Steaks, salt and stuff

[Tulecreeper]

Except for a few items like baby formula, I don't find any evidence of a general FDA or USDA requirement for food product dating, whether an expiration or "use by" date. But most food processors put one or the other dates on their products as a guide to shoppers. Especially the "use by" dates, because they want to avoid complaints about products that have lost flavor or aesthetic appeal as they aged. And of course it sells more product too.

The percentage of people who think the use-by date means they should throw the product away makes me shake my head in wonder.

My ex-wife thought the 'use by' date meant it wasn't any good afterward and she would throw away or pour out anything that met that mark. This was back in the early 80s when the 'use by' and 'best by' thing first started.

The first time was a half gallon of milk from a 1 gallon jug. She was pouring it down the sink and I asked if it had gone bad and she said, yes, the 'use by' date was yesterday. I asked if she had smelled it and she said she didn't have to because the 'use by' date meant it was no good anymore.

 

[Mark_K5LXP]

I did some low and slow ribs sunday so tried yellow mustard and dry rub. It came out OK but it was a bit strong. I like how the mustard was a glue for the rub but next time will use a bit less.

Mark B.
Albuquerque, NM

 

[old RV guy]

My ex-wife thought the 'use by' date meant it wasn't any good afterward and she would throw away or pour out anything that met that mark. This was back in the early 80s when the 'use by' and 'best by' thing first started.

The first time was a half gallon of milk from a 1 gallon jug. She was pouring it down the sink and I asked if it had gone bad and she said, yes, the 'use by' date was yesterday. I asked if she had smelled it and she said she didn't have to because the 'use by' date meant it was no good anymore.

I'm with your wife, I'm not a milk drinker but if I were I wouldn't touch milk that's a minute past it's expiration date.

 

[Oldgator73]

I'm with your wife, I'm not a milk drinker but if I were I wouldn't touch milk that's a minute past its expiration date.

How do you know when sour cream or cottage cheese is bad? Our grandson will not eat bread or cheese with a dot of mold on it. We tell him to just cut that little piece of mold out. No doing. I’ve caught him throwing a whole loaf of bread out because he found a microscopic dot of mold on one piece.

 

[old RV guy]

How do you know when sour cream or cottage cheese is bad? Our grandson will not eat bread or cheese with a dot of mold on it. We tell him to just cut that little piece of mold out. No doing. I’ve caught him throwing a whole loaf of bread out because he found a microscopic dot of mold on one piece.

I don't know how many iterations of the big bang there may have been until this one succeeded either, but I know I'm not drinking milk that's past its expiration date.

 

[Cmprman]

The smell test will tell you when its expired.

 

[Lou Schneider]

I'm with your wife, I'm not a milk drinker but if I were I wouldn't touch milk that's a minute past it's expiration date.

The date on the milk container isn't the expiration date, it's the "sell by" date. The last date it can be sold. Properly refrigerated milk stays good at least a couple of days past the sell-by date, up to a week if it's not been opened.

 

[boatbuilder1]

I use yellow mustard as a binder for the rub, on anything pork I am cooking low and slow on the grill.

 

[Gary RV_Wizard]

When using things in a home kitchen you are correct... many things can be used past the stated 'expiration date' with no problems. But in a professional kitchen it's a big no-no. If you make someone sick and the HD finds out you used expired product you can face some BIG fines. Not to mention the bad word-of-mouth by making someone sick. Establishments toss expired product and avoid the headaches potentially caused by using it.

I said "use-by" date , not "expiration" date. Those are two different things, which is the point I was making. The "best if used by" date refers to quality & flavor, not health or safety

 

[Jackiemac]

In the UK milk has a use by date and I will say that 99% if the time if I use it after that day it's off, both taste and smell (found after it's been in my coffee ).

I use sour cream after it's date and I'm still here

 

[Primerump]

I've also seen salt used on a cooktop. Kosher only, of course.

I occasionally use a sprinkle of kosher salt on my kosher bacon..

 

[Jackiemac]

Steve does marinade steaks in salt and does pork in salted water.

You can tell who the chef is in our relationship.

 

[old RV guy]

The date on the milk container isn't the expiration date, it's the "sell by" date. The last date it can be sold. Properly refrigerated milk stays good at least a couple of days past the sell-by date, up to a week if it's not been opened.

I just checked the half gallon container in my refer and it clearly says "best if used by....." nothing about "sell by". Which for me is irrelevant anyway, I'm not smelling ( dry heaves) or tasting ( more dry heaves) milk past either date.

 

[RayIN]

DW thinks I'm a little off_well perhaps. Anyway when we grocery shop I always check the meat dept. for reduced beef. It's already aged some when I put it on the grill.
A cousin managed a restaurant in NOLA during the 1980's. He said they always aged their sides of beef in the cooler for at least a month before cutting.

 

[TheBar]

DW thinks I'm a little off_well perhaps. Anyway when we grocery shop I always check the meat dept. for reduced beef. It's already aged some when I put it on the grill.
A cousin managed a restaurant in NOLA during the 1980's. He said they always aged their sides of beef in the cooler for at least a month before cutting.

50 years ago I was a steakhouse manager for 6 years. Aged meat isn't letting the meat brown in the fridge and isn't something most people can do at home. Most people would never eat a high dollar steak if they saw it before it was cooked. The first time I saw "real" aged meat it turned my stomach. It was covered in white mold with stems about an inch high. There are a variety of commercial molds with different flavors. The mold keeps the meat from spoiling so you can't do this at home unless you buy the mold starter. Otherwise you are risking food poisoning. nowadays they have a quick mold that ages the meat in 48 hours which I may try.

 

[Tulecreeper]

I'm with your wife, I'm not a milk drinker but if I were I wouldn't touch milk that's a minute past it's expiration date.

Interestingly, we have a gallon jug in the fridge right now that says May 05 2025. I had a glass this morning and it's fine.

 

[Jackiemac]

Interestingly, we have a gallon jug in the fridge right now that says May 05 2025. I had a glass this morning and it's fine.

Are your nose and tongue fully operational?

 

[Wasillaguy]

For years we had a local dairy and the milk would go bad within a day or 2 of the date. Milk that came up from Washington (Lucerne) would easily go a week past it's date. Always wondered if they had different standards for dating, or if the shipped stuff had some kind of preservative added to keep it from spoiling.

 

[Chef Duane]

I have no problem drinking past date milk even if it's a little sour. Thing is, I spit it out and spray it across the kitchen when I do.

 

[Wasillaguy]

Mom would save spoiled milk and make pancakes the next morning.