Mumsnet users share tips and recipes for using up food with Sainsbury's

[EllieMumsnet]

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‘Best before’, ‘use by’, ‘display until’…many of us are confused about what the dates on food labels really mean, and whether it’s safe to eat food that has passed the deadline. Sainsbury’s is on a mission to get to the bottom of this confusion and bust the myth that you can’t use food past its ‘best before’ date, therefore they would love you to share your top tips and recipes for using up food which has passed its ‘best before’ deadline.

Here’s what Sainsbury’s has to say: “We know that there is a lot of confusion between ’best before’ and ’use by’ dates, which is why are working with Mumsnet to dispel the myths about food date labels and to stop food from being thrown away that is still good to eat. After we found out through a previous Mumsnet thread that many of you throw away food that is past its ‘best before’ date, we created the below video to encourage people to rethink and make sure their food doesn’t end up in the bin”

Do you use the smell test on food that’s passed it’s ‘best before’ date and if it smells fine do you think it’s then it’s ok to be eaten? Have you got any easy recipes that are your go-to’s for using up food? Or maybe there are certain foods which you know will be fine past their ‘best before’?

Take a look at the video and share with us your top tips and recipes for using food which has gone past its ‘best before’ dates to be entered into a prize draw where one MNer will win a £300 Sainsbury’s voucher.

Thanks and good luck!
MNHQ

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I try to make sure food gets eaten before it reaches that point, but my best ways of using things past their best before is -

Vegetables - soup
Fruit - smoothies
Bread - bread and butter pudding or breadcrumbs

I agree with others here, the freezer is your friend in reducing food waste. Love the bread and butter pudding idea. My top tip is that I break up bananas that are going off and freeze them. They can then go into smoothies, or simply be blended up alone to make healthy and delicious creamy banana ice cream!

I freeze it the day before it goes out of date.

If it’s past it’s best before and smells OK I would still use it. I wouldn’t use meat, fish or dairy products past their date though but this rarely happens as I stick to a shopping list and buy only what I need. If I have lots of vegetables I will put them in a soup or casserole to use them up. Extra portions go in the freezer for the future.

We made a very nice bread and butter pudding type thing with hot crossed buns past their use by date. I think as long as things look and smell fine they usually are. And things like flour and herbs and spices are good way after their dates

I do the same as my mother and grandmother and use my nose and eyes. If meat, or fish is off you can smell it, if bread is mouldy you can see it.
Bread that is just stale can, as others have posted, make croutons or bread and butter pudding. Cheese can have mould cut off and hard cheese can be grated for cooking. Most jams and sauces are fine in the fridge long after their best before dates.
Soft tomatoes are fine in casseroles and overripe soft fruit can be stewed.

I don't pay much attention to dates. They're a guideline that's all. I buy reduced veg and fruit, prepare it and freeze it, so stir fry or roast the veg, chop and stew the fruit.

I save money by being 'one of those' who hangs about at the correct time for the reductions on veg, fruit bread and other stuff.
Cheese freezes well. Bread freezes well. I'll buy slightly sad looking veg and make it into soup with lentils, or a morocco stew.

Stir fry. I smell food. If it's ok, I cook it. I chop out bad bits, then cook it all up. Or put it into pasta sauce.. delicious. And no waste!

I find dairy is usually fine a few days passed its sell by date. Same with fruit and veg. I’m a bit funy about stale bread however! Soups, crumbles, chillis and curries are my go to for using up fruit/veg. I make paneer with milk that needs using up.

Like others, I go more by smell than the date printed. For example today I had some lovely Gorgonzola that claimed to have “expired” in January for lunch.

Slightly tired veg goes into a curry sauce, or gets roasted for a pasta sauce. Eggs, you know if it’s off as soon as you crack the shell, and I have only had 1 bad egg in 50years. I am more fussy with chicken and fish, but again my nose lets me know if it needs to be binned.

Things like ham, bacon, or anything in slices, go into a Tupperware pot. I have a multi layered one so I can have ham and smoked salmon without tainting the ham.

As others have said, if at all possible, don't let it get to that stage - bell peppers and celery can be chopped up and frozen with no need to blanche.
Pulses need to be soaked for extra long if they are old, but should otherwise be fine unless you live in a damp house.
Divide things up before freezing rather than having to defrost more than you can use.
My other top tip is - for things that must be used within x days of opening - write on the packet when you opened it so you know whether it is still ok to eat.

I also have a whiteboard where I write the use-by dates of perishables as they go in the fridge - I try to write it in date order so we don't miss things that are about to go off. (you leave gaps obvs so you can add stuff with shorter dates and wipe things off the list when used)
Sort your store cupboard by date order too so the newer stuff is at one end. I reckon putting the new stuff at the left and the stuff to be used at the right is easier than trying to work front-to-back.

Banana bread/ fruit puddings and soups are how we try to use up out for date foods in our house

Soups are a great way of using veg - adding lentils and chicken chunks for a hearty winter soup. Shops get rid of so many bags of veg which may have the odd bit that needs removing but still worth buying. I grate bread crumbs from bread past its best and freeze to use as toppng on mac n cheese etc. Bananas make great smoothies too

Fruit goes into a crumble, and veg usually becomes soup. I check the fridge a couple of times a week and freeze any meat that is approaching it's date, unless it's going to be used that day.

Veg that's gone past its Best Before is usually fine in a chilli.

We're pretty good at not buying much more than we need, and using things in an order that means they don't go over.

However bananas seem to be the exception of that. I tend to make banana bread with those.

We are happy to use products after the best before date, but to be honest we rarely do because we tend to only buy food that we need so it is generally used in within the best before time.

The only food we buy that we may have for over a week are fruit and vegetables and i never rely of dates for these, but simply use sight/smell, but even vegetables that look slightly old, can still be used in stews, soups and pies.

If we do buy fresh meat, such as chicken breasts or pork chops, in large packs, we split into individual portions and freeze until the day they are needed.

I use common sense when it comes to food past its use by date. For instance jars of pesto have a very long shelf life, so I wouldn't hesitate to use them for some months after their BBD, similarly things like lentils and rice I would use up.

For fresh foods such as eggs and vegetables I make things like frittata or sformata to use them up, useful as the vegetables need to be chopped up, also cheesy pasta bakes are a good way of using up veg and cheese rather than throwing them out, and vegetables au gratin are useful standbys too, especially in the severe weather conditions so many of us are experiencing at the moment.

We tend to ignore best before and only use ‘use by’ for meat and dairy. Even then, we check by sight and smell.

Stirfrys and soups are our way of using up old veg. With fruit I tend to chuck stuff into my porridge in the morning as the riper it is the better.

We tend to use up most of our food.

We eat everything past the use by date so long as it smells ok. We make soups a lot out of veg that’s on its last legs. Or big pots of curry/casserole to use up left over bits then whack it in the freezer.

Meat and fish I am more careful with, but everything else I use my eyes and nose. Sad tired veg goes into soup/fritters or bhajis etc.
Old fruit like squidgy bananas can be used in smoothies.
I rarely thow leftovers away. Leftover bolognaise can be turned into pasties or individual cottage pies.

Make a lovely big soup with any bendy vegetables. Chuck in some lentils if it needs bulking out a bit.

I use best before as a guide. I always make a quick veggie pasta bake that does lunches for a few days to use up veg before it goes unusable.

I pretty much ignore best before dates, except I've realised baking powder doesnt work after a while! Dp complains when i say something 'needs eating' as it might end up a strange combo. Omlettes are good for using up random veg/ cheese, as are soups and curries. I hate food waste. I do the water test for eggs - if an egg floats in a jug of water it's off, if it sinks it's fine. I've often tested eggs a week after their use by date and they've been fine.

Plenty of fruit will live beyond its date when kept in the fridge - even bananas. When they are getting a bit squishy put them into puddings or with bananas mash them into toast - yum. Don’t eat most fruit them if they are discoloured and stay well away from anything fluffy!