Keep or chuck?

Decision made. They are binned. Now historical lemons. Quite right though, if it hadn't been for the date, I would have opened them, sniffed them, used them, then blamed my useless cooking if the tagine wasn't that tasty.

Galen I have my personal Thought Police aka DS and DD coming, and they always go through the frudge - the frudge? - the fridge and larder and lob anything even vaguely past its date. I was trying to get ahead of the game.

I would have tried your damson gin for you though Nelliemoser

And jingl I think you are probably right. Shrivelled beige jobs don't actually measure up to fresh clementines or lemons.

I would think that although they might not harm you the taste could have deteriorated. Even my very old Damson gin lost it clarity and flavour after leaving it too long on the lees.

I love them. I'd use them if they're not mouldy. Dd would chuck, but then she'd chuck something if it was open for more than 12 hours or half an hour out of date! Drives me mad!

funny isnt it if there hadnt have been a date on the jar you would have opened them up and used them...

Sorry!!!

Eeurrgh. Just googled 'em. Chuck. And don't replace.

When in doubt ...

So I chuck them.

I find pickled stuff like onions and beetroot go horribly soft if kept for too long.

They are not wildly expensive so I would be inclined to chuck, especially as clementines and lemons are cheap to buy.

They are preserved! The point of preserving is to keep things for the future, and they are lemons (acid) and salt (preservative) I would open them and see what they are like. They can then be binned if you are not entirely happy.

I must say I did not like preserved lemons even newly bought, so I would be using the clementines.

They are easy to make and easy to buy, so I'd go that route. Chuck the old ones out.

If it didn't have a date on would you use them ?

I would open and smell as others have said. What are they preserved in ?

I just wouldn't fancy eating something that had been hanging around all that time and lemons are quite cheap so cost doesn't really come into it.

Open and see - you'll soon know - they will, of course, deteriorate more quickly once opened!

petallus now you've got me vacillating. First one way, then the other. Indecisive? Moi?

Oh, what was wrong with the taste, JessM? I like bitter, if that was the issue. But I don't want to cook something and then find it is disgusting.

Easy to make some nice fresh ones.

Definitely chuck.

Good luck.

Rather think that they should be consigned to the disgusting food thread - fresh or stale, tried em once, me no like.

Sounds sensible. I will keep them then, and do TriciaF's Delia recipe tomorrow. If you don't hear from me after that, you will know it was a bad decision......

Me too Lona. Think I might have some at the back of the cupboard too . I also got mine for a tagine recipe, forgot they were there and used dried apricots but I quite fancy the idea of clementines.

I'd trust my instincts on opening them. They'll probably be ok.

I would open the jar and if there's not a rush of noxious gas, have a taste.
You can use a little in Delia's Moroccan Chicken recipe ( which I often make.)

You've got me interested. I've just googled them and a whole new world has opened up!! As for the Nov09 bit, if they look okay, and smell okay once you open them..... trust your instincts. But then again, several of the googled sites said that making them is dead easy.......