Best Before Dates

[Fallowdeerhunter]

I’ve got quite a store of tinned stuff and going through it a lot of it seems to have BB dates not long in the future - less than a year. Do I have to replenish these every year (expensive and massive food waste) or will they be ok. Also stands for dried food such as pasta and noodles

if you are not going to use it you could send it to the food bank. otherwise probably best to stick to those things you will eat. or a relative will eat. ex is eating up our rice pudding. I like it but often cba to open a tin and heat it up. we have not been able to get more recently so he has been greatful for our cast offs.

pasta lasts ages past bbd. as do Christmas puddings. I would use tomatoes a couple of months past bbd as they start off as a couple of years. I tend to use stuff in proportion to the original length of time.

If you don't like I'd give it away.
I eat past bbe dates but rotate my store as it's stuff we use.

What's going off? Perhaps we could help with recipes you'd like?

Tinned potatoes for example, thanks to this forum I slightly squash and fry in garlic to have as a side with curry. Absolutely delicious.

Why haven't you used this stuff in the couple of years you've had it sat in a cupboard & replaced it with newer tins which would then have longer dates on them?

Buy what you eat, eat what you store.

If I'm making, for example, spag Bol I buy tinned tomatoes, pasta etc but use the tins in the cupboard and replace with the stuff I bought. Hope that makes sense. Use the pasta/noodles you have but buy more to replace.
It's generally a bad idea to have a cupboard stocked with food you don't eat for this very reason. My stuff is all things that I will eat over the year even if it's something I only have once a month. Eg tinned fruit. I then buy new to replace it as it has a longer shelf life.

Because I don’t really eat anything tinned - apart from beans! I’m not a very frugal shopper or cook unfortunately

@Snugglepumpkin I’m not sure steaks, sea bass, asparagus and crab store well long term!

If you eat like that I'm surprised you're concerned about the expense of a few tins.

Chuck them at the food bank before they go by date and replace.

You can get tinned asparagus and crab.

Tinned food. I have eaten years out of date (because an elderley relative had a well stocked store cupboard but no longer needs) If tin all intact and on opening smells looks OK I will use but always have an alternative available just in case food off in tin. So far never had a problem. Friut,meat veg. As for pasta/rice again have used long past use by date.

Have never taken much notice of bbd other than when buying but have eaten past date by just thinking logically, ie smell, look no rust bulging or dents on cans

@LetsBounce doesn’t mean I feel happy throwing food away as a. Environment and b. People going without food. I’ll try and remember the dates and get it down to a food bank in time.

If you actually have the finances to do so, skip regular tins from the supermarket & buy the real prepper freeze dried meals.
You buy it now & forget about it until 2045.
No rotation of stocks to worry about & over that length of time it would work out cheaper than constantly wasting endless tins.
It's very lightweight & will take up less space.

A little over £400 will get you a 3 month supply of one main meal a day per person.
About £1300 (per person) will get you a 3 month supply of food including breakfast, lunch dinner & dessert you can then shove it in the garage & think about something else.
You can even get Gluten free packs (£200 for approx 44 portions of main meal)

Obviously, most people have a combination of longer life & tinned (i.e. 2 to 5 year shelf life) because they do eat preserved foods & you can't get everything freeze dried unless you buy your own freeze drier.

I ate a can of mandarin oranges the other day with a bbdate of 2016! They were fine, delicious and I’m still here :)