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Should I bin my scones?

(90 Posts)
nadateturbe Fri 05-Feb-21 11:07:14

I've just put scones in the oven. As the buttermilk seemed quite thin ( I gave it a shake before using) I checked the date and discovered it was use by 13 January. Pity I hadn't done this first! Should I take them out and bin them? Conflicting advice online.

nadateturbe Fri 05-Feb-21 22:55:59

Sarah48 OH doesn't seem to have suffered any ill effects. I bet he's having another for supper. (I'm in bed). We'll finish them in the morning. I only make a very small batch at a time.
Blinko its bad when the birds turn their noses up at them!

Callistemon Fri 05-Feb-21 23:03:37

How to Tell If Buttermilk Has Gone Bad. Once your buttermilk is chunky, and you can't pour it, or if it has visible mould, it's time to throw it out. Another sign is a strong sour odour
My husband has tried one. I'll wait and see.
That's the best way, try them on a willing guinea pig first. They look good.
If it looked and smelt fine, it should be ok.

I used buttermilk (it was in date) today to make a fruit loaf in the breadmaker but the texture is very close.
I'm sure bread is better made the traditional way in the oven.

ElaineI Fri 05-Feb-21 23:25:34

Use by is a definite. Best before you have to trust your senses.

fatgran57 Fri 05-Feb-21 23:34:16

They will be fine! I often use well out of date buttermilk in my scones - if it is too old it will definitely be mouldy on top don't use then of course.

Baggs Sat 06-Feb-21 05:47:29

Blinko, My sister once made some parkin that even the birds wouldn’t eat. In fact it was so hard we considered getting her to make more and using them as paving slabs.

Blinko Sat 06-Feb-21 08:12:02

Baggs

*Blinko*, My sister once made some parkin that even the birds wouldn’t eat. In fact it was so hard we considered getting her to make more and using them as paving slabs.

That reminds me, I do like parkin...

Witzend Sat 06-Feb-21 12:32:07

I’d certainly try them, even though the thought of any sort of ‘off’ milk makes me heave. Any sort of food waste really grieves me.
If not nice, I’d crumble them up for the birds. I’m sure ours would enjoy them.

nadateturbe Sat 06-Feb-21 12:48:51

Witzend my dad used to drink buttermilk every day. It's supposed to be good for you.

Visgir1 Sat 06-Feb-21 13:20:50

I never got on with making Scones no idea why? never gave up tho- I then found an amazing recipe -
No Butter/Sour milk used - 175mls milk with squirt or 2 of Lemon Juice plus 1 Tsp of Vanilla extract. Put into microwave for 30 sec leave before you add. If you do this as the first job its a doddle!
100% results

NotTooOld Sat 06-Feb-21 13:24:42

Grandma11

My daughter made some of the 3 ingredient Scones last week using whipping cream and a can of Lemonade, so easy, and although you would think that mixing lemonade and cream would turn them sour, they were surprisingly very nice!

Grandmall - that sounds intriguing! Can we have the complete recipe, please?

Jaxie Sat 06-Feb-21 13:24:53

Sour milk makes the most delicious scones. What is yogurt but sour milk, kind of? I would have eaten the scones.

nadateturbe Sat 06-Feb-21 13:58:11

We did in the end Jaxie. Very tasty and we're still alive! But I will check in future.

Baggs Sat 06-Feb-21 14:00:03

Jaxie

Sour milk makes the most delicious scones. What is yogurt but sour milk, kind of? I would have eaten the scones.

Agreed! Likewise sour cream that you find at the back of the fridge a week or two past its use-by date but still smelling fine (just as sour cream should smell) and looking fine too. Best scones I ever made were when I used that.

EllanVannin Sat 06-Feb-21 14:03:53

They'd have been well-binned by now grin In fact I wouldn't have attempted to use it.
I found a ( sealed ) tin of cocoa at the back of the cupboard yesterday with 8/ 2020 and dumped it.

EllanVannin Sat 06-Feb-21 14:05:54

Sour milk years ago was somehow different than it is today as it's rank.

Baggs Sat 06-Feb-21 16:12:11

EllanVannin

They'd have been well-binned by now grin In fact I wouldn't have attempted to use it.
I found a ( sealed ) tin of cocoa at the back of the cupboard yesterday with 8/ 2020 and dumped it.

Blimey, EV! I'm still using an opened tin of cocoa that's older than that. No adverse effects.

I guess this is a Marmite issue; you either dare or you don't, perhaps depending on earlier experiences, or trust/distrust of one's senses.

I still give the tops of food tins a wee scrub before I open them (not that I use many tinned foods but we did buy some before the first lockdown just in case which we're now using up slowly) because when my parents were first married they had a bad D&V episode which Mum thought was from contamination on a tin. She didn't wear her (necessary) glasses much back then and might have missed some muck.

nadateturbe Sat 06-Feb-21 16:58:29

Baggs I do wash the tops of tins before opening. My mum always did it.

Nannagarra Sat 06-Feb-21 20:41:15

Visgirl is your recipe from BBC good food - ‘Classic scones with jam and clotted cream’?

janeainsworth Sat 06-Feb-21 20:57:32

I take no notice of use by or best before dates either. I can judge whether or not anything is fit to eat by smelling/tasting it.
During lockdown I’ve found that vegetables particularly last much longer than suggested on the packaging.
We’ve just had a pasta dish for dinner with some spinach that was best before 22nd January. It was delicious.

The government is apparently launching a campaign to convince people they can safely ignore these dates, in an effort to reduce food waste.

Who’d have thought it???

nadateturbe Sat 06-Feb-21 23:51:21

Sorry, should read I too...not I do....

mokryna Sun 07-Feb-21 16:30:38

nadateturbe

Ok. Thanks again everyone. Changed my mind.
My husband has tried one. I'll wait and see. grin They are actually the best looking scones I've made in ages. (using up some blueberries, have far to many.)

Where would I be without GN.?

Tears are rolling down my cheeks. grin

Baggs Sun 07-Feb-21 16:46:54

It occurred to me some time last night that use by dates are for the protection of the food producer, not the food user. It seems quite a lot of people don't realise that.

nadateturbe Sun 07-Feb-21 22:55:00

Mokryna If I thought they were really poisonous I wouldn't let him eat them. I thought I had better make that clear.

V3ra Sun 07-Feb-21 23:18:31

My open tin of cocoa that I'm using is dated "best before" July 2019. As a dry good, it could lose some flavour but it's still safe to use.

"Use by" for me in a work (childminding) situation would be strictly forbidden, and I have on occasion refused to give children food they've brought from home if the date has expired.

From a personal point of view I'd use my common sense, if it smelt and tasted ok I'd eat it.

V3ra Sun 07-Feb-21 23:20:13

By that I mean exceeding a "use by" date...