Should I bin my scones?

I did put some out of date lentils in a soup, got terrible wind but they do that anyway. Or it could have been the onions.

I was looking at the split peas with more suspicion. Perhaps the pigeons might like them.

We did eat a 4 year old Christmas pudding at New Year. It was very good.

Ha, ha, Calendargirl

I won't tell you how old the mincemeat was that went into the Christmas mince pies. But we're still here...

Callistemon

What about out of date pulses?
(Very out of date)

They should be fine if they're dried. They shouldn't poison you. Honestly.

Might be a bit tough, mind you.

I've some dried haricot beans that I've had for literally decades. I'll give them a try. If you don't hear any more from me, I'm dead ???

Oh for goodness sake!

Flour a month out of date?

Cocoa dated August last year, unopened?

Just looked in my cupboard.

Custard powder July 2019, nearly empty, it will be used.

Cornflour, November 2017, half empty, ditto re usage.

Drinking Chocolate, August 2016, nearly empty, ditto re usage.

All above not used often, in there for baking purposes, have no qualms about using them, what did we do before everything had dates on them?

Due to a health problem last week I wasn't capable of moving fresh food to the freezer, it's really bothered me to throw most of it out this week. Usually I go by the 'smell it and see' method but this was fish and pork, and I never take the risk. After all, I can normally transfer it to the freezer if there's any danger of not eating it. The scones looked wonderful, I guess they've all gone by now. Apparently Callistemon the pulses will be fine to eat because they're dried but they lose their vitamins after about 5 years.

What about out of date pulses?
(Very out of date)

Sad to read of people throwing away perfectly good food because it's passed the 'use by' date.

Food poisoning is caused by toxins produced by active bacteria in the foodstuff.

From my long ago Food Hygiene lectures:

Bacteria need three conditions to become active:

Food
Moisture
Oxygen

If one of these is absent, they cannot become active. therefore cannot produce toxins. so things like flour and cocoa, dried pulses cannot harm you, however far past the 'use by' date they are.

Once all three conditions are present bacteria need warmth and time to multiply effectively. Which is why susceptible food is kept at a low temperature. And cooked or eaten soon, once out of the fridge. The longer it is kept at bacterias' ideal temperature the more active and toxic they become. Once the temperature rises above that they are destroyed. Advice on temperatures is readily available on line.

Bacterial action is obvious, bubbles, discolouration and, often, smell.

Use by/sell by dates on food are a legal requirement. I suspect that, for dried food particularly, producers have no idea how long it remains viable, but they have to put something... But they are the cause of dreadful amounts of food waste because people don't know the science. Unless you are actually allergic to a foodstuff it'll be bacterial toxins that will poison you. No bacterial action, no toxins...

Hope this helps

people were bulk buying flour last year and I couldn't get any!!

I remember that Callistemon. I didnt though, just a couple of extra as I would have time for baking. But wasn't able to.

Another fan of 3 Ingredient Scones, made with double cream and full-fat lemonade or Sprite.

When I was staying with DS and family, I had to persuade them that it was quite safe to use eggs that were three days over the use-by date. I've used eggs weeks over that limit and found them perfectly fine for baking.

I binned two unopened bags of flour a few days ago, a month out of date. people were bulk buying flour Las year and I couldn't get any!!

They would have been fine. After opening, make sure you put them in a sealed container.

I've got a tin of Green and Black's cocoa somewhere but was a bit reluctant to use it as it's BB Feb 2018 and it has been opened.

I can't believe I'm so fussy about dates. I'm absolutely paranoid. I binned two unopened bags of flour a few days ago, a month out of date. I check dates on everything. The only thing I will eat overdate is vegetables. And humus for some reason. Often my OH will say I'll eat it, nothing wrong with it and he's fine.

I’m truly ? at the idea of binning a tin of cocoa with an 8/20 date!

During Lockdown One I used some GF flour at least 2 years out of date, and some split peas even more so.
Both were absolutely fine.

By that I mean exceeding a "use by" date...

My open tin of cocoa that I'm using is dated "best before" July 2019. As a dry good, it could lose some flavour but it's still safe to use.

"Use by" for me in a work (childminding) situation would be strictly forbidden, and I have on occasion refused to give children food they've brought from home if the date has expired.

From a personal point of view I'd use my common sense, if it smelt and tasted ok I'd eat it.

Mokryna If I thought they were really poisonous I wouldn't let him eat them. I thought I had better make that clear.

It occurred to me some time last night that use by dates are for the protection of the food producer, not the food user. It seems quite a lot of people don't realise that.

nadateturbe

Ok. Thanks again everyone. Changed my mind.
My husband has tried one. I'll wait and see. They are actually the best looking scones I've made in ages. (using up some blueberries, have far to many.)

Where would I be without GN.?

Tears are rolling down my cheeks.

Sorry, should read I too...not I do....

I take no notice of use by or best before dates either. I can judge whether or not anything is fit to eat by smelling/tasting it.
During lockdown I’ve found that vegetables particularly last much longer than suggested on the packaging.
We’ve just had a pasta dish for dinner with some spinach that was best before 22nd January. It was delicious.

The government is apparently launching a campaign to convince people they can safely ignore these dates, in an effort to reduce food waste.

Who’d have thought it???

Visgirl is your recipe from BBC good food - ‘Classic scones with jam and clotted cream’?

Baggs I do wash the tops of tins before opening. My mum always did it.

EllanVannin

They'd have been well-binned by now In fact I wouldn't have attempted to use it.
I found a ( sealed ) tin of cocoa at the back of the cupboard yesterday with 8/ 2020 and dumped it.

Blimey, EV! I'm still using an opened tin of cocoa that's older than that. No adverse effects.

I guess this is a Marmite issue; you either dare or you don't, perhaps depending on earlier experiences, or trust/distrust of one's senses.

I still give the tops of food tins a wee scrub before I open them (not that I use many tinned foods but we did buy some before the first lockdown just in case which we're now using up slowly) because when my parents were first married they had a bad D&V episode which Mum thought was from contamination on a tin. She didn't wear her (necessary) glasses much back then and might have missed some muck.

Sour milk years ago was somehow different than it is today as it's rank.