Post Punk Kitchen Forum

I think vinegar and other fermented foods basically keep as long as you need to use them up. Especially if you store them in the fridge. They keep really long in my experince and I've never had a bottle go bad on me.

Just look out for weird smell and change in consistency, colour etc.

i find that gray in the cauliflower is a sign of rot in the stem parts underneath, and would not buy one that's gray at all.

I just ate 2 week old take-out Chinese. Didn't even warm it up. Survived.

Clearly my vegan super power is the ability to eat garbage. Kind of like the Toxic Avenger.

Darn! I was hoping for a different answer since I never find cauli without some amount of spotting.

Also, Lily, thanks for the ACV reassurance!

Sometimes that can just be bruising. If the surface seems a little flattened with the grayish or brownish area, I'd say it's more likely a bruise. I have a hard time finding cauliflower that hasn't been a little beat up, but it's still ok to eat. I just trim off any discolored areas.

Oh. Yes. Since I see it so much I thought maybe it was benign, but wasn't sure if it was beginning to turn. I see a fair amount of not-so-fresh produce at all the stores around here. Thanks for all the replies!

I soaked some dried chickpeas about 10 days ago but I didn't boil them (was using them in falafel) ... would they be okay to use? they look okay...

10 days!?! They're not smelly or or slimy or whatever?

I think soaked chickpeas would normally either sprout or start to rot if you keep them for that long, but maybe you have special magic. How did you store them?

I'll eat almost anything that tastes fresh, no matter how old it is, but I think I might have to draw a line at 10 day old soaked chickpeas.

no :( they look well normal, and no smell. They were left over from the recipe so I put them in a Tupperware box... They were at the back of the fridge and its colder there than the rest of the fridge. Maybe thats it...

Gonna chuck em.

Ahw, chucked food... I feel sorry for the chickpeas now. Seems like you have a sweet spot in your fridge though!

was only a handful left, tiny amount really... the rest went to a very delicious cause :)

Definitely prefer un-slimy mushrooms, but if they are just a bit damp and otherwise firm and non smelly, I would still eat them, especially if they will be cooked. If they are getting squishy or smelly, it's questionable.

ETA: oops, I was foiled by a spammer. But I stand by my response. ;)

I'm not sure if this has been asked before...but here goes! How long does Earth Balance shortening last after the expiry date? I have those ones that come 4 to a package, and they are individually wrapped sticks. The package expired in October 2011, so...like 6 months ago. Should I toss them or are they the type of thing that lasts way longer after the expiry date?

Hmm, shortening is basically all fat, right? If you kept it in the fridge it will most probably be okay. Probably also if you haven't.

Smell it for rancidness, which is they way how fats spoil.

An unopened package of Marinated Tempeh Smoky Maple Bacon (turtle island brand). Says to use or freeze by 1/29/12? It's been in the fridge but not frozen.

Yes, it has been in the fridge all along...it looks fine and smells fine, so I think it will be okay! Thank you! :)

I've eaten expired packages of this before and it was fine. Just open it up and make sure there is no mold growing on it...and see that it smells okay. If you aren't going to use it soon, maybe throw it in the freezer now to save it for later.

I now keep extra packages of this in the freezer if I think it will expire before I use it! We bought a whole whack of them on sale that were going to expire the next week for half price! woo!

navitas naturals mesquite powder - expired 1/11 - bag opened but sealed and kept in the fridge. smells okay?

i would use it. its dried, so i think it can just get old and lose some flavor, but not going to be unsafe, imho. I think the dates on those are more like "best before" dates rather than "use by" dates, if you know what i mean.

cool - thanks! that's why i've kept it - i recall it was kind of pricey.

oh geez. i just looked at my post and wondered why it now says i am a ho... ???? i put imho as in "in my humble opinion" and the computer or the system changed it to i am a ho. lovely. LOL

i have some ancient mesquite powder...i bought it, then couldnt find a use for it...same with some carob powder. they have survived 3 moves through 3 different countries lol. the carob was starting to taste ick though and the mesquite not so hot either but they are probably 3 years old and have been in and out of freezers etc. im sure yours is fine.

AFR baked tofu that I cooked on Monday? The week got away from me and I really want it in a sandwich for lunch...but I know bad tofu can really screw you up and I have a busy week ahead.

kaybee - great, thanks! :) and it's probably a filter - the i m h o thing

bekki - yeah, I don't think I'd eat it. I'm sorry. if you're braver than me just smell it and see how it smells.

I have 2 butternut squash left from last fall. They were from my CSA so they were probably picked in November. There is nothing visibly wrong with them. The look exactly the same as they did the day I got them and are still covered with dirt.

Are they OK to eat?

butternut squash, as long as they have no soft spots or mold, are fine. typically they're picked in october or so (there was a big squash farm near where i used to live in seekonk, MA!) and like sweet potatoes are supposed to "cure" for a few months- makes em sweeter. we grow them here in the garden and if you eat them right away after picking they're kind of blah.