How long beyond its "BBE" or "USE BY" date can we eat jarred or canned foodstuffs?

Living_proof

Can I suggest that all of you having a sort out and binning food, however unwise and non-MSE this might be! please ask your local Freecycle group if anyone has a Hotbin compost maker. As long as it is running at 40-60C it can compost anything - meat, fish, veg, flour - you name it and it will eat it. I never feel quite so bad about composting a really out of date item, but I hate sending it to landfill.

APennySaved

Pollycat said:

I have to say I've not seen any tins or jars with 'use by' dates on them.

They all have BBE - best before end.

Oops! Meant to add this correction - to my original posting - weeks ago, but everything going in with COVID-19 got in the way! So will finally add this amendment: Yes, I checked the cans & jars, & indeed I had mis-stated the text on the labels: the cans/jars did in fact say "BBE", not "Use By".

(Sorry for the tardiness in the correction: I was a bit distracted - needless to say - during lock-down. )

But the helpful postings you have all made still stand. So no real change to the thread, I trust.

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Very useful tips from you all. Thanks.

Love the wasabi ideas too. We have a jar of umeboshi paste (also a Japanese product) in the store cupboard (yes, that is within its BBE date, BTW! ) It was bought on a whim . . . now I can't remember how to use it! So might use your wasabi recipe ideas with it. I seem to remember umeboshi contains saltted plums, so will probably be somewaht mellower than the 'biting' wasabi. So perhaps nice with with grated Cheddar cheese!

RobM99

Canning food preserves it. I use canned that's out-of-date and it hasn't done me any harZZx cxxjdttgb

ariba10

I was born and brought up in time before BB dates and Use By dates were thought of.
  “ If it looks and smells O K I will eat or use it “

Living_proof

I have only just found this thread and will follow with interest. I was gobsmacked yesterday to find that Steradent now has a best before date. For heavens sake!

PipneyJane

Living_proof said:

I have only just found this thread and will follow with interest. I was gobsmacked yesterday to find that Steradent now has a best before date. For heavens sake!

Presumably that's the predicted lifespan of the packaging.

- Pip

Immee

What will you do with it all?  I've only ever had it with sushi.

Apologies for verrrrry late response; just reading this thread apropos of a clear-out myself. To the point... wasabi is lovely mixed to taste (and tolerance) with salted butter and smeared generously on just-seared steak the moment it comes out of the pan/off the grill/off the barby, and before it's left to rest. Deeelishious!