Questions specifically about the expected shelf life of a food item.
6
votes
1answer
2k views
At what point should carrots be thrown away?
We tend to buy a big bag of carrots from the supermarket (mainly because it's cheaper than a small bag), but usually these are starting to go soft halfway through the week. My current rule of thumb ...
6
votes
1answer
6k views
How long can I store cooked lentils?
I love lentils mixed with onions, spinach and tuna in the morning, unfortunately I am having a really hard time finding cheap canned lentils in my area. So I wonder, if I cook a big batch of dried red ...
6
votes
2answers
3k views
Can I store extra pizza dough in fridge?
I kneaded some pizza dough and it turned out that I have done this double the amount I wanted to. This is my first time. Can I store this dough in fridge? And for how many days?
6
votes
1answer
2k views
How long does unrefrigerated shredded cheese last?
I left an unopened package of shredded mozarella cheese out unrefrigerated last night after going grocery shopping, and found it today, 16 hours later. Should I toss it?
5
votes
5answers
15k views
omelettes and scrambled eggs - How long can I store them?
Is it a good idea to keep make a lot of them and keep them in the refrigerator? I like them for breakfast but I don't like cooking every morning. For how long I can keep them?
5
votes
2answers
2k views
How to store flour
Someone gave us two 25kg bags of flour.
Which is kind, but we're not too sure how to store them in usable quantities. My other half went out a bought a load of plastic tupperware-type containers, ...
5
votes
7answers
6k views
Does golden syrup 'go off'?
I had a tin of golden syrup for a long time - longer than I care to admit. When I opened it up yesterday (to sweeten up some mulled wine), it was granular (a bit like honey can be), and black around ...
5
votes
2answers
87 views
Will dried buttermilk react with other ingredients in dry mix with oil, stored in fridge?
I would like to make a (dry) pancake mix in a large batch, and then store it in the fridge. I have done this before with no problem, and would now like to do the same thing, but add dried buttermilk. ...
5
votes
2answers
186 views
long term wine storage
I'm planning storing some wine over a long period of time. I'm not sure about the exact duration, but I'm thinking of either 25 or 50 years.
What should be taken into consideration? Here's a list of ...
5
votes
3answers
416 views
How to make cakes/scones that won't go off, for display purposes
This is a bit of a strange question, but I thought someone here might be able to help.
I am trying to make some cupcakes, scones or similar to display on a home-made cake stand in a shop window. I ...
5
votes
5answers
5k views
How long does fresh parsley keep in the fridge?
How long does fresh parsley stay good if kept in a refrigerator?
5
votes
1answer
420 views
What mechanism causes a butter crock to function better than other options?
How does a butter crock work better than a plastic or ceramic butter dish?
I can see how the water and stoneware would slow the butter's response to ambient temperature fluctuations. But after a ...
5
votes
2answers
1k views
frozen blueberries kept thawed
Had a couple bags of frozen blueberries. Put them in the fridge to thaw. They've been in the fridge for several weeks. Can I still cook with them?
5
votes
3answers
25k views
How long will homemade salad dressing stay good in the fridge?
How long can I keep salad dressings that I made?
Since this is probably affected by what it's made up of, let's say we're talking about different salad dressings made from a combination of the ...
5
votes
1answer
1k views
how long is tofu good for?
I bought some tofu at the store about a month ago (or was it two months?). Anyway, I haven't eaten it all and it's sitting in my fridge in tupperware. How long is it good for?
5
votes
1answer
2k views
Can I store suet or home-rendered tallow at room temperature for a year?
This weekend I will be in possession of 100 lbs of beef suet (which I'll be getting from a butcher friend) and plan to render it into tallow. I can't even begin to imagine exactly what this amount of ...
5
votes
2answers
345 views
How long does a pack of raw, dried Indian papad keep once opened?
How long does a pack of raw, dried Indian papad keep once it's opened? There's a best before date on the pack, but it's not mentioned how long they keep once it's opened. The ones I have are the ...
5
votes
1answer
4k views
How long can you keep bacon (from a butcher) in the refrigerator?
I bought smoked bacon from a local butcher and I want to know how long I can keep that bacon in the refrigerator. It is an all natural product with no preservatives other than the process by which it ...
5
votes
0answers
55 views
How long can I store cooked rice in the refrigerator? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
How long can I store a food in the pantry, refrigerator, or freezer?
I've heard people claim that you could keep cooked rice as long as 10 days or as short as 48hours.
...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
What can I do to prolong vegetable and meat freshness in the freezer?
In an effort to improve my eating habits I am thinking of buying more vegetables and meats while at the store so that I have them to cook with. However, with a busy schedule it is hard to try and ...
4
votes
5answers
402 views
Hints on storage of vegetables and fruit
Different fruits and vegetables require different treatment in order to preserve their integrity, micronutrient contents and especially taste over the longest period possible.
Time and again I am ...
4
votes
2answers
409 views
What is the shelf life of a garlic bulb, with the “skin” still on, left in the fridge?
I purchased a head of garlic and I have 2/3's of it left over, I am storing it in the fridge in a ceramic covered dish (made specifically for garlic :) a gift from my mother) and I would like to know ...
4
votes
3answers
171 views
Should ghee be kept out of light?
I have ghee in clear glass jar on a shelf in my kitchen, would it keep for longer if I try to store it in a dark place? Does light speed up oxidation?
4
votes
4answers
3k views
How to store cheesecake for long-term?
My wife and I decided to have cheesecakes for our wedding last weekend. We'd like to store some for at least our one-year anniversary. What is the proper way to store it, and how long can we expect ...
4
votes
2answers
4k views
How to preserve home-made salad dressing, without using bad preservatives? [closed]
I want to start making my own salad dressing because I don't like all of the stuff they put in processed food. However, I still would like my dressings to last more than just a few days in the fridge. ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Why do eggs have expiry dates?
And what will happen if I eat them after they're past the expiry date?
4
votes
2answers
3k views
How to keep 'fresh' chorizo?
A relative of mine is in food retail, and recently she gave me some chorizo. With the basic advice 'hang it in the fridge'
I am not sure if it is edible as yet, and how long it will be edible for, ...
4
votes
4answers
2k views
What can be done with bitter carrots?
I've got a bunch of two week old carrots (kept in the fridge), peeled, and they tasted bitter (raw).
Is it normal that carrots turn bitter?
Is there a way to prevent it from happening?
Will the ...
4
votes
3answers
6k views
How long would a no-bake cheesecake last?
I have an excellent recipe for a no-bake cheesecake that my family has made hundreds of times over many decades. For the first time today I was asked how long it would keep in the fridge. It's never ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
Where should I store nori or laver after opening, and for how much time?
My brother has given me laver for making Korean kimbap and there are ten “foils” or “sheets” in the package.
I have only used four of them today and I don't know whether I should cool or not the ...
4
votes
1answer
168 views
Why do apples, when placed in a cool environment for extended periods of time, form a 'waxy' layer on their skins
Living on an orchard, we grow many more apples than we can eat and so store them in the garage throughout Winter where it's cold. They are in a box, but with air circulating around them and newspaper ...
4
votes
2answers
2k views
How long can I keep thawed vacuum-packed fish in the fridge?
I know that for fresh fish, or fish that was previously frozen without special storage, you should use it the same day. If I thawed too much, does the fact that it was vacuum-packed add to the time I ...
4
votes
3answers
310 views
Will vacuum sealing an open bottle of wine make it like it was never opened?
I have a professional vacuum sealer, which removes the air, and seals the bottle, or container.
Will this work with wine, or does the wine degrade once it has been exposed to air, no matter how well ...
4
votes
3answers
373 views
Will tomatoes keep for longer if you keep the stalk in?
I know that avocados are supposed to keep longer with the stalks; I would like to know if it is also true for tomatoes?
4
votes
2answers
455 views
How can I keep saffron fresh for longer?
We don't use saffron that often. The last batch we got went stale. Is there anything I can do to preserve it for longer? (For example, our spice rack gets a lot of direct sunlight, is that bad?) How ...
4
votes
2answers
563 views
Storing potato water: how long can it be refrigerated?
When boiling potatoes, I like to use the leftover water for soups, sauces, etc. Does anyone else use potato water, and if so, how long can it be stored in the refrigerator? I am wondering if it has a ...
4
votes
2answers
317 views
Is there any way to revive popcorn that is making too many duds?
I've got some popcorn that I've had for a while, and when I try to pop it, a lot of the kernels remain unpopped. Is there anything I can do to revive it, or does it go in the compost?
4
votes
2answers
155 views
Do raisins have a maximum shelf life?
I have a box of raisins in my cabinet that have been there for many years. Should I discard them or can they still be salvaged for use in baking or cooking?
4
votes
2answers
633 views
What is the storage life for whey?
I've recently begun making cheese at home. In this answer it was suggested to reserve the whey to be used in curries. I've done this, and I have about 3 cups of whey sitting in my refrigerator for two ...
4
votes
2answers
101 views
How to store salted cod?
Salted cod is a famous dish in Portugal and I would like to prepare it. It is common here to see the whole of a fish (well, without head, guts etc obviously) in supermarkets - like this:
Wikipedia
...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
How long can I keep sauteed onions in the fridge?
I'm a working mom, so I'm always trying to find ways to cut down on cooking time. My newest trick is to saute a huge batch of onions and keep it in a container in the fridge, so that I can skip the ...
4
votes
1answer
14k views
How long does butter cream icing keep?
My icing is 1/4 cup butter to 1 1/2 cups of icing sugar and a couple tablespoons of milk, so I'm thinking that with so much sugar, the answer is "almost indefinitely in the fridge."
So, as the title ...
4
votes
1answer
1k views
How long does shrimp paste last in the fridge?
Basically, I have some shrimp paste, it's a nice, very dark purple colour, and I keep it in the fridge. It's not "dry", but it's dry enough to be extremely firm when I take some out of the jar with a ...
4
votes
3answers
2k views
How long does raw ground meat last in the fridge?
Does it make a difference if it's raw ground pork or raw ground veal? There is no sell-by date since I got it at the butcher.
4
votes
3answers
4k views
How long can i keep home made caesar dressing?
The dressing contains raw eggs, olive oil, lemon juice, garlic, Worcestershire, mustard, salt and pepper. How long can I keep it in the fridge in a airtight container?
3
votes
5answers
449 views
Unroasted coffee beans in the pantry, several years old: roast, toss, or other use?
I just discovered a bag with about 100g of unroasted coffee beans in my pantry. I know they are at least four years old, and maybe 10 years. They've been in room temperature, dry storage the whole ...
3
votes
3answers
166 views
best way to preserve ricotta?
I buy ricotta in large quantities (1kg) and I'm always throwing it out when it gets yellowish on the top border, and I'm pretty sure that yellow stuff is toxic.
Since I always eat ricotta with lots ...
3
votes
2answers
344 views
Why would fresh tuna be salted?
I bought a big piece of tuna about a week ago. I carved it up and put most in the freezer. However, as I am the proud owner of a vacuum sealer (as of a week ago), the worst part of the tuna got vacuum ...
3
votes
2answers
697 views
Dried apricots smell of alcohol?
I recently opened a container of store-bought dried apricots and they smell vaguely of fermentation/alcohol. I've never noticed this before.
They taste fine, but should I be concerned? Do they need ...
3
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the shelf-life of store-bought commercially-produced jam?
My question is similar to this one, but about store-bought jam.
What is the shelf-life of store-bought jam – i.e. commercially prepared major brands – if not opened?
Are the processes or ...
