Freezing and Freshness

The "best if used by date" can be taken literally. Best if used by this date, NOT throw it away on this date. It is a common misconception.

I went to a store that would give you an in-date item free if you could find an out-of-date item. I found gum on the shelf that was a decade out of date. They were selling this stuff. AND I tried a piece of it and it was NOT bad.

I know from experience, that milk in plastic carton kept in a frigerator will last at least 2 weeks past its best if used by date. And sometimes it will last a full month.

If you freeze meat on its best if used by date and if it has been kept cold, you can freeze it for 6 months in a 5 degree or colder freezer and then thaw it out and use it. And you can probably use it if it stays in your frig for three or 4 of maybe 7 days, after you thaw it out, before you use it.

If you are talking cheese, you can have it in the frig for at least a month after its best if used by date. As rule of thumb, I look at the best if used by date and subtract todays date from it. Then I know it will last that long past its best if used by date before I'm even slightly concerned about it. So if the best if used by date is 90 days away, then I know I can keep it for 90 days past its best if used by date and use it.

If you have questions, feel free to e-mail me.
When I was in the US Army in the mid 70's, we went on Field Training Exercises (FTX), sometimes called "War Games". We were given C-Rations to eat. (The "C" stands for "combat".) I accidently saw an "expiration date" on one of the boxes of C-Rations I was given to eat. It was over 25 years PAST the expiration date. All of the c-rations my troops and I were given to eat were 24 to 30 years old. None of us got sick from eating them and I'd say we ate c-rations on a 30-day FTX for 29 of the 30 days. And I was on several FTXs.

Best if used by dates and their predicessor, expiration dates, are simply a ANOTHER government program run amok.

Good luck to you and yours.

I cook meat immediately after thawing. If I thaw it and don't cook it the same day, it gets tossed. Maybe over cautious but I don't take chances with meat.

Are you talking about meats?

I prepare meat the same day that it is thawed or non-frozen....meaning if I don't freeze something the day I buy it, I make it that day. If I thaw meat--it's for that night or next day max.

Freezing drastically slows the decay process, but doesn't stop it completely. I'd only keep something a day or two after thawing, no matter what it is.

The only two items I have ever had a problem freezing are casseroles with celery or tomatoes in. If I make spaghetti sauce I like to add a can of sliced tomatoes and the tomatoes get mushy ao does the celery.

Other than that meat will last a long time in the feezer. And though hard to believe frozen veggies have more vitamins than the 'fresh' we find in the produce aisle. It's because they are picked and shipped for the fresh produce aisle and that takes longer than the picked and frozen veggies.