Expiration dates

[Suppa Hobbit Mage]

I just found some mayo in my fridge that expires in November 2004 -- it looks great btw, like the day it was bought.

So I did some exploring...

I have some hamburger helper that expires in 1999 -- do you think it's bad? It's freaking dried pasta! I think I may have to eat it just to see if it's good.

[Himmy]

I say go for it! Eat the hell out of that expired food.

[Skirmisher]

You really REALLY need to do grocery shopping more often.

[GSLady17]

My grandpa made a cake once from a box (which was like woooooooah he made it from a box! All of us kids were shocked as hell.)


But it didn't raise... My grandpa thought he didnt make it right and went to read the box...it was 17 years old...hehe

[Vesi]

Originally posted by Suppa Hobbit Mage
I just found some mayo in my fridge that expires in November 2004 -- it looks great btw, like the day it was bought.

So I did some exploring...

I have some hamburger helper that expires in 1999 -- do you think it's bad? It's freaking dried pasta! I think I may have to eat it just to see if it's good. It survived a move from Utah to VA, and a VA to Kansas move.

LOL. We found a can of soup in the back of our cabinet that expired in 2001 about a month ago. While I think lots of canned and dried foods would last forever, I wouldn't touch them with a ten foot pole. (unless starving to death in a crisis situation) We clean our fridge out pretty regular, so no biology expermints are growing in there and anything expired gets thrown away. (trust me in my younger years I had things that I couldn't even tell what the original item was by the time they were cleaned out) The soup we found was just because it got pushed to the back and that cabinet is rarely cleaned out since it is all canned goods.

Vesi

P. S. Your call and your stomach if you eat that Hamburger Helper. Look for bugs first. I REALLY wouldn't trust the mayo ... too many ingredients that could really make you sick.

P. P. S. This is going to sound gross, but my aunt has a bottle of tabasco in her fridge from when my uncle (her brother) was in WWII. She started out keeping it for sentimental reasons (because she thought he would get killed and he had bought it to use at her house) then who knows why she kept it all these other years. The insides look toxic. It's become the family joke and now she won't get rid of it because he's since passed away.

[Himmy]

A friend of mine ate some yogurt that had been sitting out for about six months past the expiration date.. By sitting out, I mean non-refridgerated. Boy, was he sick.

[Jazuela]

I'm guessing the macaroni will just be too stale, and you'll end up with either a starchy glop or pasta that never softens. And the spices might not blend too well, and some of them might seperate from the others. I doubt they're "inedible" but I'd ditch it if I were you and spring for a new one.

[SpunGirl]

I didn't know you were an expiration-date expert as well, Jazuela! Will wonders never cease! Make sure you put that on your resume when you apply for your next fast-food job.

-K

[Jazuela]

Uh, no, actually I'm not an expert on expiration dates. I was using what is known as common sense. Pasta gets stale after awhile. Anyone who's ever cooked old macaroni knows this, you don't have to be an expert. Seasonings seperate when they're very old. Anyone who's ever used them knows this, you don't have to be an expert. It's called - experiencing life long enough to figure stuff out. Maybe if you're a very good girl, some day, you'll learn things for yourself too.

[SpunGirl]

I've never cooked old macaroni. :shrug:

-K

[Jazuela]

Well then, I guess that makes you a far superior person than I. It also makes you somewhat less knowledgeable, having such an extraordinary lack of ordinary experiences in your life. So sorry.

[SpunGirl]

No, I throw away things that have expired. :bouncy:

-K

[peam]

That will be quite enough. Thanks.


I once ate some eggs that were eight months out of date. They were delicious.

[Edited on 10-9-2005 by emperor peam]

[GSLady17]

A lot of times the experation date will be a date that the store has to sell them by. There are other items that I wouldn't touch if they were passed the date.

But now adays, things are proccessed so much and made to be last long...a few days after won't kill you.

[Satira]

An emperor should never have to eat eight month old eggs.

[Himmy]

I love those new clothes, Peam. Lookin' sharp.

[peam]

What?

[Himmy]

The Emperor's New Clothes. I fucking love them.

[SiKWiDiT]

Peam doesn't wear clothes. He wears a conductor's hat and a smile.

[AnticorRifling]

Experation dates are for the weak. I say eat whatever it is and if it's bad your body will get rid of it. Please remember that I will eat pretty much anything and my gut has survived years of chow hall food so this advice might not be suitable for everyone.

[ElanthianSiren]

Expiration date.... bah humbug!

-M

[SpunGirl]

I was recently at my parents' house and had a headache. I went into their medicine cabinet and aside from some pretty good prescription stuff, found a bottle of Excedrin that expired in '97. I opened the top and it smelled like vinegar, ew. I threw it out.

-K

[Arshwikk]

As long as they don't oxidize I'm pretty sure the cans are still good...not sure why they stamp expiration dates on em...if there's no rust, go ahead and eat the can. Now, with boxed food the dye isn't as fresh when they get older so it depends on how spicy you like your cardboard.

[Tsa`ah]

Originally posted by Suppa Hobbit Mage
I just found some mayo in my fridge that expires in November 2004 -- it looks great btw, like the day it was bought.

So I did some exploring...

I have some hamburger helper that expires in 1999 -- do you think it's bad? It's freaking dried pasta! I think I may have to eat it just to see if it's good. It survived a move from Utah to VA, and a VA to Kansas move.

Hamburger helper has a shelf life akin to a twinkie so long the pasta is in it's own bag and not dumped into packaging box loose.

The argon they float into the bags pretty much ensures it isn't going stale unless the bag leaks. That and it's cheaper than vacuum sealing but also makes it easier to skimp on a few noodles a box and still maintain advertised weight (argon heavier than standard breathable air).

The mayo is at your own risk. While doing quality management for a past employer, Kraft was juggling the potential of plastic containors for mayo and such (they use them now .... the big wide mouthed plastic jars) but went back to cost analysis time and time again due to shelf life issues.

If it's glass, you should be ok, but why bother unless you want to start a thread like this ....

http://forum.gsplayers.com/viewthread.php?tid=9653&page=1

[Tisket]

I have some relish that is about eight years old. It is my refrigerator mascot now so I won't eat it. Can't eat something I've named.

[Andreal]

Originally posted by AnticorRifling
Experation dates are for the weak. I say eat whatever it is and if it's bad your body will get rid of it.

Famous last words, eh?