You ever have food sitting on the shelf for who knows how long?

[propita]

As I was pulling down cans go into my meatball soup--easy to make--I looked at the dates on the packages. I looked at the packages. YIKES!

You know there's a problem when the can lid bulges a bit. TOSS! You suspect there could be a problem when the "best used by" date is 2+ years ago.

I must've cleared a full shelf of cans and jars, and cleaning all that out of the pantry gave some room to find things, so it won't repeat. Since Hubby and I want to eat a bit healthier, we're not buying more of most of that stuff that's being tossed. If we need it, we'll buy fresh and in smaller quantity.

Anybody else find food that you probably should get rid of? What's your worst story?

 

[Captain Ice]

Never.

 

[Gaseous Anomaly]

My refrigerator is a science experiment gone wrong.

 

[Tyjos Azari]

Found some Dry Tortellini that's been on the shelf for 12 months in our Pantry.

I didn't realize that till AFTER I cooked some of it and ate it...still tasted ok.

 

[Captain Shaw]

We had some christmas pudding which where 10 years old.

 

[Mary Ann]

I always tell myself I clean my baking cupboard out on a regular basis but I often find stuff that's over a year past its sell-by date. Once in a while I find something scary at the back of the fridge, too. I'm not about to win any Domestic Goddess of the Year prizes.

The worst out-of-date stuff I ever encountered was in my parents' medicine cabinet after my mom died. Some of the painkillers were 2 years out of date, and my dad would not have bothered to check the date on any of the meds before taking them. Yikes.

 

[RandyS]

Yes.

 

[kimc]

Let's just say when there are small bugs crawling around in the flour I know it's been a while since I've done some baking!

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Not anymore, no. I used to have several boxes of cake and muffin mix that had apparently not been opened since about 1999, but I threw them away when I realized that 1) they were expired, and 2) I hate cooking.

 

[Roger Wilco]

A couple weeks ago I found a glass of rose hip jam in my fridge that expired in 2006, but it was unopened so I gave it a try and it was still fine. I also have a can of goulash in my shelf that expired in '98, but I don't dare to open that one...

 

[RJDiogenes]

Looks like I have some Cream-Of-Wheat in the cabinet that's been there since 2008....

 

[cultcross]

A sizeable proportion of the contents of my baking cupboard is severely out of date. Especially some of the bits I stole from my mother, I have a little bottle of almond essence expiry dated 1998. I never really intend to use it, but I quite like seeing how long till the glass itself rots

 

[Yeoman Randi]

My refrigerator is a science experiment gone wrong.

I am quite certain i can identify around 50% of what's in mine.

The other 50% is also on the walls of my microwave.

I'm sure many of you would have serious doubts about my mental well being if you peeked into either of those appliances.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

I would think things in sealed cans and unopened jars would keep a very long time--well past the "sell-by" date.

I did learn that you shouldn't drink canned soda after its expiration, though. Something happens to the chemicals in the drink and it tastes really bad. Ew.

 

[kustirider2]

A few years ago, I managed to find some biscuits in the cupboard from 1996. They were from a supermarket that doesn't even exist anymore

 

[propita]

Well, at least honey never spoils. Gets hard as a rock, but that can be remedied.

 

[Starbreaker]

I would think things in sealed cans and unopened jars would keep a very long time--well past the "sell-by" date.

I did learn that you shouldn't drink canned soda after its expiration, though. Something happens to the chemicals in the drink and it tastes really bad. Ew.

Coke tends to go bad immediately as that date hits. It's not even worth it if you're dying of thirst.