What would OS do?

Electra_King

Hi all,
After being inspired from reading a number of threads on this forum I have decided to use whatever is in the fridge/freezer/cupboards for meals until the end of this month. As a result I have made a list of all food items and am in the process of making the meal planners.

My problem is I have found a number of items "out of date" and was wondering whether to use them or not? What would you do? The items are;

red wine vinegar BBD Nov 07
sultanas BBD Nov 07
Butter BBD 30 Mar 08
self raising floor BBD Oct 07
plain flour BBD Jul 07
raspberry vinegar No Date (sure I bought it 2 years ago )
balsamic vinegar No Date

As I am already trying to use/reuse food rather than throwing it in the bin (again inspired from another post;) ), I am hoping I can use them but obviously not if I would risk making my family sick
Thank you in advance.

Uniscots97

They're best before not use by so I'd use them, they'll be fine.

Penelope_Penguin

The vinegars will be fine - vinegar's a preservative after all

Take a sniff at the butter. It may have gone rancid, but may be OK, especially for baking.

Look in the flour - it may have flour weevils.

Use your senses, and you're unlikely to go far wrong :T

Penny. x

Bargain_Rzl

You missed the raisins, PenPen - which will be absolutely fine. Most dried foods last for absolutely ages.

Other than the possibility of flour weevils, flour does go "off" after a while and I'm not sure it's that easy to tell without baking something with it that doesn't work. You should have seen my first loaf in my new breadmaker - it was a disaster, and I can only think that the flour was to blame (it was more out of date than yours!)

I'm always using out of date butter, and if it looks and smells alright, it probably is.

newlywed

I've used out of date plain flour and it's been fine.
Have also used out of date dried fruit in baking (just taste a couple and see if they taste ok).

The vinegar should be ok, I'd just sniff it.

Butter is the only one I'd debate whether to use .

Electra_King

Thank you all for your quick response.:T

What are flour weevils? How will I know if my flour has any?:o

The butter smells OK but it has turned a darker yellow iykwim!

Magpye

Look closely at your flour, if you see movement, it has weevils - tiny brown bugs. I just had my first infestation this year, both in Asda flour which had gone out of date - sticking to Lidl from now on I think.

Taste the butter, you will know if it tastes rancid - sometimes I find butter goes darker through exposure to the air. The vinegar will be perfectly fine and so will the sultanas.

Electra_King

Thank you magpye,
I will check my flour. Though to be honest the thought of any "bug" crawling :eek: through food makes me just want to chuck it out now.

Penelope_Penguin

Bargain_Rzl wrote: »

You missed the raisins, PenPen

The raisins are sultanas :rotfl:

They should be fine, too - just take a look

Penny. x

Penelope_Penguin

Electra_King wrote: »

What are flour weevils? How will I know if my flour has any?:o

NOT TO SCALE !!!! They're teeny tiny weeny

Bargain_Rzl

PenPen, you'll terrify the poor woman! I think your picture needs to include the words "Not to scale" :rotfl:

And - err, yes. By raisins I meant sultanas