Buying Expired Foods

Sometimes you can get some great deals if you buy food that is getting close to its expiration date or best used by date.  Best used by dates are more of a suggestion for best quality, however, the item may have a much longer life.  Be more cautious with expiration dates. Here is my rule of thumb:

Meats – be careful if the expiration date has passed.  I may go past a day or two, but usually not more than that.  However, if it smells funky or looks discolored, I would avoid it.

Dairy – okay to go past the expiration date, possible up to a week as long as it doesn’t smell bad.  If cheese has mold on it, often it can be removed and will not impact the rest of the cheese.

Chips – I usually go past the expiration date by a couple of weeks as long as they have remained in an airtight sealed bag.

Vegetables and Fruit – look at the produce to see if it is wilted or limp and if so avoid it. If it has a bad spot, you can remove it and use the rest of it.  Otherwise,  monitor it and use it as soon as possible.

Nuts – I don’t recommend going past expiration dates as nuts can get old and become rancid.

Chocolate – usually okay to go past the expiration date by a month or more, just know that it may have a white discolored surface which is harmless known as a “fat bloom”,  It doesn’t look as appealing as a fresh piece of chocolate, but I don’t mind this especially if I am planning to melt it or use it in cooking.  Just be careful to see if it includes nuts as I wouldn’t recommend it in these cases,

When I see a good deal on items that are getting close to their expiration date but I don’t think I can use them in time, I will often purchase them and freeze them for future use.   This works really well for meats, cheeses, and yogurts.