Questions specifically about the expected shelf life of a food item.
3
votes
2answers
1k views
What is the best way to store prepared raw vegetables
I help and elderly friend who has asked me to pre-prepare some vegetables for her. This way she'll be able to cook them for herself later.
I would like to know the best way to store pre-prepared ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
What is the expected shelf life of salted butter?
I have just purchased 250g of Lescure salted butter (Beurre Demi-Sel) with a best before date of 23 July 2011. Today is the 2nd July 2011. I thought that butter has a shelf life of months, not 21 ...
3
votes
1answer
151 views
Should I store root vegetables with or without the dirt?
When you buy vegetables at a farmers market, often you will get root vegetables (e.g. potatoes, carrots) that are unwashed and with its dirt still clinging on them. I heard somewhere that this will ...
3
votes
6answers
2k views
How to store Parmesan cheese?
I recently lucked into about 4 lbs of a delicious Parmesan. Sadly it's already in 4 pieces, and so I'm pretty sure its going to be more prone to spoilage than a single large chunk. How does one go ...
3
votes
1answer
2k views
Good ways to store brownies?
A friend is planning her wedding and wants to do a lot of brownies, rather than cake, for dessert. She's planning on making it herself, with the help of friends, but would like to make it at least a ...
3
votes
2answers
5k views
What does flour smell like when it goes bad?
I've got about 15lbs of saphire unbleached white flour left from my 25lb bulk purchase from 2 weeks ago. While preparing a wonderful zucchini bread recipe I noticed a "sour" smell from my flour.
...
3
votes
2answers
336 views
Lobster, steamed Saturday afternoon, eaten Monday night?
Pretty much what it sounds like. 1.25 pound whole Maine lobster cooked mid-day on Saturday and refrigerated until Monday evening. Still in the shell, claws, tail, and all. Still good?
I normally ...
3
votes
1answer
286 views
Increase lifetime of homemade chocolates
I recently stated making my own chocolates. (No bars, but filled chocolates and pralines)
I also make the filling myself. Now I have a question about the lifetime of this chocolates. On different ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Shelf life of a caramel apple?
How long will the apple in a caramel apple stay crisp once it's been dipped in warm caramel?
Are there any tricks to extend its shelf life?
Let's assume we're starting with a large fresh Granny ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
Can I leave a cake / cupcakes frosted with cream cheese frosting out on the counter?
I need to frost a cake and cupcakes with a cream cheese frosting for a late morning party tomorrow. I do not do a lot of baking so I'm concerned about when I should frost the cakes. For the sake of ...
3
votes
2answers
330 views
Why doesn't acacia honey crystallize?
Acacia honey is made from the flowers of the acacia (aka locust) tree. It is very light colored, and it is reputed to never crystallize. Certainly none of the acacia honey I've had in the house has ...
3
votes
1answer
593 views
what's best: boil eggs in advance or just before use?
let's say I want to eat a hard-boiled egg every day of the week.
should I boil them and store them (refrigerated) all at once or should I keep raw eggs in the fridge and hard-boil them just before ...
3
votes
2answers
496 views
How long does cooked TVP keep in the fridge?
How long can I keep cooked textured vegetable protein (soy) in fridge and does it matter if it is mixed with for example some spices and rice? Will it then shorten the duration of how long it's good ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How long can I keep green curry paste?
I make green curry paste with green peppers as main ingredient. I put all ingredients in the processor, and keep the paste in a closed jar in the fridge. It stills smells fresh after 10 weeks.
Can it ...
3
votes
1answer
446 views
How long is it safe to store rice horchata for?
I have a recipe for Mexican horchata, which is a kind of smoothie made with rice. However, it doesn't specify how long I can store it for, and as rice can be dangerous if stored incorrectly I don't ...
3
votes
4answers
4k views
Does nutritional yeast expire or go bad?
I have a tub of nutritional yeast with a "best by" date of February 2012 (at the time of this posting, it's about a month past that). Is it still good to use? It still looks and smells the same as it ...
3
votes
1answer
1k views
How long in fridge for sushi steaks?
I ordered some sushi grade steaks online. They came frozen, as they were shipped with dry ice to keep them nice and cold. Frozen, I cut them into pieces and put them back in the freezer, taking out ...
2
votes
2answers
537 views
Can I still use butter that's been left out for 2 days?
I bought butter in 1/4 sticks (one pound box) and left it in my trunk by accident. It's been very cold 35-50° F (2-10° C) at night/day. It's been 48 hours.
Can I still use it? It's still in it's ...
2
votes
7answers
25k views
Does pesto go bad?
I have some basil pesto but I'm not sure how long its fridge life is. It is in a sealed container. How long does it last before it is not safe to eat anymore?
2
votes
2answers
169 views
Shelf life of commercial jams with no preservatives?
This commercial peach jam does NOT contain any preservatives.
Room temperature is 20 C.
It is written on the bottle that it should be refrigerated after opening since it doesn't contain any ...
2
votes
3answers
993 views
Short term storage of bechamel
How far in advance can I make a bechamel sauce before using it without having to cool, refrigerate and reheat.
For instance if I'm making a creamed spinach dish for a dinner party can I make the ...
2
votes
2answers
487 views
Storing Cream Cheese Icing
What's the best way to store cream cheese icing to make it last as long as possible? How long will it be good for?
The icing is made up of
1/2 cup of butter
1 cup cream cheese
3 cups icing sugar
2
votes
1answer
129 views
What is the shelf life of my syrup?
This is a continuation of my last question.
the recipe I have is:
2 1/2 cups water
2 cups white sugar
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 moist vanilla bean, preferably Mexican or Bourbon (Madagascar)
...
2
votes
2answers
1k views
How long will infused alcohol last?
I'm attempting to infuse alcohol for the first time, and I'm wondering how long the infusions will keep? I've read a few different (contradictory) opinions on this matter. One recipe for vanilla vodka ...
2
votes
2answers
186 views
How long will my pepper relish last, and how can I stretch it out?
Last year, I made a simple pepper relish out of some hot peppers that are grown on a local farm. The method I used was to saute the whole peppers for a short time in olive oil, then blend them in a ...
2
votes
1answer
195 views
How to store Miso
Most recipes I see that use miso require rather small amounts. As I don't want to waste a lot of miso, I would like to know how to store miso long term. Particularly, I want to know if I can freeze ...
2
votes
1answer
174 views
Basil Pesto and Cream Cheese dip
I made a dip with basil pesto covering cream cheese with grated parmesan cheese over it all.
Can I keep the dip (tightly covered) for 4 days without the pesto interacting with the cheese?
The ...
2
votes
2answers
5k views
Refrigerating Clam Juice
Most store-bought stock/broth packaging contains some claim like "refrigerate after opening, and use within 7-10 days". My bottle of clam juice makes no claims whatsoever about refrigeration or shelf ...
2
votes
1answer
153 views
Are spores an issue in sauteed pepper storage when you add garlic?
Typical food-storage for leftover sauteed or roasted peppers in oil, non-canned, seem to vary from one to two weeks when referencing online sources. However, if I make Hungarian peppers in oil with ...
2
votes
2answers
432 views
How long can savory cream cheese dishes last?
I made this recipe here and have some of the black bean, onion, cream cheese mixture left. My question is .. how long will this last? For some reason, the thought of heating down the cream cheese to ...
1
vote
5answers
347 views
Why condiments expiry date is rounded?
Many condiments such as katchup, mayonnaise and mustard (where I live at least) seem to love rounding all of their expiry dates to "60 days after opened".
Thing is, I never see any difference after ...
1
vote
2answers
148 views
Do unopened bottles of Gin and Campari turn bad in extreme heat?
just got back from a trip with 2 new bottles of campari and gin, then forgot them for 24 hours in the trunk of my car, in a hot day (30C degrees) :(
Should I just throw them away? or are they still ...
1
vote
4answers
8k views
How long does pancake batter last in the fridge?
I'm making a packet mix of pancake batter that doesn't lend itself to partial mixes - it's hard to split "1 egg" as an ingredient. How long would pancake batter last in the fridge? Even if it's a ...
1
vote
2answers
5k views
How long will a balsamic reduction keep?
Related to making small quantities of balsamic reduction, if I make a large quantity of balsamic reduction, how long will it keep? What's the best way to store it?
I know vinegar will keep for a long ...
1
vote
1answer
711 views
How long will Sous Vide food keep?
I'm part of an international rescue team and one of the things we need to do is to be self sufficient. At the minute we take ready made boil in the bag food which is not particularly great and is ...
1
vote
2answers
395 views
How long does a fruit and sugar mixture last?
I made a sauce with frozen rhubarb and raspberry mixed with sugar and reduced it until there is hardly any juice left. I put the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge. Would this still be ...
1
vote
1answer
6k views
How long will a whole turkey keep in a refrigerator?
My daughter bought a fresh, organic, kosher turkey from Trader Joe's last night (her first turkey!), 8 days before she will start cooking it.
The company customer service representative as well as ...
1
vote
1answer
45 views
Bottling and Storing Cold-Brewed Coffee?
I'm a bit of an iced-coffee snob – I love a good, rich tasting coffee, and love the smooth flavor of cold-brewed coffee; unfortunately, the only time I have to make it is the weekends, and it lasts ...
1
vote
3answers
265 views
Will storing spices on the oven affect flavor or anything?
The back of the oven is raised from the stove top and sits against the wall, forming a small shelf which is a very convenient location to store spices for use when cooking. Sitting there are things ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Can black pudding be stored long-term?
A local restaurateur and friend of mine is making black puddings, and I am trading him a christmas pudding for one of his black puddings. I was considering saving it for a month or two.
Can I freeze ...
1
vote
1answer
437 views
Why did my ginger simple syrup develop such a disgusting consistency?
I made a ginger simple syrup. I took a large amount of ginger, simmered it in water to cover for an hour, drained it (reserving the water), and repeated the process with fresh water. I did this three ...
1
vote
1answer
1k views
Can condensed milk be safely used after it's 'best before' date?
It's just that I have an unopened tin of condensed milk which is a couple of months past it's best before date. And I don't feel like throwing it away :(
1
vote
1answer
3k views
Extra Firm Tofu past expiration date: safe, but for how long?
How long past the expiration date is pre-packaged extra-firm tofu safe, tasty and wholesome. Generally, expiration dates are for sissies, but something about the tofu made me think twice.
I've seen ...
1
vote
2answers
95 views
How long does ginger root last?
I bought ginger root months ago, and I didn't use all of it. I've kept it in the fridge and it still seems good. How long will it last?
1
vote
4answers
116 views
What is the shelf life of homemade compote?
I made a cooked compote with dried fruit and am wondering what safe refrigerated life I can expect. Ideally, please provide some reasonable rationale or reference for the advice.
1
vote
3answers
4k views
How long will Tiramisú made with raw egg keep?
Tiramisú tastes better the longer is kept. But it is made with raw eggs, so there must be a limit to how long you can keep it for without risking making people ill. What would you say is the min/max ...
1
vote
2answers
539 views
How long will Jalepenos last in the freezer?
I have a big bag of ~50 jalapenos in my freezer, frozen less than a day after being picked. How long will they last in there, and how will I know they've gone bad?
1
vote
1answer
425 views
How long would you keep this Caesar dressing?
My Caesar dressing contains the following: mayonnaise, parmesan cheese, lemon juice, worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, fresh ground pepper.
How long do you think I should I keep it before I pitch ...
1
vote
1answer
917 views
How long can I keep raw-egg based salad dressing refrigerated
I made salad dressing with, raw egg, mustard, olive oil, vinegar, minced garlic, salt & pepper. How long can I keep this refrigerated? Thanks
1
vote
3answers
868 views
How long will eggless pasta dough last in the fridge?
I made some fresh pasta for myself, but the recipe made double the amount I need. I didn't have time to make the rest of the pasta and dry it, so I just wrapped the dough ball in plastic wrap and ...
