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Past my sell-by

Head Rambles Posted on by

I had a wee snack last night.

It was just one of those occasions where I fancied a sandwich.  It doesn’t happen very often as I am by no means a big eater.

So I checked the fridge and there were a couple of lumps of Cheddar cheese.  I like Cheddar, preferably red and maybe quite “mature” like myself.  However a cheese sandwich, while it would be filling enough didn’t quite tickle my fancy.  I thought of throwing some pickle in with the cheese or maybe even some chutney.  But then I realised what I would really like – Marmite!

I like Marmite on a cheese sandwich, so I searched the cupboards and there was a jar.  It was nearly empty, but still had enough for a grand smear.  I must say it was an enjoyable little snack.

After, I got to wondering how long that jar had been on the shelf.  I examined the jar for a sell-by and there it was –

April 11.

Now the question arises: what exactly did that mean?  Was it the 11th of April next year?  Was it April the 11th this year, which would put it at eight months out of date?  Or maybe it was the most likely – the end of April 2011?  The label really wasn’t any help at all.  The only way of judging was to wait and see if I had the squits next day.  I am happy to say I didn’t.

I don’t trust those “sell-by” things anyway.  One of the blocks of cheese had a future sell-by date but was covered in mould.  I binned that and used another that had an older date.  It was fine.  I have more than a sneaking suspicion that they use those dates to fool people into chucking out stuff that is perfectly edible.  I have used eggs that were months past their date and never had a problem.  I have had to bin milk that was sour long before it was supposed to expire.

Frankly the only time I ever look at the date is when I am buying stuff, particularly stuff that has a very short shelf life, as the later the date, the fresher it is.

The only item that is likely to make me somewhat wary is if the price sticker shows the price in shillings and pence.

I must clean out those cupboards some time.

 

Comments

Past my sell-by — 10 Comments

  1. Why do bottles, glass, of water have sell/use by dates.

    Used to work in a creamery that made cheese. Once in its sealed wrapper it could be kept for years in big refrigerated warehouses.

    Pre refrigerators and plastic sealing cheese travelled the world with no sbd. Read Robinson Crusoe.

    Red cheddar is just white cheddar with a dye added to the milk during the curding process. No taste difference.

    Happy Christmas to you, yours and all your readers.

    Lang May Yer Lum Reek.

    • You have just destroyed my illusions about red Cheddar.  Thanks.

      And a Happy Christmas to you too.

      P.S.  I used to work in Cheddar and the cheese they make there is nothing like the stuff sold in shops!

  2. You like Marmite?!? That’s after praying to the Devil! Only a German chemist could have come up with it.

    Then again you like Condor so I suppose I shouldn’t be so shocked. Next you’ll be telling me you’re a Harry Potter fan and then I shall have to delete you from my Xmas card list.

    On a serious note I was reading a German Smokers Right’s site the other day and they were telling people that tobacco only keeps for 3 months! Even UK Customs have accepted that it will keep fresh for a year. The amount of fucking embalming fluid in some ‘tobaccos’ that stuff will keep until the The Rapture.

    • No.  Never read a Harry Potter book.  I do confess to reading stuff by Robert Galbraith.  Does that count?

  3. It’s a standing joke between me and the wife that everything we drag out of the cupboard to use is at least two years past its sell-by date. Not fresh foods, obviously, but tins and jars and bottles. It always seems to be fine. Tastes ok, and we don’t get ill. Marmite should last forever – it’s basically salt, which has been used as a preservative since the dawn of time. Same as honey, which always sports a sell-by date. Christ, they’ve dug jars of honey out of the pyramids, thousands of years old, and it’s still been good.

    Sell-by dates are, in many, if not most instances, a scam.

  4.  
    Grandad,
    Never mind those dates, I like the Joseph Leonard quote;
    “Never eat anything whose listed contents cover more than one-third of the packaging.”
    Having said that, other than dates as you say, who reads contents labels? Have you seen the small print on a pack of frozen peas? Packaging isn’t getting bigger to hold more peas; it’s to hold more print.
     

  5. I tend to ignore dates too, if it looks and smells ok that’s fine. How did we all survive to adulthood! Happy Christmas and my very best wishes for 2018 to you and your family. X

  7. My simple test of food is a combination of smell, colour and logic.  If it stinks, it’s dead.  If its colour is not quite what Nature intended.  If it contains any form of preservative it’s most likely fine.  I haven’t died the day yet.

    In defence of my liking Marmite – Surely you must realise I’m not that pushed if my jar is over six years old?  😉

  8. A late entry.

    Vegemite, or even Tesco’s own brand yeast extract is less funny than Marmite, and I think better. I also like it on cheddar on an oatcake.

    It also is nice on a lamb chop, or any bit of pan fried lamb, put on top just after the last turn in the pan.

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