*Cold Cuts: Only good for 2 days after purchase, then they get tossed.
*Milk: Milk gets tossed three days before the expiration date posted on carton.
*Leftovers: Only good for a maximum of 36-48 hours after cooking the food.
*Eggs: I don't eat them within 3 days before the expiration date posted on carton.
*Cream Cheese/Butter/Cheeses: Gets discarded 7 days before date posted.
*Salad Dressings/Mayonaise: Gets tossed 3 weeks-1 month before posted date.
*Orange Juice: Gets tossed 4-7 days before posted date.
*Potato Chips/Snacks: I'll eat up until about 3 days before expiration.
*Soda: I'll drink up until about a week before the posted date.
*Meat: I will only eat it up to 2 days after purchase if it's not frozen.
Toss That Shit Out!
I NEVER reheat anything more than once. I am kind of obsessed about getting groceries into the refrigerator and freezer in a hurry after food shopping. If I cook something and want to save any leftovers, I NEVER let it sit out at room temperature for more than like 15 minutes.
Many times I'll buy and use fresh stuff even though I already have it at home and it is well within the expiration date windows I have set. It's kind of a compulsion. At any given time I can have 4 or 5 of the same salad dressings open in the fridge because I hate eating things that are already open. I always want a fresh bottle. I do the same with cream cheese, sour cream, milk, and other dairy products. I always want "new", not one that's already open. Pretty bad huh?
I was once at a girlfriend's house back in 2003 having dinner with her, her twin sister, her sister's boyfriend and some of her family members. They put out salad dressing that had a 09/01/01 expiration date on it. The sister's boyfriend was reaching for it and I was trying to signal him without everyone catching on. I couldn't get his attention, he along with a bunch of others ate it, I was so grossed out!!!! I am always looking at expiration dates.
What's your expiration date policy?
23 comments:
just this weekend I drank sour milk, even though the expiration date had not yet passed. Go figure
Congrats on the new addition to the blog, Doll! Jam of the Day...fantastic.
I'm funny about expiration dates too, but you know they put those on there before the food actually will expire to cover their own asses... When I was working in a drug store, we threw stuff out 2 months before it expired to cover our asses, but there is still a certain grace period.
3 year old salad dressing? ICK. (Whoops, there's the word of my week again...)
I check all expirations dates.Milk can be used for certain things on 1 or 2 days before expiration as long as it smells okay. I'm talking about for cooking purposes but to drink at least 3 or 4 days before. As far as the other stuff, I take it as it comes. I never quite put it in the same type of prepective. just play it by ear.(and date)
It must take you forever at the store. I throw it out when its expired. My middle son has the same policy as you so he keeps me on my toes!!!!!
I'm an odd one, since I don't drink regular milk - I keep soy milk in my fridge, and that stuff only stays there for one week. I even sharpie the day I open it so I can remember to throw it out. All meat/poultry is immediately taken home, rinsed and re-packaged in individual servings for me (I cook for myself, as my roommate is vegitarian), marked with the date packaged, the type of marinade used, and put into the freezer. The only thing I go through a lot of is produce, since I constantly have fresh kiwis, salad fixings, plums, blueberries and strawberries on hand. Usually a day before they start to soften, I throw them in the blender (the berries, of course) for a smoothie. Oh, and my salad dressing comes from a farmer's market, and since it doesn't have any preservatives, I only keep it for 2 months before its done with.
Sorry, long-winded today.
okay this *Cold Cuts: Only good for 2 days after purchase, then they get tossed. is a little excessive in my book...
Yeah, you'd hate me. I have somethings in my fridge that I'm scared to open. Like for example, the potato salad that has been there since the Mayflower sailed to America. In this instance, I wait until Tuesday to toss it since that's garbage day and will then have limited opportunity to make my garbage can smell like ass.
I don't like to eat food that's already been "opened" either, but I usually forget about it and it sits in the fridge. Generally, my rule is, "if it smells, don't eat it."
hahahah Jenni, the Mayflower....
ERL, cold cuts get slimey after 2 days, nasty
All of you crack me up.
So I'm not the only one with a little OCD going on, but I'm not as bad as you. I don't toss things way before their expiration date. LOL. Paranoid much?
No seriously, I'm the same. That's why I only use oil & vinegar, never buy dressings of any kind. I like things fresh too, and I never eat left overs for more than one day. My mom yells at me for being wasteful all the time. LOL.
Hey, my OCD worked in our favor last night at trivia. One of my teammates even accused the trivia guy of fueling my OCDness because of those questions.
And yay me!
I'm kind of a split personality on this, I guess. I will not touch milk/yogurt/eggs/meat the day before the experation date, but I'm like Jenni when it comes to leftovers. There is some spaghetti (at least that's what I think it is...) that's been sitting in the rear corner of my 'fridge for at least two months. I'm afraid to touch it.
anonymous here....great topic....definately with you on the milk and dairy products. I have wasted so much money on food over the years. Now i am forced to visit the grocery store at least three times a week cause nothing beats fresh!!!!!!!!! Avocados are a one day event....there's alot of food that's only good for one day did you ever notice that?
bananas are good for like a fuckin hour....
ROTFLMAO......anonymous here...good one charlie about the banana's.....hey but they have that electric refrigeration machine (sharper image catalogue)for fruit which makes last about two weeks....really works!......kiwi is another one. learned from cooking class.....don't wash ANY berry until right before you use it....that really works too....they don't go bad as quickly.
I once took cold medicine 13 months after it expired. Is that bad? ;)
I don't stress that much over it (though I doubt many people stress *that* much over it, C!) but stuff goes into the trash right before it expires. Or near when it has already expired. Or once I find it in the back of the fridge and it smells funny. Or once it turns green and blue. Yeah, I don't really stress about it.
Charlie, why didn't you say a damn word about the way-expired salad dressing that everyone ate, back in 2003 with an ex-GF??
I don't know if it's the same rule in the U.S. than here in Canada but the expiration dates are based on when the product will START loosing its "full potential" when placed under the worst conditions possible.
i.e. A milk liter that would sit on the counter for an hour each morning, etc.
Did you have a traumatic childhood experience with bad food? Little extreme there C-Mac, don't ya think?
I'm with Jenni on this one, mainly because I'm not home enough to eat what I have or clean out my fridge. Reminds me I think I have a two-week old green bean caserole I have to toss....
you would NOT want to come check out my fridge...i should put that yellow hazard tape in a big X on the doors...
Hahahaha! Good topic, Charlie.
I'm very similar when it comes to expiration date issues. After getting food poisoning (and not from MY food!), I'm just alot more conscientious about stuff like that and need leaving perishables out for very long, etc. And I throw stuff out about a day before the expiration date usually.
The way to find out all about someone is to take a peek into their fridge.
I had a cleaning lady who used to clean mine for me. She's also clean it out. Aaaah. That was the life. She totally got how anal I was.
XOXO
C
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