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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Bread that's past its best before date is usually fine toasted as long as it hasn't gone mouldy. Another use for stale bread is to make bread sauce - stale bread makes better breadcrumbs than a fresh loaf.

Veggies are chopped and popped into the slow cooker to make a soup with some stock. Easy!

Fruit is chopped and turned into a crumble or baby food for my Twins, I despise throwing food away so will always try to turn it into something edible!

For "dry" food eg bread, biscuits things like that I tend not to look at the best before and judge on appearance instead. Fruit etc you can usual tell if it's ok or not, smoothies are great for using up fruit which is on the turn. Sniffing food like milk and yogurts freaks me out a bit so I tend to get my DH to do it or I just avoid past the use by date!

I only do a food shop every 2 weeks so I often have veg in the fridge that's past its best before end date. I try to meal plan so that things that go bad quickly (corn on the cob, prepacked stirfry veg etc) get used up first, and things with a longer shelf life (root veg, squash etc) wait til the end of the fortnight. But I never manage to use up all my leafy greens in time. I make leftover spring greens / chard / spinach into falafel by blending them with chickpeas, tahini, lemon juice, and seasonings, shaping into balls, and pan frying them.

foods like cheese I use past the date. il use food that maybe a day over and smells/looks fine

Although I look at best buy and use by dates, smelling the food is the best judge of whether it's fit to eat.
Any veg which are looking wilted I might use in a corned-beef hash, as it's tasty and easy to make.
A great way of using stale bread is to make an easy Bread & Butter pudding.

My recipe is 60g soft butter, 6-8 slices of white or brown bread, approx. 100g dried mixed fruit, 4 medium eggs, 300ml carton of double cream, 300ml milk, 75g caster sugar, pinch of mixed spice.
Set the oven to 180°C. Lightly grease medium size oven dish, using some of the butter. Spread the remaining butter over the slices of bread, and cut the bread in halves.. Arrange in the dish.
Sprinkle over and underneath the dried fruit. In a Make custard by beating together the eggs, cream, milk, sugar and mixed spice. (or buy a custard mix) Pour over the bread. Let the bread soak up some of the liquid, then bake the pudding in the centre of the oven for about 45 mins, until it’s a light-golden colour and the custard has set in the centre. A really warming and delicious pudding, and very cheap to make.

If it comes from a tree or under the ground, I don't really take much worry about best before date, if they are stored correctly they will last long after the date on the packet, so I make use of my salad drawer for my carrots, onions and new potatoes, (asparagus is a tricky fellow as it soon looks floppy and sad). If meat is at its best before date, I will put in tin the freezer and leave a post it on the fridge as to when I should take it out and use it.

Tomato soup made with tomatoes past in bb date is lovely, throw in whatever veg is left in the fridge add some chilli powder for a bit of a kick. Cheap and cheerful.

Also I freeze all my brown bananas and when I have enough I make a lovely banana loaf.

Not too sure myself about the difference between best before or best date. Wish it could be clearer. Ham & perishables always I use before the best before but other foods, depending on the state & freshness I will use after best before

Basically the sniff test. If it smells ok then I will eat it. I use black bananas to make banana bread.

We're very relaxed about best before/sell by/use by dates, but we rarely eat meat - I'm a bit fussier about meat!

Tired-looking veg gets made into soup or sauces, or stir fried, depending on what it is. Dairy is always used unless it's obviously gone off - usually mile after any date on the packet. I buy loads of dried pulses, flour, rice, pasta etc and never bother about dates on those!

I generally stick to use by dates, but will sniff milk! Dry bread gets whizzed into breadcrumbs and frozen. Brown squishy bananas get frozen then used in milkshakes.

I've always trusted my own eyes and nose more than any label (BB or UB, doesn't matter which). I've had chicken which has smelt off two days before its BB date. I've had dried foods and jams which are still delicious months after the date. Best tip I have is careful shopping - only buy what you actually need and will use

I like to use leftovers in a good old bubble and squeak.

I use stuff in my fridge in roughly the order it will go off. I keep a regular eye on it so nothing gets too old to use. I'll freeze stuff if I realise I'm not going to get round to eating it in time and eat the stuff that I can't freeeze first. I totally disregard Best before dates and use my own judgement for Use by ones. I have practically zero food waste, just the occasional bread crust or last bit of squelshy cucumber.

I never use meat bags use by but will most other things as long as they look and smell ok. I do float test with eggs if it floats bin it other wise good to eat. Making soup is great for using up vegetables

Cheese and yogurt are ways of preserving milk. If they still look and smell fine I ignore the dates and eat them. Cut off mouldy or slimy bits of cheese and eat the rest. Use dried-out cheese in cooking.

If it passes the sniff test then it gets cooked and eaten! I don’t pay too much mind to dates at all really. If it looks ok and smells ok then I don’t worry!

Bananas past their best make the most amazing and tasty banana bread or. Over them in custard and feed them to the kids

Veg gets turned into a soup or gratin of some kind
Meat/fish/bread stuff gets frozen if it's getting close to sell by date

I ignore most use by and best before dates unless it's something like chicken or pork.

Slightly old bread is still fine for toasting (or bread & better pudding after a sunday roast!).
Veg gets chucked in stews or curries.

Any 'too old to be eaten' salad veg or fruit goes in with our giant african land snails - they like things a bit past their best!

I'm very flexible with best before dates. If it's not mouldy and doesn't smell funky it's fair game.

We freeze meat so it lasts us when we want to use it.

We've recently discovered orzo so our go to meal is 'orzo surprise'; orzo, a bit of pasta and anything else hanging around that needs using up..!

Old bananas in banana bread and old milk into scones!

I make soup with ingredients that are after the best before like tinned vedge and using a good stock. Then use bread to dip it in again also can be eaten after best before. Warmed in the microwave it softens again.

I won't eat meat that is past it's best before date, anything else depends on how it looks and smells. Stale bread is great for bread and butter pudding