The expired foods in your cupboards wasn't the surprising part. It was how many of you photographed your expired foods - and then put them right back in the cupboard. 😝 🙃
What you see before you is a sampling of some of the death traps pushed into the back of your cupboards. Reminders of those spring rolls you had every intention of making in 2005.
Let's all rise and applaud the brave souls who opened their cabinets and photographed the elders.
- Patti says she's going to eat this pasta soon. It expired 8 years ago.
Patti's penne pasta probably isn't poison but potentially packed with wandering weevils. - This seasoning travelled with Donna's husband when he moved back to Canada from Louisiana. In 2002. Since it's not hers to throw out, after photographing it she put it back in the cupboard where I imagine it will stay for at least another 21 years.
- Randy's baking soda expired in 2007. That's 16 years of smells it has absorbed.
- Andrea's found these in the back of her grandfather's cabinet.
They predate best before dates. I very much feel like Betty has those same Whip It packets.
- 16 year old Kool-aid. Oh yeah.
- This is a bottle of Chicory/Coffee "Essence". It expired in 2004. It predates Tom Cruise jumping for joy on Oprah’s couch. (2005)
- Use within 4 months after opening. But feel free to keep it around for decorative reasons if you like. It's a jar of yeast. It couldn't lift a helium balloon let alone bread.
And now, the winner of the expired food challenge.
circa 1973
Eileen hasn't used the 50+ year old spice. It was from her late mother's kitchen. She's kept it as a memento.
Table of Contents
Spice Life
Ground spices are at their best for 6 months and then they start to deteriorate. By 1 year they're almost flavourless. By 50 years the spice is worthless, but the tin now has a value of about $10.
Pasta Peak
Dried pasta usually has a 2 year best before guideline. Beyond that it'll either be fine or be filled with weevils.
They Drank the Kool Aid
Kool Aid doesn't have anything that can "go bad" in it. It can taste weird and if it the inside of the packet got wet from humidity it could possibly mold but chances are slim.
WHAT IT ALL MEANS
This date indicates the peak taste and quality of the food. It's not a safety or purchase date.
This date isn't a safety measure, it just lets retailers know how long to keep it on the shelf. They're still good to use at home for another ⅓rd of the time they were originally good for.
This date suggests when to eat the food, but going a day or two beyond is fine. It's not a safety date (except for infant formula.) When deciding whether to eat or drink something assess it yourself. Use common sense. How does it look/smell? If it's off, ditch it. If it's in a ditch, off it.
This weekend I'm going to clean out my fridge because it's almost summer and I won't be able to fit a watermelon in there until I get rid of the winter mementos.
Josephine Dubois
Oh this made me giggle! Then I thought about a recent church event when we typically serve crimp bread with Cheese Wiz and sliced green olives (don't knock it 'til you try it!). Someone brought a jar of olives to use which had EXPIRED in 2014! That means it was packaged in like 2011... I suggested we not use those ones. They probably were fine, but I'm guessing the texture might have suffered by now. I also wondered how in the world she still had a small jar of olives from 2014... This was a fun read - thanks for the laugh!
Elizabeth Stoddard
One year Mother made the pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving. My boy friend, now husband of 50 years, had joined us. The spice was so old that the pie came out of the oven "Marine green" and no one he would eat it. It has become a family legend. And it impressed me that he ate it all, praised it, and was such a polite guest.
Josephine Dubois
This made me laugh! Our pastor's wife made the comment that our at annual fall soup supper, someone always brings a green pumpkin pie. Now I know why!!! Those old ladies are still using that pumpkin pie spice they received as a bridal shower gift. Hey - what doesn't kill you, right???
Lynda
Don't knock the Tony Chachere's! My mother has a shaker of it too. From a trip to Louisiana. Trouble is, I like things spicy and Tony's has so much salt in it that by the time the spice level is the way I like it, the salt has made it inedible.
My own sin is 2013 pickles. Doesn't sound bad until you discover they are pickles I MADE MYSELF in 2013. I know, I know, botulism in a jar...
Cherie
OMG. This has prompted me to take a closer look at my dried herbs, spices, condiments, etc. I KNOW that I have some herbs and spices that are more than 10 yrs old even without checking the dates. I got them when my mother in law downsized to seniors living 13 years ago! Heck, if I go through that cupboard I'm sure I'll toss most of them.
Jody
This is too too funny. Can't wait to find/excavate items from my 92 yo father's pantry.
Joyce
I oversee our church’s small pantry/blessing box…oh, the stuff I get. Sadly I can identify some of the donors as they bag it up and hand it to me ….looking at you, next door neighbor!
That old penne is still a kid compared to the spaghetti I composted!
Jan in Waterdown
That is sinful imho (and according to my husband I’ve never had a humble opinion in my life 🙄) to donate expired food to charity. If you won’t eat it why the heck should those in need?! Grrrr…..
And btw, he’s right 😏
Jenny
I cheated on this challenge. I went camping for 3 days and when I came back my husband had gone through the fridge and pantry to toss all the expired sauces, packets, etc. ;) 10/10, would recommend this method.
Marilyn Meagher
I had already emptied my cupboards just before this or I’m sure I would have been in the running. Lol
Kimberley Kershaw
I am a dentist and in my first year of working (2019) I was in an office that was pure 1970s everything. I was alone and had a patient that needed epinephrine-free local anesthetic. I called my boss to ask where it was - when I found it the expiry for 1997.
Kat - the other 1
I see a box of vanilla sugar envelopes! Great! I've got a small recipe book by some French ladies and one of the recipes I really want to try calls for, "one envelope of vanilla sugar." Being in the US, me and everyone I've ever asked is like, "huh?!" SO, my very important question for that person who has that box is, How much sugar is there in a envelope of sugar please???? Tablespoons, grams, don't care, just something to go on! Thank you!
Marie Braun
Hi, Kat.
I'm not the owner of the expired Vanilla sugar, but I do have a package of Dr. Oetker's Vanilla Sugar envelopes in my pantry. Each envelope contains 9 grams of sugar. I opened one of the envelopes and measured it out and it's the equivalent of 2 and 1/8 teaspoons. The back of the envelope states "One pouch of vanilla sugar is equivalent to 1-2 tsps of vanilla extract". So I guess you could make your own by mixing the sugar and the vanilla extract and then adding it to your recipe. Hope this helps!
P.S. The vanilla sugar is made in Canada. I live in Canada and buy it at my local Walmart. It always surprises me when we have something up here that isn't available in the USA!
Karen
You can also make vanilla sugar by adding a vanilla bean shell (after scraping out seeds for use in ice cream, another dessert ... whatever) to a jar of sugar. Just shake the jar every once in a while and within a couple of weeks you'll have a mild vanilla sugar. Or you can scrape the seeds into the sugar as well for a stronger vanilla sugar. (1 vanilla bean per 2 cups sugar) ~ karen!
Kat - the other 1
Thank you! Both of you! I have some vanilla sugar "ripening," I just didn't have any idea how much to use! Lol
Hmm... Two tsps of sugar for a whole loaf of squash bread? Seems a wee bit... well, a wee bit, lol. Now, off to hunt a hokaido...
(Ps. The "notify if someone replies to my comment," has not been working for some weeks now. Just fyi. 🙃)
Kat - the other 1
Introduction to pruning a noodle. I think I read that wrong... O.o
Katy K
I found vanilla sugar at World Market yesterday! It’s 9 grams!
Randy P
I am almost ashamed of how proud I feel to have one of my items make the list..... I said almost -lol After its 16 years of valiant service the garbage truck carried it off to points unknown just the other day. At 74 myself it is unlikely I shall own another item to beat that personal record.
Josephine Dubois
Oh my goodness! You have made me LAUGH OUT LOUD! I love that you say "I am almost ashamed of how proud I feel..." That's just too funny!
Tina
My DIL filled my fridge when my house was built in 2016. That was so kind! She filled it with all sorts of stuff I use…and some fancy chocolates. I hate chocolate. I’ve been meaning to give it away, it was expensive stuff! But now I’m selling my house and moving. Maybe I should leave the chocolate for the next owners?
Jane
I must have read it wrong! You said you "hate chocolate." Is that even possible??!!