41
votes
Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge
I would invest in a small thermos bottle, about the size of what you need for one day. They are not only designed to keep hot food hot, they can also keep cold food cold. Choose a size that will be as ...
- 57.8k
35
votes
Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge
Your best bet for longevity is UHT milk - in individual portions.
It's the same stuff you get in hotel rooms.
Pic from Amazon, anonymised.
Though it doesn't taste the same as 'real' milk it's ...
- 28.9k
28
votes
Why consume DRIED apricots within 21 days?
I would be cautious but not overly so
The risks are low
First of all, dried fruit are not a breeding ground for pathogenic bacteria due to the low water content. They might spoil but, according to ...
- 399
27
votes
Is there a reason for storing ground spices separately (unmixed)?
I'm aware of three reasons that you might not want to do so:
You tie up spices that you might want to use in other dishes individually
You don't always want to add the spices at the same time.
You ...
- 79.3k
27
votes
Why consume DRIED apricots within 21 days?
As far as food safety goes, you should listen to the package.
These are not just dried fruit. They are "partially rehydrated dried apricots". Once you begin to rehydrate (or if you don't ...
- 8,987
23
votes
Do certain spices really go bad? or will people without refined palates usually not tell the difference, specifically chili powder?
tl;dr : it's complicated.
If you're relying on cooking by blindly following recipes, and hoping that they come out the same every time, then yes, you probably want to replace old spices. So ...
- 79.3k
22
votes
Accepted
My applesauce has fermented, is it safe to bake with?
It sounds like it's fermented, and more harmful bacteria or mold could definitely have grown without being visible.
So it's not safe, in that there's definitely some risk. It's hard to evaluate ...
- 58.1k
21
votes
Accepted
How do I store ready-to-eat salad better?
I agree that it's very likely the fridge. Beside it swinging too wildly, there can be another problem though: too cold.
I've seen people, especially Americans, turning fridges down as cold as they ...
- 135k
18
votes
Accepted
Leaving cake's dry ingredients together for later quicker preparation?
There's no issue with doing this, as you are no doubt aware ready-made cake mixes are sold boxed in stores and they aren't much different than you describe. Boxed mixes will often have anti-caking ...
- 74.2k
16
votes
Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge
In a similar situation in a previous job we successfully used an old camping trick: Wrap the bottle containing the day's milk in a damp cloth, and stand it in a bowl of water, in the draught from an ...
- 43.1k
16
votes
What is the best way to store cucumbers? Do I refrigerate or not refrigerate?
For maximum life, refrigerate them wrapped in a dry paper towel inside a plastic produce bag, in the produce drawer. If you have more than 3 cucumbers, ideally store every 3 cucumbers in separate ...
- 58.9k
13
votes
Accepted
Is there a reason for storing ground spices separately (unmixed)?
Assuming you're using spices which are all dried and ground, there should be no problem.
In the middle-east, there are always several spice mixtures available in shops. The most famous of which are ...
- 10.9k
13
votes
Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge
As an alternative to the (very good) vacuum bottle suggestions, Insulated lunchboxes with an ice-pack are great. My kids use them for school and the ice-pack is often still partially frozen at the end ...
- 390
12
votes
Sushi/nori/yaki paper - out of date?
According to Still Tasty (a site that looks at USDA, CDC and FDA data), nori lasts 2-4 months in the pantry and 4-6 months in the fridge. Also it says:
Store in airtight glass or plastic container ...
- 58.4k
11
votes
Mousse de Canard, Mousse de Foie, Terrine de Campagne, expired by around 10 days
I'm sorry to say that your three packages are no longer safe for consumption. Expiry dates are usually pretty conservative and food may still be good several days past them, but the concerning factor ...
- 712
11
votes
Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge
I don't know if this is possible for you at work but it hasn't been mentioned as an option: you can use a mini fridge to keep your milk cool / cold.
Here's an image of one
(I left the image out on ...
- 219
11
votes
Keep milk (or milk alternative) for a day without a fridge
First of all, it's not air that makes the milk spoil but microbes that fall in and grow there. So keeping it cool is one thing, the other thing is not getting the microbes in there.
I have milk in ...
11
votes
What is meant by freezer?
The terms freezer and deep freeze are synonymous. There is no such term as "deep fridge" in British or US English, though apparently there is in Indian English… where if you search what you ...
- 28.9k
10
votes
I am attempting to preserve the shelf life of ice tea up to six months with citric acid, I need a perfected ratio?
If the tea was distilled water, a 5% solution would have been sufficient. That is, you'd need 50 grams of acid to 950 grams of water. The problem is, the impurities of the water and the tea itself ...
- 135k
10
votes
When left out in an open container, what % abv does vodka retain at room temperature?
As a chemist I'd say that the question is really impossible to answer as given.
The gist is that for a water/ethanol mixture both components will evaporate. So if the liquid is left out long enough, ...
- 2,659
9
votes
Accepted
Is neccessary to store christmas cookies in the fridge?
Butter biscuits (cookies) and gingerbread both keep well for days at room temperature in an airtight container. Some gingerbread will keep for much longer. For most cookie recipes it's a matter of ...
- 43.1k
9
votes
Accepted
How well does freshly baked sandwich bread fly?
About the same time it fares not flying. Flying is not something the bread is aware of.
- 6,400
9
votes
How to maximize shelf-life of freeze-dried food beyond 25 years? How far can this be exceeded?
The question is rather difficult to answer since it is based on false assumptions. I will try addressing those.
What process happens after 25-30 years which limits its shelf life?
There is no reason ...
- 135k
8
votes
Accepted
Shelf-stable "frosting" for a savory "gingerbread" house?
Peanut butter might work. It is safe at room temperature and not really sweet. It is somewhat soft, but so is the canned cheese. Natural peanut butter with the oil poured off might be thicker for use ...
- 5,325
8
votes
How best to store cheese long term?
Sealed hard cheeses will indeed keep forever at 15 Celsius and below, unsealed they can go mouldy or so dry you can't cut them.
Soft cheeses can't be stored past their expiration date, they are a ...
- 135k
8
votes
Fully baked cookies in a 90 F car
Baked goods are generally considered to be a 'low risk' food when you're dealing with health codes. That is to say, you don't typically need to worry if they've been kept in the 'food danger zone' ...
- 79.3k
8
votes
Accepted
What makes it possible to store this uncooked fish product in the fridge for up to a month?
I feel I must offer a contradicting opinion to @rumtscho's answer. The product you seem to have is indeed shown in the catalogue at the page of "smoked salmon" products, but note that it is ...
- 720
8
votes
Accepted
What is the best way to store cucumbers? Do I refrigerate or not refrigerate?
Cucumbers need to be refrigerated to stay fresh, the general rule is if they are refrigerated at the store they should be refrigerated at home - the store wouldn't waste energy keeping them cold if ...
- 74.2k
7
votes
Why doesn't acacia honey crystallize?
The crystallising of honey depends on the amount of glucose (sugar) you have in the honey. Crystallisation occurs in solutions that are (like honey) oversaturated with sugars. Less saturation means ...
- 656
7
votes
Accepted
Refrigerate after opening, but why?
The canning process makes food safe: existing bacteria and fungi are killed, the intrusion of new pathogens is prevented by sealing the container. (More e.g. here.)
As soon as you open the can or jar,...
- 57.8k
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