Keep or Toss Food Past Expiration Date

looks good but I think I haven't eaten things past what they are saying

I glanced at the site, specifically on canned foods. I have to agree with what they're saying on that: if it's not bulging on a end, leaking, rusted then it's fine! (That's the OLD CANNING rules, and they still work!)

It's not uncommon for us to eat eggs that "expired" a month or two prior, according to the carton. You KNOW when eggs go bad...trust me!
Milk is usually good a week or so past "exp date" if your fridge is cooling properly.
Rice and pastas are other items that stay good past expiration (unless you didn't store tightly with bay leaves, and they get bugs).
Or, if our cheese is in the fridge long enough to get a little mold on it, to cut that and a bit more off, and eat what's left.

So many people today don't realize the "expiration date" on food usually doesn't mean "the food will make you sick if you eat it past this date." In fact, the "exp" and "best used by" dates are relatively new things on foods...I'm thinking that just started in the past 10 years or so? I remember my surprise when I first noticed one on a can of vegetables. I noticed it in the trash, AFTER we'd eaten. I thought it was one of the funniest things I'd seen in years. Of course, it was a can that was past the "exp" date.

Having said that, while I may allow the item to sit in MY cabinets past that date, if I saw it at a store and it wasn't on clearance, I wouldn't buy it. If on clearance, I would, as long as can wasn't dented/bulging.

PS...We've still got jellies/jams from 10 years ago, or so, that members of my family canned. They're still perfectly good!

I'm with jaws1 except on the length of time expiration dates have been in effect. I quit working for a major supermarket in '98, & they were well established by then.

A sell-by date was supposed to be what was considered a reasonable time between sale & consumption.

Recently, I am noticing shorter dates than I used to see. I just was looking at some company's website where they specifically said that they've changed their dating from "sell by" to "use by", and that the "use by" date means just that. Portent of the future?

I generally use grains & items with oils as close to the date as possible. Grains stale & oils go rancid. They can be extended by freezing.
High acid items not in glass, like canned tomatoes, also make me nervous & I don't like to use after the date.

What seems to last forever is yogurt. I just finished some dated Nov 2012.

For cheese, soak a piece of cheesecloth in white vinegar, wring out excess
remove cheese from wrapper & wrap in cheesecloth. Keep in covered container. This will keep it from molding.
For long storage, the cheesecloth needs periodic re-soaking
You can also use paper towel, altho it might fall apart & stick to cheese

Have barely scratched the surface of this site. I have a huge, loaded orange tree. Had no idea oranges could be frozen until I saw it there. TYSM SuDilly

OAN: keep an eye on the banner ads on the right. I've seen some links for bricks coupons I haven't seen before.

Thanks. This reminds me that I need to toss out the eggs I bought in December.

Thanks so much SuDilly for starting this thread and providing the great website!

Thanks MissusG for info on yogurt, I still have some plain ON Greek yogurt with Dec expirations, I'm going to try them soon, lol... Hoping they'll be ok.

Here's a nice http://img.gawkerassets.com/img/1...iginal.jpg printable chart showing shelf life that I found at Lifehackers.

Thanks for sharing this.

Quote from rejoyce : Thanks so much SuDilly for starting this thread and providing the great website! Thanks MissusG for info on yogurt, I still have some plain ON Greek yogurt with Dec expirations, I'm going to try them soon, lol... Hoping they'll be ok.

I think the brands may vary as to how long they'll last. Several times I have eaten (unopened) stonyfield several weeks past the date and it is fine. I've had yoplait a few days past the date and it doesn't taste as good, altho I guess it was OK.

Not that I was going to get the app, but how annoying it is only for iphone.

Thanks for the link, tho, I had something I have meaning to look up, so that was helpful

Does anybody know, do butter spread products need to be refrigerated? They are made from oil, no actual butter (it just says refrig. for quality on the package). I had a few tubs of country crock sit on the counter for probably a day, and hate to throw them away. Couldn't find the answer on their website.

Quote from rejoyce : Thanks so much SuDilly for starting this thread and providing the great website! Thanks MissusG for info on yogurt, I still have some plain ON Greek yogurt with Dec expirations, I'm going to try them soon, lol... Hoping they'll be ok.

Quote from xanthophyll : I think the brands may vary as to how long they'll last. Several times I have eaten (unopened) stonyfield several weeks past the date and it is fine. I've had yoplait a few days past the date and it doesn't taste as good, altho I guess it was OK. Not that I was going to get the app, but how annoying it is only for iphone. Thanks for the link, tho, I had something I have meaning to look up, so that was helpful Does anybody know, do butter spread products need to be refrigerated? They are made from oil, no actual butter (it just says refrig. for quality on the package). I had a few tubs of country crock sit on the counter for probably a day, and hate to throw them away. Couldn't find the answer on their website.

I agree that yogurt depends on brand...Yoplait is not good in my experience...My 3 year old loves yogurt so I stock up if it's cheap but I had a few Yoplait Greek that I opened 6 days past & wouldn't let her near them!

As for butter, I've let Country Crock sit out a couple days & still use it with no issues...my mom always did it & we were all fine

Quote from Rachel42 : I agree that yogurt depends on brand...Yoplait is not good in my experience...My 3 year old loves yogurt so I stock up if it's cheap but I had a few Yoplait Greek that I opened 6 days past & wouldn't let her near them! As for butter, I've let Country Crock sit out a couple days & still use it with no issues...my mom always did it & we were all fine

I don't know about spreads, but I always leave butter at room temperature in a covered butter dish and have never had any problem.

Quote from SuDilly : I don't know about spreads, but I always leave butter at room temperature in a covered butter dish and have never had any problem.

Yeah, I am a little confused by that. We used to leave butter out, as well, and would buy eggs from a 'farm' and those went for hours without refrigeration. And yet they are always refrigerated at the grocery.

Thanks again for the link, I am actually going to do some cleaning out of my pantry soon