27 year old golden syrup - is it safe

littlemoney

I am considering making flapjack for the first time in many years. At the back of my cupboard I have a part used tin of golden syrup with a best before date of 1993. The syrup is very dark in colour and granular. I have warmed the syrup to liquify it but a scum formed on the surface. The inside of the tin has lost its shiny surface.

. Is the syrup safe to use? I don't want to risk an upset stomach and neither do I want to waste it if it's useable. My concern is that the tin on the inside of the can has leached into the syrup and I don't know if this makes it unsafe.

mumtoomany

If it were me, I'd taste a small bit. If it tastes metalic, I would throw it away. The tin may have leached  into the syrup. Next time maybe buy syrup in glass/plastic, then I'm sure it would be fine. I've used syrup and honey, both in glass jars, that have been decades old. Mumtoomany.

Foofoopuppy

Taste test! You have nothing to lose. If it tastes good then go ahead, the high sugar content should have preserved it for the most part.

P.s. your golden syrup is old enough to have just bought it's first house! 😃

wondercollie

If you haven’t missed in two decades, chuck it out.  How many tin of the stuff have you bought and used since you forgot this one?

ruthber

 I understand all about money saving, but I would draw a line here. 27 years is beyond the pale.

mumtoomany

Oldest thing that I used, blue food colouring, finished it about eight years ago, it still had the price label, 6d. That's in old money for you young people. Must have been bought before 1971, by my mum. All still alive. Mumtoomany.

gentlepurr

Another vote for a taste test! I get so sick of all these blasted sell by dates, we never had that in the good old days!!

MalMonroe

I wouldn't eat it because it's been opened. Had it not been opened, I'd have agreed with those saying do a taste test. Oh, and also because you said this "The syrup is very dark in colour and granular. I have warmed the syrup to liquify it but a scum formed on the surface. The inside of the tin has lost its shiny surface".

Golden syrup should be golden and smooth. Not very dark or granular. And also you've warmed it and scum formed. Sounds really bad to me, dump it.  

Golden syrup doesn't cost that much! £1.35 today at Tesco.

MalMonroe

gentlepurr said:

Another vote for a taste test! I get so sick of all these blasted sell by dates, we never had that in the good old days!!

That's great if the tin's not been opened. This one has. And it sounds really bad from OP's description. Sell by dates are there for a reason and in the 'good old days' we had common sense!! (i.e. chuck it out it if it doesn't look right - this stuff doesn't.)

littlemoney

Thanks everyone for your comments. I haven't used any golden syrup since I last closed the can some time in the early 1990s as I haven't done any baking. I will get some more on my next shop. I am going to try some baking this winter as something to do in the next lockdown.

Pollycat

MalMonroe said:

I wouldn't eat it because it's been opened. Had it not been opened, I'd have agreed with those saying do a taste test. Oh, and also because you said this "The syrup is very dark in colour and granular. I have warmed the syrup to liquify it but a scum formed on the surface. The inside of the tin has lost its shiny surface".

Golden syrup should be golden and smooth. Not very dark or granular. And also you've warmed it and scum formed. Sounds really bad to me, dump it.  

Golden syrup doesn't cost that much! £1.35 today at Tesco.

The bit in bold would be a deal-breaker for me too.

I'm notorious for using food waaaay past it's 'best before' date but only if it hasn't been opened.

I found a half packet of suet in my cupboard last week (no idea how it got past my covid lockdown total clear out) and binned it.

Syrup isn't that expensive, it would be a pity to waste the other ingredients and time using something that may be 'off'.