Mustard is still good. I would bet the horseradish is still good also, just not as potent
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Food expiration dates refer to quality, not safety. If it still smells and tastes good to you there's no need to throw most stuff out.
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I despise food waste as well. I have switched to composting what I can. When it comes to herbs like cilantro, I will add it to a soup stock, or cut up potatoes, carrots, etc and add the herbs to the pan and oven roast it, I feel like I am at least getting a use out of them this way.Comment
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PJ,,,,I didn’t see Coors Lite in the junk pile,,,🤣🤣🤣Comment
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I never throw away any condiments.
They just seem to not be there anymore.
Always seems to happen after hearing my wife mumble something about me being a food hoarder. 🤷🏼Comment
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Publix always has BOGO sales every week, so it's hard to resist not grabbing something for free. I also write the expiration date in magic marker on unopened shelf-stable items so it's easy to see in the cupboard. When something is around six or eight weeks out, I donate it to a food bank.
Last edited by N227GB; May 25, 2023, 02:11 PM.Comment
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John, this may have already be answered ... but I use and recommend Cento Tomato Paste in a tube. As far as not wasting herbs (both home grown and store bought), peppers, mushrooms, tomatoes, and other good stuff (and in keeping the the Pit's MCS tradition), you really need one of these, my friend:
I use mine several times per month and I calculate (especially when justifying to SWMBO) that it's already paid for itself.Comment
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I wholeheartedly agree! Throwing food away sucks so I do what I can to try to save it.
Tomato Paste
I rarely use this and when I do it's 1/4 to 1/2 of the small can. Take whatever is left, portion it out to tablespoons and freeze it.
Cilantro
I like this method of keeping cilantro for a long time in the fridge. I haven't stretched it a month but 2-3weeks easy, just keep the leaves out of the water and change it once it starts looking brown. The only down side is it kind of takes up a lot of space.
Once you bring your cilantro home, remove the rubber band holding the bunch together — leaving it on the stems will cause them to break down and decay faster. Then, place them upright in a clean glass or jar filled with an inch of water, as you would a bouquet of flowers. Loosely cover the leaves with an upside-down plastic bag and pop it in the fridge. Storing cilantro this way will keep it fresh for as long as a month — just make sure to occasionally refresh the water in the jar.
Sauces
Like others have said, I think stuff like BBQ sauce, Hoisin and mustards are fine well after the date.At least a year.
Tartar Sauce
Make your own, it's so easy.
Salad / Lettuce
I can't even find decent looking lettuce anymore much less have it last more than a couple days.
Carrots, Celery, Onion, Garlic
If I have any that is just past their prime I throw them in the freezer to make stock with later.
I haven't got into the compost thing yet but I'm thinking I should start.Comment
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Cooking for two really isn't any better than for one, unless you look at it as a percentage.. If I am cooking something that only uses half of can (tomato paste) for a pasta sauce, I usually just double the sauce recipe and vac seal/freeze the left overs with the date/what is with a marker (only took me 40yrs to figure that markers are useful). Some stuff freezes well and other stuff not so well.Comment
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What a timely post for me, Panhead John . Just yesterday I went through my large walk-in pantry and two refrigerators and culled it from everything that was out of date; 90% was condiments. 3 trash bags filled to the maximum weight I could heft into the garbage, which is maybe half a bag full. Due to my accident, my cooking was KO'd for several months, so I wasn't using my stock foods the way I normally do. It about killed me to throw out so much.
But at least I'm starting fresh and telling myself that I still get a discount with BOGO even if I only buy one.
I have much less food waste now that I'm using curbside ordering. It forces me to check to see what I have before I click "checkout" instead of relying on my memory when I'm in the store. Even when shopping for only the two of us, it's a huge savings. That said, I still go into the store to choose my own fresh produce before driving around to the curbside parking spot to pick up the rest of my groceries.
KathrynLast edited by fzxdoc; May 26, 2023, 05:21 AM.Comment
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Panhead John I have never thrown out horseradish. I’ve ran out of it many times but have never had to throw it out.
There are many delicious uses for it. Here are just a few.
Mix in with mayonnaise for a kicked up BLT.
Mix equal parts mayonnaise, ketchup and horseradish for a great burger topping, French fry condiment or tator tot dip.
Straight from the jar as a topping for a shredded smoked chuck roast sandwich.
Mix in with egg salad for a sandwich with zing.
Add some to macaroni salad or potato salad to take it to a new level.
It’s delicious mixed into hummus.
I’ll mix it into mustard for a great hot dog topping.
Mix equal parts mayonnaise, Dijon mustard and horseradish and spread it over a cod filet then dust with Panko bread crumbs for the best oven baked cod you’ll ever eat.
Slice up some garden fresh tomatoes and top with horseradish, chopped basil and balsamic vinegar.
Horseradish is delicious with pickled or roasted beets.
Apple cider vinegar, olive oil, horseradish, honey, salt and pepper make an incredible salad dressing.
Also horseradish has many incredible health benefits. I figure with all the bad food I eat, eating horseradish when I can might counter balance the garbage I put into my body.Comment
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All those uses and ssandy_561 didn’t even mention gefilte fish.
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I feel your pain.Originally posted by Panhead John View PostI know I’m not the only one with this dilemma, but it’s especially hard for being a single person. I know… it’s hard to believe I’m single! 🙄 Just today I was going through my fridge checking to see if I had tartar sauce for a cook tonight. I did have some…..Best By Nov 22…🤬 There’s so many things I buy and use only occasionally. Don’t get me started on cilantro! Every single time I’ve ever bought cilantro, I’ve always wound up throwing away at least 1/2 of it, if not more. Horseradish? I don’t remember the last time I’ve used a full bottle before having to throw it out. Yesterday I bought another bagged salad mix… I know I’ll wind up throwing most of away…..it replaced the one I bought a few weeks ago, and just threw out half of it yesterday. Tomato paste? I buy the smallest can possible and still throw out most of it because most recipes don’t call for much. If I had all the celery I’ve had to throw away over the years, it’d probably stretch out to the Louisiana border.
When you only cook for one, it’s pretty hard to use a lot of things before the Expiration or Best Buy dates. Anyway, after checking my fridge for tartar sauce a while ago, I started checking for anything else that was expired…some was just a few months, but most of it was a year or two. Here’s what I had to toss……
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