Expired Milk....

[IndyPrepper]

So I'm up late this evening and nothing really sounded good for a late night / early morning snack so I decided to have me some scrambled eggs.

Granted its past 3 so I'm a bit tired. I cracked open a couple eggs, added a dash of salt and pepper and then the milk.

Not really in the mood to go the stove top route so took the easy path to the microwave.

As it was doing its thing I happened to glance at the milk and noticed the sell by date was July 3rd...

Now the milk smelled fine and I must say the eggs are tasting pretty good as i type.

But it had me thinking. When does food really expire?

Milk with a sell by 20+ days ago throws a flag to me.. ( I will fill you in with how I feel in the morning )

Anyone found a good site with how long food really lasts?

Sell by and expires by is two entirely different things in my head.

Thoughts / comments appreciated.

Now back to my late night snack.

Cheers

IndyPrepper

 

[BumpShadow]

I've read on alot of sites that the expire date is pretty random. Basically the idea is to have you throw out perfectly good food so you buy more.

 

[Bubba]

I've had some trouble at work with milk expiring well before its expiration date. As much as two weeks early. At home my milk (and other food) lasts just fine. I think expiration dates are best guesses taking into account the type of product, the conditions the food is likely to encounter in its trip from manufacture through spoilage, and the consequences of it spoiling. For example, milk is dated much more conservatively than chips, since spoils easily and can make you very sick while stale chips are just chewy.

 

[HandK]

You'll be a Zombie by morning!! Sorry!

 

[Bunnykid68]

Depends on the temp at which the particular food is kept.

 

[45fan]

Storage temp has alot to do with it. My wife seems to think the brand has a bit to do with it as well. I cant say, milk never seems to last more than a week in my house.

 

[pudly]

This might be what you are looking for. Gives expected dates for how long many foods will last.

StillTasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment

 

[Scutter01]

You'll be a Zombie by morning!! Sorry!

RIP IndyPrepper

 

[Ogre]

meh... in our house if it smells good, drink it. I regularly drink milk >/=2 weeks past their sell by date

 

[Mr. Habib]

The Best Before Challenge

 

[hoosierdaddy1976]

yeah, i always do the smell test with milk. smells good, looks good, tastes good, is good.

 

[Scutter01]

yeah, i always do the smell test with milk. smells good, looks good, tastes good, is good.

The trick is to not shake the jug first. That makes it easy to skim the algae off the top before you drink it.

 

[MrsXtremeVel]

They just talked about this on " The Doctor's" show this morning. They said with milk it's good 7 days after expiration then throw it out. Eggs- 3-5weeks after expiration.

Bread- if you see mold, throw it away immediately.
cheese- cut the mold off and you're good.

They also gave definitions of what certain terms meant.

" Sell by" means stores can't put it on their shelves after that date.
" Use by" this is the last day a food should be used or consumed.
" Best if used by" this has more to do with taste and quality and manufactors won't guarantee taste and quality after that date.

I guess the best advice would be, Use you best judgement. If it smell funny, pitch it!

 

[jd4320t]

I absolutely hate spoiled milk. There's nothing worse than wanting some milk or chocolate milk and then getting that sour taste you can't get out of your mouth. If it's past it's date or got warm at all I pitch it.

 

[sharkey]

The trick is to not shake the jug first. That makes it easy to skim the algae off the top before you drink it.

If you don't shake it good, how do you get the lumps out?

 

[RockofStrength]

They just talked about this on " The Doctor's" show this morning. They said with milk it's good 7 days after expiration then throw it out. Eggs- 3-5weeks after expiration.

Bread- if you see mold, throw it away immediately.
cheese- cut the mold off and you're good.

They also gave definitions of what certain terms meant.

" Sell by" means stores can't put it on their shelves after that date.
" Use by" this is the last day a food should be used or consumed.
" Best if used by" this has more to do with taste and quality and manufactors won't guarantee taste and quality after that date.

I guess the best advice would be, Use you best judgement. If it smell funny, pitch it!

Eh? I'd have thought you could just cut it away like with cheese. Did they say why bread has to be thrown away?

 

[Kase]

Well he hasn't said anything lately.

You think he dieded?

 

[henktermaat]

Milk that smells bad isn't even bad. It's the crusty stuff around the cap that stinks.

We regularly drink milk past the "expiration" date.

 

[Kitty]

Eh? I'd have thought you could just cut it away like with cheese. Did they say why bread has to be thrown away?

Ergot poisoning. Although I don't think it really effects white bread - if what they sell in the stores as "white bread" is really even bread.

 

[indytechnerd]

On milk, go check a gallon of the regular stuff, then go look at the Horizon organics, it's amazing. I've bought milk with 6wks until the 'expiration date'. And, I can honestly say, since we've been buying organic, I've never had a jug of milk go south on me.

On a tangent to this, I always sniff the jug before I pour, like compulsively. My wife makes fun of me, but it's rooted in a real event. Going to work one early morning I stopped at the mini mart and got some hostess donut gems and a small jug of Quik chocolate milk. Standing behind the counter at work, I shoved 3 or 4 donuts in my mouth, popped the top on the milk and took a big gulp to wash the donuts down...

The milk was old, lumpy, and sour. I horked in the trashcan, lost every bit of appetite, and barely made it through the day.

Ever since, all milk gets the sniff test before it touches my lips.