Would you out of date tin?

If I'm not going to fully enjoy eating it I don't.
I have just googled and it seems as long as the tin is not damaged and stored properly its safe when out of date.

MerylStreep

You might just as well flush money down the toilet.
Wasting food is obscene.

Ditto to this.

I do sometimes wonder whether the cost of living crisis will mean a reduction in the obscene amount of food waste in the U.K.

I don't like food waste, but it's difficult not to have some. I think food should be available in smaller quantities.
Many foods I buy have short use by dates. I couldn't possible eat a tub of hummus in two days, or a carton of fruit juice in three. Prepacked meats only give you two days to use them. cheese a week. It's fine if you have a family, but if there is only one or two of you, it's impossible to have waste, unless you eat the same food three days in a row.

With acknowledgment to somebody who knows who she is

“Oh you’ll never get to heaven
In a baked bean tin
Cos a baked bean tin
Has baked beans in”

“And you’ll never get past
That Pearly Gate
If all your tins
Are out of date”

nadateturbe

I don't like food waste, but it's difficult not to have some. I think food should be available in smaller quantities.
Many foods I buy have short use by dates. I couldn't possible eat a tub of hummus in two days, or a carton of fruit juice in three. Prepacked meats only give you two days to use them. cheese a week. It's fine if you have a family, but if there is only one or two of you, it's impossible to have waste, unless you eat the same food three days in a row.

So true . I guess it’s easier in France Italy etc where markets and small shops encourage shopping daily in smaller quantities ?

It's fine if you have a family, but if there is only one or two of you, it's impossible to have waste, unless you eat the same food three days in a row

I suspect you meant it’s impossible not to have waste - that’s been my experience certainly. I have been known to make soup out of limp leftover veggies and try to use up what I can whenever I can.
Putting leftovers in the freezer right away helps.
For instance I cut left over lemons or lemon halves into wedges then freeze them for drinks, and have even frozen over ripe bananas which are then fine for banana bread.

Yes I meant not yo have waste.
Useful tips MawtheMerrier.
Lucca that would be good. We don't have a vegetable shop close. And the nearest one in the next village is very expensive.

not to have waste

nadateturbe

I don't like food waste, but it's difficult not to have some. I think food should be available in smaller quantities.
Many foods I buy have short use by dates. I couldn't possible eat a tub of hummus in two days, or a carton of fruit juice in three. Prepacked meats only give you two days to use them. cheese a week. It's fine if you have a family, but if there is only one or two of you, it's impossible to have waste, unless you eat the same food three days in a row.

What sort of cheese (except the likes of Brie and Camembert) lasts only a week? If properly wrapped I’ve known ours last a good while longer.

As for use-by dates on meat, I always have a good rummage at the back of the shelf for the longest use-by dates. I will also use some (especially mince and e.g. chicken thighs) and freeze the rest.

There are only two of us and I find it quite possible not to waste food. I portion control all our meals and freeze any leftovers and usually use them within a week or so. I plan our menus a week at a time and, when necessary replan them if I have to make last minute changes for any reason.

I keep hummous a week or more, without any side effects at all. It tastes the same and does not change in any way. Likewise fruit juice, it can be kept for a week or two, without any change in taste or consistency. I have been doing this for years without any side effects.

There are only 2 of us. My OH does all the shopping and cooking.
He would eat his own feet before he wasted a crumb.
Does any one know anyone else who eats apple cores ?

My son does - he leaves the stalk though.

Does any one know anyone else who eats apple cores

I knew someone once who did.

Caleo

I have looked through my store and thrown out tins of use by date 2021 and earlier. Was I too fussy?

Which bit of 2021? Beginning, end, middle?

But I would have used them anyway. A tin year is nothing.

Witzend I rummage at the back too for longer dates, but once opened many are use within 2/3 days at most
Cheddar cheese says use within 1 week.
What is portion control Monica?
Why does fruit juice have a use by date(Not best before) if it doesn't matter?
Sliced meats and coleslaw, olives etc are all use within 2/3 days. It's boring to have to eat the same things for 3 days.
If I open a tin of pears ( have given up on fresh at the minute) ditto.

Portion control is only cooking/serving theexact amount of food you know you will eat. I serve all meals for the two of us directly onto our plates, so no waste of vegetables, rice potatos etc. I cook meat dishes using 1lb of meat in one go and serve onto plates and into freezer containers to go onto the freezer. Obviously there will be occasions when one of us isn't hungry and leaves food, but that is very rare. Most people eat roughly the same size meals almost all the time. We rarely snack or nibble between meals so that doesn't blunt our appetite for meals.

The purpose of consume by dates is to do with how long the food will remain in perfect condition. It is a short as possible because manufacturers do not want consumers complaining that they left a piece of cheese on a plate in the kitchen for a week and it is now all dry and cracked

Best by/use by days are very conservative because they have to think about all the ways people will leave food standing around in warm atmospheres for hours before putting them in a fridge, or not at all etc etc.

Foods like cheese, ham, etc are the result of methods developed of preserving foodstuffs for long periods before fridges and freezers. Look at the premium you pay for a fully aged mature cheddar. Hams used to be hung in chimneys for a year or more before finally being eaten.

There have even been articles in the papers where reporters have experimented with how long food will actually last after opening before the flavour or texture changes. This has got nothing to do whether the food is safe to eat, there was no question of the reporters eating food that might make them ill. Some of the food they experimented with was good to eat weeks after the sellby/best by date.

I am hyper careful with chicken, pork, offal and fish, especially shellfish, but everything else, especially dry or tinned/packaged food kept on the ambiant shelves. I use my nose, mouth, eyes and, where appropriate, cook food well before eating - so 2 peole, no food waste.

I have just had my breakfast; cheese on toast and fruit juice. The cheese has been in the fridge for over a week and the fruit juice for 5 days. Both showing no deterioration in frshness, texture or flavour.

Baggs

^Does any one know anyone else who eats apple cores^

I knew someone once who did.

Me!

nadateturbe

Witzend I rummage at the back too for longer dates, but once opened many are use within 2/3 days at most
Cheddar cheese says use within 1 week.
What is portion control Monica?
Why does fruit juice have a use by date(Not best before) if it doesn't matter?
Sliced meats and coleslaw, olives etc are all use within 2/3 days. It's boring to have to eat the same things for 3 days.
If I open a tin of pears ( have given up on fresh at the minute) ditto.

I just checked a pack of extra mature Cheddar in the fridge - best before date is 03/11/22! What Cheddar are you buying?

IMO it’s all largely down to common sense and your nose, though. If something looks and smells all right, it almost certainly is.

I use all sorts past their best - the last, lonely dried up rasher of bacon*, veggies looking a bit sad, but fine once peeled or e.g. the outer leaves are stripped off.
*Snipped up and fried gently with onion, at the start of one of my multi-veg soups, of which I’ll be making a lot once we’re into autumn. Healthy, cheap and filling.

Quick answer, will read Monica's later.
Witzend I'm talking about once opened, use within times. They are very short.

nadateturbe

Quick answer, will read Monica's later.
Witzend I'm talking about once opened, use within times. They are very short.

My vintage cheddar can be used anything up to 9 or 10 weeks after it has been opened, I keep it in Tupperware container in the fridge and take it out a couple of hours before I want to eat it..

As far as I’m concerned, hard cheese such as Cheddar is fine once opened, as long as it’s well wrapped to stop it drying out. But even if it does dry out, it can still be grated - it’s not going to make anyone ill - or at least I’ve yet to hear of that ever happening.,

If cheese hasn't gone mouldy, I'll use it however old it is. Even if it has begun to go mouldy, I just cut the mould off and use the rest. This has never caused us any problems.

I must admit that this is something that crossed my mind from time to time. When i was rummaging through mums ladar, I came across tins that were past their use by date, as they were making their way to the bin, i did think maybe they were ok to consume, BUT they still landed with a thud in the bin.

It would be good to have a considered view from a microbiologist or similar professional.

Thanks Monica.
Well, lots of food for thought here. I must admit I have been trying recently not to be so paranoid about dates, and my present block of cheese is use within 3 days of opening which I am ignoring.
I do remember years ago when I bought cheese that I cut off mouldy bits. I didn't know it was safe to use limp veg.
I must try harder, and plan better. I don't know why I am so anxious. I think I'm making my husband over cautious too.
And it's such a waste of money.

It would be good to have a considered view from a microbiologist or similar professional. agree.