !

Fruball

OMG I am such a nightmare :eek:

I could keep the street fed for a month without going shopping I think and because of my food hoarding, I have lots of stuff which goes out of date.

I am trying to mend my ways tho

Last night I used out of date custard powder and out of date golden syrup to make syrup sponge with custard and it was all fine :T

Whlist rummaging in my cupboard I found a triple pack of dream topping which ran out Jun07 :mad: Do you think this will be ok too ?

What foods are ok to use out of date ? Obviously meat and dairy are often no good but which foods keep longer than their UBDs ?

Thank you all

Seakay

I think that your Dream Topping will be fine - see also this thread:

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=571605&highlight=use+by+date

Stephen_Leak

Use By Date's are always pretty conservative, for obvious reasons. We ought to start a "Use By Date Survivor's Club"!

Skint_Catt

I've got some spices use by 2004. Ok or will they taste rank?

Steel_2

Stephen_Leak wrote: »

Use By Date's are always pretty conservative, for obvious reasons. We ought to start a "Use By Date Survivor's Club"!

I'd be a member!!

I have a pack of ready made pastry in the fridge that went out of date 29th Jul and I'm plucking up the courage this afternoon to make a treacle tart out of it.

Actually, I've just been for a rummage and I've got:

Big jar of unopened mincemeat - Oct 05
Tin of bird's custard powder - Aug 05
Another tin of bird's custard powder - Jan 06
Bag of soya flour - Dec 04
bag of dessicated coconut - Jul 05
pudding rice - May 2003
Rice paper for cakes - Oct 04

And that's just for starters......I feel a full cupboard inventory coming on!

juno

Skint_Catt wrote: »

I've got some spices use by 2004. Ok or will they taste rank?

You'll probably just need to use a bit more. But I'd get a tiny bit of whatever you'd be flavouring, and try them in that to see if it'll taste ok.

trying-very-trying

Steel wrote: »

I'd be a member!!

I have a pack of ready made pastry in the fridge that went out of date 29th Jul and I'm plucking up the courage this afternoon to make a treacle tart out of it.

Actually, I've just been for a rummage and I've got:

Big jar of unopened mincemeat - Oct 05 perfectly mature, might look a little bit white, but it'll taste fine, especially if it's go alcohol in. I've got a xmas cake mix that's 3yo, I might actually use it this year:rotfl:
Tin of bird's custard powder - Aug 05 dried stuff keeps forever
Another tin of bird's custard powder - Jan 06 as above
Bag of soya flour - Dec 04 don't know about this, flour sometimes gets little weevils in it
bag of dessicated coconut - Jul 05 coconut and other nuts do go a bit rancid
pudding rice - May 2003 fine
Rice paper for cakes - Oct 04 should be okay, but I've never had it.

And that's just for starters......I feel a full cupboard inventory coming on!

If I use stuff that isn't ood, the kids ask what's wrong with it:rotfl:

pigpen

weevils are great.. full of juicy proteins.. eat it!!!

the dream topping will be fine!!

I fed the children custard.. reayd made.. 14 MONTHS OOD.. they are still alive.. they weren't even ill.. or quiet!!!

I daren't even LOOK in my cupboard.

I did once throw out some meat from my mothers which was 6 year OOD.. even I wasn't going to risk that!!

dannahaz

Remember there are two dates, a "best before" date (which most products have, including cupboard stuff) and a "use by" date, which is only on some fresh foods.

The "Best Before" date means exactly that. It doesn't go off, it just might have lost some of its oomph. For spices and herbs etc, the flavour will probably mot be as strong. For yeast, it won't necessarily work properly, etc etc. You are unlikely to have problems with eating stuff past its "Best Before" date.

The "use by" date is the most important date. Again, it means what it says. Although there is some margin, food after its "use by" date is likely to be going off, and may cause problems. However, you have to use your senses here. It doesn't just go off at 1 minute past midnight. How have you stored it? Dooes it smell ok? Does it look ok? Personally I will eat stuff a day or two past its "use by" providing it looks and smells fine.

Hope that helps.

MushyPeas

Lovin' this

I think everyone has out of date stuff, don't they? (I hope so)

My brother-in-law hates waste and always eats out of date stuff. For his birthday I made a card for him out of the out of date dates on packets of food from my cuboard. He thought it was great! My poor sister.

I've used dry stuff and tinned stuff after use by date, but fresh stuff I'm a bit more wary of.

Graham_Devon

Unless it's got mould on it, or has decomposed. I eat it.

Never look at dates, I'm still fine, I think, though some may disagree.