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Questions about out of date food

5 replies

coatsandats · 02/10/2018 14:20

I hate wasting things and I also am trying to use up some freezer and cupboard stuff. I have a few questions that I'm hoping some wise MNers can help with...

Out of date flour. Ok to use? I can't see any weevils. This stuff is gluten free, if that makes any difference.

Frozen pork/lamb/chicken. These would be unopened packets frozen when I realised they would go off before I could use them fresh. Unlikely to have been frozen day of purchase and have definitely been frozen for more than one month. Probably ok or not?

Feel free to add your own questions or info.
About 95% of my food waste is due to me not knowing the real-world rules about what's safe or not. Assume that might be true for some others so extra posts on this thread could be useful.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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AppleKatie · 02/10/2018 14:31

Both ok I reckon.

Food that’s been frozen too long changes texture when cooked- so you’ll know about it before you eat it. It’s not nice but not dangerous.

Flour with no weavils is fine in my book.

Disclaimer: not a doctor and no real knowledge this is just what I would/do do...

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maxelly · 02/10/2018 15:05

Yup I would use both providing no untoward smells or weird discolouration...

Frozen meat will tend to degrade in quality if frozen for more than a month (get freezer burnt etc) so that's why it's not recommended but it should be perfectly safe to eat providing it wasn't bad when it went in (not on day of purchase is OK if it was fridged in the meantime) and you defrost and cook it properly. You may find the texture a bit off so I would use it in a stew or something similar.

Flour lasts forever in my book providing those pesky weevils don't get in!

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maxelly · 02/10/2018 15:08

One I'm never certain about is things in jars, especially jam but also peanut butter, nutella etc. Are you meant to keep them in the fridge or the cupboard once opened? The fridge seems to give them a weird texture and stop them spreading but then they seem to go bad quickly in the cupboard and I end up having to bin? Do I just need to eat my jam more quickly??

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user187656748 · 02/10/2018 15:11

I'm a low level prepper.

I have meat which goes into the freezer on the BBE date and stays in there for a good 6-12 months with no issues in quality. Until that point the problems only come when its been exposed and is freezer burnt IME.

Flour I'd be fine with if it looks pest free but if its self raising it might need a raising agent.

Jam peanut butter etc I'd keep for years until opened but once opened Id keep in the fridge.

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coatsandats · 02/10/2018 16:34

Thanks, this is all really helpful!

Very good to know about adding more raising agents to out of date self raising flour.

malkey If you don't do this already, I find jam keeps much longer if you are rigorous about only ever using clean spoons/knives with it. It tends to be the crumb and butter residue that go mouldy first.

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