‘Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within four weeks’

‘Once opened, keep refrigerated and use within four weeks’

Author
Discussion

BrotherMouzone

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

173 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
quotequote all
For garlic paste and ginger paste, the labels mention that they should be used within four weeks once opened, but are they safe to be consumed even after a few months?

Thanks.

Supernova190188

887 posts

138 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
quotequote all
I notice it says similar on mayonnaise but I've had an open jar in the fridge for the past 6 months and keep using it , haven't died yet!

calibrax

4,788 posts

210 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
quotequote all
Supernova190188 said:
I notice it says similar on mayonnaise but I've had an open jar in the fridge for the past 6 months and keep using it , haven't died yet!
I can do better than that, I keep my mayo in the cupboard and it's fine!

Japveesix

4,477 posts

167 months

Sunday 24th August 2014
quotequote all
I honestly don't think I ever seriously look at or take any notice of best by and use by dates other than when buying Bread and milk just to make sure I get the newest and freshest stuff.

Everything I just eat until it doesn't smell, taste or look right anymore.

Never seems to cause me any issues. I had Branston pickle from my grans cupboard after she died that (unopened) was about 5 years out of date but utterly lovely. Well matured.

Alucidnation

16,810 posts

169 months

Monday 25th August 2014
quotequote all
Mayo has raw egg, so one would think that could cause some upsets if it was way out of date!

biggrin

OzzyR1

5,701 posts

231 months

Monday 25th August 2014
quotequote all

I have an Indian cash & carry that's open to the public a few miles from me so pop in a couple of times a year to stock up.

Buy the 1kg tubs of garlic and ginger paste (about £3.50 compared with £1.90 for 100g in the high street supermarkets). Lives in the corner of the fridge being used a couple of times a week quite happily for 6 months, never had any problems.

Same as most things, if it looks or smells wrong, chuck it. If not, it's fine.

Manufacturers obviously have a vested interest in getting you to bin your half used product and buy a new jar from them every 4 weeks...

Steffan

10,362 posts

227 months

Monday 25th August 2014
quotequote all
OzzyR1 said:
I have an Indian cash & carry that's open to the public a few miles from me so pop in a couple of times a year to stock up.

Buy the 1kg tubs of garlic and ginger paste (about £3.50 compared with £1.90 for 100g in the high street supermarkets). Lives in the corner of the fridge being used a couple of times a week quite happily for 6 months, never had any problems.

Same as most things, if it looks or smells wrong, chuck it. If not, it's fine.

Manufacturers obviously have a vested interest in getting you to bin your half used product and buy a new jar from them every 4 weeks...
Fundamentally correct I think. The Mk 1 eyeball, sense of smell, ability to perceive changes etc that we should all possess are capable of discerning whether food has gone off IMO. However some caution must be exercised and I would certainly err on the side of safety.

I have eaten processed food such as pancakes well beyond the sell by dates and never had the slightest problem . Stored in a fridge actually maintaining low temperatures such foodstuffs do last well beyond the sell by dates which are clearly designed to allow some erring always on the minimalist side of marketing more product.

I would excerise serious caution with all shellfish and indeed all fish are concerned. Deterioration here can be very quick and not at all easily detected. Fish's and marine bodies are real trouble, if consumed, in a deteriorating state. Really serious illness can all too easily result.

But on bread and cakes and the like I think the examination of each item should suffice. Harvo bread has relatively short sell by dates but in reality remains fit for human consumption for weeks after that period. Probaably months but I eat it before then. Down to each individual to excerise his senses and judgement.

BrotherMouzone

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

173 months

Monday 25th August 2014
quotequote all
Thanks everyone for all the answers.

OzzyR1 said:
I have an Indian cash & carry that's open to the public a few miles from me so pop in a couple of times a year to stock up.

Buy the 1kg tubs of garlic and ginger paste (about £3.50 compared with £1.90 for 100g in the high street supermarkets). Lives in the corner of the fridge being used a couple of times a week quite happily for 6 months, never had any problems.
Exactly why I started this thread! Popped into my local Asian supermarket the other day and found some lovely stuff but they're all in big jars. biggrin


sgrimshaw

7,311 posts

249 months

Monday 25th August 2014
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If you are worried, then freeze some in ice cube trays or similar.

21TonyK

11,494 posts

208 months

Monday 25th August 2014
quotequote all
Alucidnation said:
Mayo has raw egg, so one would think that could cause some upsets if it was way out of date!

biggrin
Commercial doesnt, thats why most can be stored ambient for months.

Mobile Chicane

20,740 posts

211 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
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If it smells ok, it's good to eat. smile

However the answer to the OPs question is to buy 1Kg bags of ginger, garlic and chillies from the 'ethnic' part of the freezer section at Asda.

These are frozen into single-use blocks and are ridiculously cheap compared with buying fresh.

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
Japveesix said:
I honestly don't think I ever seriously look at or take any notice of best by and use by dates other than when buying Bread and milk just to make sure I get the newest and freshest stuff.
And cheese, although for the opposite reason, the "best before" date on most brie and camembert tends to be a reasonable indicator of when they're about ready to eat. Rather nicely most of the supermarkets reduce the price when they're nearly ready too smile


I find pesto can start to grow some mould when it's been sat in the fridge for a few weeks, but that's about the only thing that ever gets thrown out in our house

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
Mobile Chicane said:
If it smells ok, it's good to eat. smile

However the answer to the OPs question is to buy 1Kg bags of ginger, garlic and chillies from the 'ethnic' part of the freezer section at Asda.

These are frozen into single-use blocks and are ridiculously cheap compared with buying fresh.
And no mould is visible. wink

I source mine from the local asian supermarket. Haven't tried frozen chillies though. I suppose they don't lose heat?

LordGrover

33,532 posts

211 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
21TonyK said:
Alucidnation said:
Mayo has raw egg, so one would think that could cause some upsets if it was way out of date!

biggrin
Commercial doesnt, thats why most can be stored ambient for months.
I'd assumed that, probably pasteurised too.

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
soad said:
And no mould is visible. wink

I source mine from the local asian supermarket. Haven't tried frozen chillies though. I suppose they don't lose heat?
We chop and freeze our excess home grown chillis, they possibly lose a bit of heat but they still seem pretty potent to me.

Hugo a Gogo

23,378 posts

232 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
just freeze lumps of ginger root, you can grate it from frozen

soad

32,829 posts

175 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
RizzoTheRat said:
We chop and freeze our excess home grown chillis, they possibly lose a bit of heat but they still seem pretty potent to me.
Thanks.

RizzoTheRat

25,085 posts

191 months

Tuesday 26th August 2014
quotequote all
Never thought of grating ginger from frozen, will give that a try. Do you peel it before freezing?

Hugo a Gogo

23,378 posts

232 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
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RizzoTheRat said:
Never thought of grating ginger from frozen, will give that a try. Do you peel it before freezing?
I don't bother peeling it, you could though

omgus

7,305 posts

174 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
soad said:
RizzoTheRat said:
We chop and freeze our excess home grown chillis, they possibly lose a bit of heat but they still seem pretty potent to me.
Thanks.
Freeze my chillis whole when i pick them and can safely say that i notice no difference in potency. But then i do always add two when one should be enough because i'm an idiot and those little things don't look like they can spice up that big bowl. whistle