AIBU to sugest you have things in your food cupboards you will never/eat use?

[RoseRedder]

I had the 'tidy' of food cupboards yesterday

I had 8 tins of soup in a flavour I no longer enjoy

8 tins of creamed rice

5 beans and 5 hoops I won't use in the next 2 months (have loads more)

Pears, peaches and several sauces I bought to make stuff like fatijas but never

Instead of binning them I took them to the local foodbank (sally army)

Mentioning this in case anyone fancies doing similiar

A old bottle of unopened ouzo...

Oh now you have started talking about booze that reminds me that last Autumn I had a clear out of what we laughingly call our "cocktail cabinet." Basically it is a small cupboard that forms part of the unit we have in our living room. I needed to empty it so we could move it for decorating.

As I took the stuff out I realised it was full of all kinds of weird shit that we would never, ever drink - not even on a very irresponsible night when the wine has run out. Some of it had not even been opened. You know the kind of thing - bottles you bought on holiday for a novelty, bottle stall prizes. There was something DH got in a hamper once before DD was born and she has just turned 18!

I decided there was no point putting it all back again we might as well ditch it, but this was hardly the stuff to give to someone unfortunate.

Instead I tipped it all down the sink - which gave the kitchen a very disreputable aroma for several hours afterwards and had DD looking suspiciously at me when she got in from school.

I wish there was stuff in my cupboards we'd never use, they are depressingly empty at the moment, there's enough to survive til payday but no spare food at all and no alcohol.

I am moving soon and will have to consolidate (smaller kitchen).

A packet of neopolitan ice cream space food. Been in there for six years and I'm not allowed to move it let alone throw it away. We have perfectly good ice cream in the freezer but apparently that isn't the point as "that isn't what astronauts eat". My DH is 38.

scantilymad Has he ever had any? It is foul! I bought some for stocking fillers from Hawkins a few years back. Bleugh!!!

I don't think he ever has! He refuses to open it incase we ever "need" it in an emergency?? Goodness knows what apocalyptic event needs to happen before I can get rid!

A tin of Stag brand beef chilli that DH brought with him when we moved in, use by date; 2007. DH is convinced that's 'it's still fine'.

I make a point of 'eating down' the cupboards and the freezer every few weeks to avoid this scenario. It can be a bit of an exciting challenge trying to work out how to use up those strange items!

DH insists on having 'emergency' tins of rice pudding in the cupboard...every few years we realise they've gone out of date, chuck them out, a few weeks later he'll replace them because 'you never know when you might need some!'. We've lived here for 9 years and I can remember eating rice pudding maybe 3 times and none of them were in emergencies! None of us even particularly like rice pudding!

Pearl barley.That is very old in a dusty jar....

Does anyone know what to do with that?

We pretty much use what we buy, but good on you, op, for thinking of doing some good with your excess.

If it's not antique, I put a handful of pearl barley in soups and pottages.

Other than hot sauce and black pepper that may not get finished I have 2 cans of tuna, teabags and a packet of 3 flapjacks in the cupboard. So for me yabu.

It's only a few years old, and I reckon that sort of thing pretty much lasts forever.

Soups it is then !

Don't you have to boil pearl barley for about an hour before you can use it? I don't think you can just sling it in with no pre-planning.

I've got some. Put it on to boil, went to watch something I had recorded on tele, spent next three days trying to restore the pan after I let it boil dry and all the wretched stuff burnt on. (Coca-cola works quite well incidentally)

Soak it in boiling water whilst you chop the vegetables and stuff, it takes about 20 minutes. I add puy lentils to soup straight off, but barley does need a bit of prep. I like the extra texture it gives, unlike rice.

I love barley. Watch the liquid level in stews though because even if you've pre-cooked it like mothra said, it soaks more liquid up so you might need to add a drop more.

I am now enthused to use it!

You make orzotto with pearl barley. There's a recipe for one in How To Eat.