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Use by/Best before

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Use by/Best before

Postby Pepper Pig » Thu Apr 23, 2020 4:05 pm


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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Apr 23, 2020 5:16 pm

I read that earlier

I disagree with her slightly on nuts, as I know I don't go through them very fast I keep them in the freezer unless they are for snacking fairly soon, so BB dates are irrelevant

In fact she seems a bit resistant to the idea that you might look after stuff well enough to slow spoiling, my spices and oils are in lightproof cupboards with the doors shut and deteriorate very slowly - in fact storage conditions are really missing from the article.

Don't anyone look at my spices and think the BB dates are relevant - my paprika tins for example were bought in Hungary in 2004, have expiry dates in 2005 ,and are refilled every few months. The tins are sturdy and pretty so I keep them as practical souvenirs. Same with a few other things,

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby jeral » Thu Apr 23, 2020 6:07 pm

Not on the list are olives which catch me out, whether in brine or oiled vac pac ones and whether black or green. I assume they'll last awhile in the fridge but they actually deteriorate surprisingly quickly once opened into very unpleasant sludgy things. As do gherkin-type pickles.

I don't know if blitzing and freezing works as haven't tried it.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby cherrytree » Thu Apr 23, 2020 6:46 pm

I’m rather casual about tinned stuff. I usually comfort myself with those tales of the cans they found years later in Captain Scott’s tent.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby cherrytree » Thu Apr 23, 2020 6:46 pm

I’m rather casual about tinned stuff. I usually comfort myself with those tales of the cans they found years later in Captain Scott’s tent.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Stokey Sue » Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:12 pm

I don't have a big problem with olives - but what has happened to Lidl sandwich gherkins (the lengthwise slices)?
They used to last about 3 months once opened, and now about a week

I'm trying a jar of Mrs Elswood's this time, they are in the fridge but as yet unopened

I think, as with toiletries and pharmaceuticals, it's PAO - period after opening - that counts with a lot of this stuff

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby ChinchillaLady » Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:15 pm

I love Mrs Elswood gherkins and mine seem to last in the fridge for 3/4 weeks (if they dont get eaten in that time) I resort to them when my home made ones run out, that will be very soon now.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby jeral » Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:20 pm

I am normally blasé about tins, although a can of pineapple I took delivery of about a fortnight ago looks like it was kicked around for half an hour like a football. I don't even know how the heck I could open it, so maybe it's better I don't try.

Decanting any left over out of the tin, typically half, is a must though, as not all seem to have that white enamel-type line.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby jeral » Thu Apr 23, 2020 7:24 pm

ChinchillaLady: See, I think that 3/4 weeks is quick. I know my mistake is that brine isn't vinegar like true pickles. Do your home-made ones last longer? Ta.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby ChinchillaLady » Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:13 pm

I am sure they would last longer, we just love them so much. The home-made ones do last longer, I store the jars in a dark cupboard until I open them (I use Kilner Jars) then store them in the fridge, but we do eat through them quickly. I love a pickled gherkin sandwich!

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Lokelani » Thu Apr 23, 2020 9:18 pm

The dented tin advice seems quite strong. I've never complained when supermarkets deliver dented tins. Do others?

I've always used them sooner rather than storing them for long, and checked the condition of the inside of the tin when I open them. Just to check it's not gone rusty or anything. As well as assessing the food itself as best as you can, I thought this was sufficient. Not so sure now!

I've heard the thing about nuts before & don't use packets with a few nuts in if they've been forgotten & open for months, although they are in an airtight container. I have risked quite old nuts though, as long as they've not been opened & still look & smell okay. Rancid is fairly easy to spot & I hope any mould would be visible, otherwise that sounds a bit like russian roulette!

I remember a while ago an article about cured meats, ham etc. saying they could be dangerously off without you being able to detect a smell or change. So if it's only a day or two on something with a date of a month I would maybe just have it in a dish that was heated thoroughly. rather than eat it cold (cooked ham). I would never use slimy bacon, although I do wonder if the cures vary as Waitrose sweetcure maple bacon always arrives well in date & already slightly slimy looking.

I love doing the egg float test, it's so clear. If only everything was that simple to tell. :lol:

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:38 am

The rule of thumb I was brought up with was for fairly small dents to check where the dent in the tin was. If it was on the seam then there was a chance that the seam had been weakened and allowed air in and it should not be used. Otherwise, unless it was a massive dent which could have weakened the tin, it was deemed ok. I'm not even sure that tins still have seams (?).

When my parents were being shown how to run a village shop, long before items had dates on them, they were told it was considered acceptable for a tin to stay on a shelf and be usable for up to 7 years unless it was something acidic like tomatoes. Best before dates are nothing like that and I would eat things long after that date unless it was something acidic.

I have got a tin of curry powder bought in the 70's. It's such a relic and has survived several house moves that I can never bring myself to throw it away. I so rarely use curry powder that I haven't even opened the lid for years. I don't think I would use it.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Badger's Mate » Fri Apr 24, 2020 9:05 am

There are two ways of making tins. Both are still, used afaik. The old way was to make a rectangle and two circles, form a cylinder from the rectangle and the circles made the ends. This gave a seam down one side of the cylinder and around both ends. The more modern way is to punch out a cup shape in one piece and put a circular piece over the open end, this only has a seam around the top. It's easy to tell the difference, just look at the base.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Apr 24, 2020 9:41 am

I was thinking it must be something like that BM because I know they're different. I suppose that any tin is weakened by bashing but that with the more modern manufacturing method, a relatively small dent, if examined carefully first, would be fairly safe.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Stokey Sue » Fri Apr 24, 2020 11:16 am

The only drawback I know to the cup forming is that if the ring pull top fails, you turn it over and there’s no raised rim to lock the can opener on to. Very frustrating

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Earthmaiden » Fri Apr 24, 2020 11:39 am

I agree!!

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby PatsyMFagan » Fri Apr 24, 2020 12:25 pm

Stokey Sue wrote:The only drawback I know to the cup forming is that if the ring pull top fails, you turn it over and there’s no raised rim to lock the can opener on to. Very frustrating


they don't flatten for re-cycling either :thumbsdown

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby Pampy » Fri Apr 24, 2020 1:21 pm

The issue with dents in tins is that the metal could have been perforated (even only very slightly and invisible to the naked eye) which would expose the contents to air and cause spoilage.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby jeral » Fri Apr 24, 2020 2:01 pm

It's good that cans with rounded bases are usually stackable.

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Re: Use by/Best before

Postby karadekoolaid » Sat Apr 25, 2020 12:46 am

With the spices, I disagree. I keep mine, whole, in a closed cupboard, and/or in the fridge. They last for well over a year. I grind spices when I need them.
With the nuts - mine are always in the freezer. A bite of one or two will tell you when they´re rancid. That´s when you ditch them.
I keep jams, chutneys and hot sauces outside the fridge. Never had any problems yet - unless someone dips a dirty spoon into them.My mum made loads of jam every year. Any mould on top got scraped off, then we ate the rest.
I use very little tinned food, so there´s a very tiny chance it will go off, or past its sell by date.
Olives should last for ages - they´re brined thoroughly and (again) the only thing I´ve seen damage them is a dirty spoon.

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