tiny bit of mould...should i chuck it???

[mummysurfer]

just checked on a jar of tomato pesto that i opened 2/3 weeks ago. it's been kept in the fridge but has one bit of mould on the rim. the pesto looks fine.
green pesto i opened ages ago looks fine.
question is... do i chuck it or use it.

I'd use it - but then I'm a slut with things like that. Unless it's actually smelling/tasting nasty, I just scrape the mould off and use it.

Next time, pur a wee layer of olive oil on the top. Do the same with the green pesto. Protects it - and is one of the "normal" ingredients anyway.

I'm with JanZ; scrape it off and tuck in.

I'm forever ignoring BB dates on yoghurts etc.

I'm with the others - the oil will have protected the rest.

thanks, this is just what i wanted you to say. no extra trip to asda then

i would go ahead and eat it too...and I'm a nutritionist

Really, gloworm? I have to say that I would have tossed it if it was me, so I'm interested that you say that.

... penicillin is mould!

Seriously though, the only things I am more careful about are meat (although smell is a good indicator!) and eggy things.

Like sooz31, I frequently ignore "Best before" dates (ie it would havebeen BETTER before, but still...) and will use coomon sense in going a day or two beyond "use by" dates (eg has it been stored properly).

kate...i would be more careful about meat/milk etc, or food that had been left out in warm weather, or if it had lots of mould. i guess i just go by smell etc and if in doubt would throw it out.

mummysurfer's pesto sounded ok to me (but who knows!) let us know if you're off colour tomorrow!!

kate...i would be more careful about meat/milk etc, or food that had been left out in warm weather, or if it had lots of mould. i guess i just go by smell etc and if in doubt would throw it out.

mummysurfer's pesto sounded ok to me (but who knows!) let us know if you're off colour tomorrow!!

IMO best before dates were a concept invented by a marketing department eager to get you to throw out perfectly good food and replace it with NEW food, for no good reason. Anyway, the recent reports on supermarket chicken show you can't completely trust them anyway. I use the 'sniff test' on everything, including things like yogourt a week after use by. We don't get tummy bugs and stuff, ever.

I'd chuck it - I know that if I used it I wouldn't be able to bring myself to actually eat it!

I read recently that surface mould is an indication of what is happening throughout the product, so skimming off the top layer isn't much use. Not sure how true that is, though.

the mould wasn't in contact with the remaining pesto. it was right at the top of the jar, on the side, growing on the dried bits that i wouldn't have used anyway,the jar is only half full(or is it half empty??)
i'll let you know if i survive, not telling dh, he would chuck it, but then he wouldn't put 2 kids in the car to go & buy some more, he'd order a atke-away

I'd chuck it, then order the take-away