Thread: Shelf life

My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.

"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
good?"

I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I won't
eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time ..............
Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........

I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it on
Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly landed
on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will leave chicken
to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.

I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
kitchen safety re: foods.

I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will still
say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."

Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send to
her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it comes
from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).

Steve

SteveB wrote:
> My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
> you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.
>
> Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send to
> her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it comes
> from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>
> Steve

That reminds me, I think there's a bit of turkey, some stuffing and
gravy left in there, somewhere. Time for lunch...

Wayne Boatwright wrote:

> On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
>
>
>>My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
>>that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as
>>shelf life.
>>
>>"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
>>good?"
>>
>>I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
>>won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
>>.............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>>
>>I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it
>>on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly
>>landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will
>>leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>>
>>I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
>>kitchen safety re: foods.
>>
>>I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
>>still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>>
>>Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
>>send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it
>>if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>>
>>Steve
>
>
> Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a shelf
> life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a shelf life.
> :-)
>

Either that or stage midnight command raids on the fridge, eliminating
suspect foods.

I'll never forget being invited to dinner at my future parent-in-laws
house and being offered previously opened bottled salad dressings that
were FIVE YEARS out of date.

That was just the tip of the extremely disgusting iceberg.

And years later, my MIL, a prime example of Darwin's Hammer, was
offended when I declined to leave our infant daughter with her for
overnight visits.

In article <[email protected]>,
"SteveB" <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:

> My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
> you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.
>
> "Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> good?"
>
> I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I won't
> eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time ..............
> Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>
> I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it on
> Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly landed
> on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will leave chicken
> to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>
> I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> kitchen safety re: foods.
>
> I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will still
> say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."

> Steve

Tell her that refrigeration does not prevent spoilage; it only delays it.

--
-Barb, Mother Superior, HOSSSPoJ
<http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/amytaylor> -- the world can
learn much about grace from Amy and Warren.

"Wayne Boatwright" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected] 5.247...
> On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
>
>> My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
>> that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as
>> shelf life.
>>
>> "Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
>> good?"
>>
>> I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
>> won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
>> .............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>>
>> I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it
>> on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly
>> landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will
>> leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>>
>> I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
>> kitchen safety re: foods.
>>
>> I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
>> still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>>
>> Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
>> send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it
>> if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>>
>> Steve
>
> Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a shelf
> life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a shelf
> life.
> :-)
>
> --
> Wayne Boatwright

What I'm waiting for, and somewhat hoping, is that she will have an
intestinal bout with something caused by this and learn her own lesson. But
then, if the doctor asked her what she ate lately, she'd just say, "Nothing
that hasn't been refrigerated."

Steve

On Sat 13 Dec 2008 09:13:56p, SteveB told us...

>
> "Kathleen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:QnY0l.4938$%[email protected]..
>> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>> On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
>>>
>>>
>>>>My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
>>>>that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing
>>>>as shelf life.
>>>>"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is
>>>>this good?"
>>>>
>>>>I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
>>>>won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
>>>>.............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>>>>
>>>>I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw
>>>>it on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a
>>>>fly landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she
>>>>will leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>>>>
>>>>I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
>>>>kitchen safety re: foods.
>>>>
>>>>I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
>>>>still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>>>>
>>>>Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
>>>>send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe
>>>>it if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>>>>
>>>>Steve
>>>
>>>
>>> Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a
>>> shelf life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a
>>> shelf life. :-)
>>>
>>
>> Either that or stage midnight command raids on the fridge, eliminating
>> suspect foods.
>>
>> I'll never forget being invited to dinner at my future parent-in-laws
>> house and being offered previously opened bottled salad dressings that
>> were FIVE YEARS out of date.
>>
>> That was just the tip of the extremely disgusting iceberg.
>>
>> And years later, my MIL, a prime example of Darwin's Hammer, was
>> offended when I declined to leave our infant daughter with her for
>> overnight visits.
>
> I commonly go through the fridge when left home alone. Only thing worse
> than being served something out of date is being told to taste it and
> see if it's bad.
>
> Steve
>
>
>

Ugh, yes!

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Saturday, 12(XII)/13(XIII)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Christmas Day
1wks 4dys 3hrs 38mins
************************************************** **********************
Clinton excuse #15: Hey - I just do what the wife says
************************************************** **********************

"Kathleen" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:QnY0l.4938$%[email protected]..
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
>> On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
>>
>>
>>>My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
>>>that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as
>>>shelf life.
>>>"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
>>>good?"
>>>
>>>I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
>>>won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
>>>.............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>>>
>>>I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it
>>>on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly
>>>landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will
>>>leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>>>
>>>I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
>>>kitchen safety re: foods.
>>>
>>>I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
>>>still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>>>
>>>Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
>>>send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it
>>>if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>>>
>>>Steve
>>
>>
>> Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a shelf
>> life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a shelf
>> life. :-)
>>
>
> Either that or stage midnight command raids on the fridge, eliminating
> suspect foods.
>
> I'll never forget being invited to dinner at my future parent-in-laws
> house and being offered previously opened bottled salad dressings that
> were FIVE YEARS out of date.
>
> That was just the tip of the extremely disgusting iceberg.
>
> And years later, my MIL, a prime example of Darwin's Hammer, was offended
> when I declined to leave our infant daughter with her for overnight
> visits.

I commonly go through the fridge when left home alone. Only thing worse
than being served something out of date is being told to taste it and see if
it's bad.

Steve

"Melba's Jammin'" <[email protected]> wrote

> Tell her that refrigeration does not prevent spoilage; it only delays it.
>

BTDT.

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 20:13:56 -0800, "SteveB" <toquerville@zionvistas>
wrote:

>Only thing worse
>than being served something out of date is being told to taste it and see if
>it's bad.

They're alive, you're alive. All is well.


--
I never worry about diets. The only carrots that
interest me are the number of carats in a diamond.

Mae West

In article <[email protected]>,
"SteveB" <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:

> My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
> you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.
>
> "Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> good?"
>
> I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I won't
> eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time ..............
> Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>
> I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it on
> Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly landed
> on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will leave chicken
> to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>
> I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> kitchen safety re: foods.
>
> I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will still
> say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>
> Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send to
> her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it comes
> from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>
> Steve

You can't educate some people. <g>
For cooked foods, my limit is 7 days. Period.

I generally thaw some meats on the counter for 3 or 4 hours, then they
go in the 'frige but that's only if I'm planning on cooking them THAT
day. If I plan far enough ahead, they get thawed in the 'frige for
however long it takes.

Shelf life of veggies is up to the veggie. I've recently discovered
tho' that many veggies keep better at room temp! I'm taking my examples
from the grocery store. I figure there is a reason the produce section
is not refrigerated.

Iceberg lettuce especially I've noted turns brown FASTER in the
refrigerator than it does if left in the kitchen produce baskets.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

In article <DmY0l.6671$[email protected]>,
Dave Bell <[email protected]> wrote:

> SteveB wrote:
> > My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that
> > if
> > you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf
> > life.
> >
> > Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send
> > to
> > her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it
> > comes
> > from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
> >
> > Steve
>
> That reminds me, I think there's a bit of turkey, some stuffing and
> gravy left in there, somewhere. Time for lunch...

Yer crazy. <g> I'll bet it's gone south by now!
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

In article <[email protected]>,
"SteveB" <toquerville@zionvistas> wrote:

> I commonly go through the fridge when left home alone. Only thing worse
> than being served something out of date is being told to taste it and see if
> it's bad.
>
> Steve

<lol> Okay, that was funny. ;-) Whatever happened to the "sniff test"?
The only stuff in my 'frige that does tend to stay forever are
condiments! But even those, I try to go thru them annually...

Soy type sauces are the exception. They do last a LOT longer due to all
the salt in them. Same goes for vinegar type items.
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

On Sat, 13 Dec 2008 16:20:45 -0800, SteveB wrote:

> My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
> you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.
>
> "Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> good?"
>
> I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I won't
> eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time ..............
> Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>
> I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it on
> Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly landed
> on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will leave chicken
> to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>
> I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> kitchen safety re: foods.
>
> I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will still
> say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>
> Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send to
> her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it comes
> from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>
> Steve

would something from the u.s.d.a. help?

<http://www.foodsafety.gov/~fsg/f01chart.html>

they're pretty conservative (to my way of thinking), but at least she can't
say you're making this stuff up.

your pal,
blake

SteveB wrote:
>
> My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
> you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.
>
> "Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> good?"
>
> I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I won't
> eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time ..............
> Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>
> I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it on
> Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly landed
> on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will leave chicken
> to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>
> I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> kitchen safety re: foods.
>
> I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will still
> say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>
> Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send to
> her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it comes
> from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>
> Steve

If it's been in the freezer at 0 or below, and it was good when it went
in, then it *is* still good, at least from a safety perspective. Not so
if it's in the refrigerator.

Kathleen wrote:
>
> Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>
> > On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
> >
> >
> >>My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
> >>that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as
> >>shelf life.
> >>
> >>"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> >>good?"
> >>
> >>I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
> >>won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
> >>.............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
> >>
> >>I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it
> >>on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly
> >>landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will
> >>leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
> >>
> >>I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> >>kitchen safety re: foods.
> >>
> >>I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
> >>still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
> >>
> >>Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
> >>send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it
> >>if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
> >>
> >>Steve
> >
> >
> > Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a shelf
> > life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a shelf life.
> > :-)
> >
>
> Either that or stage midnight command raids on the fridge, eliminating
> suspect foods.
>
> I'll never forget being invited to dinner at my future parent-in-laws
> house and being offered previously opened bottled salad dressings that
> were FIVE YEARS out of date.
>
> That was just the tip of the extremely disgusting iceberg.
>
> And years later, my MIL, a prime example of Darwin's Hammer, was
> offended when I declined to leave our infant daughter with her for
> overnight visits.

Realize that many of those a "best by" dates, not expiration or safety
related dates, particularly for stuff like salad dressing.

Pete C. wrote:

> Kathleen wrote:
>
>>Wayne Boatwright wrote:
>>
>>
>>>On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>>>My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
>>>>that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as
>>>>shelf life.
>>>>
>>>>"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
>>>>good?"
>>>>
>>>>I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
>>>>won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
>>>>.............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
>>>>
>>>>I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it
>>>>on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly
>>>>landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will
>>>>leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
>>>>
>>>>I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
>>>>kitchen safety re: foods.
>>>>
>>>>I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
>>>>still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
>>>>
>>>>Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
>>>>send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it
>>>>if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
>>>>
>>>>Steve
>>>
>>>
>>>Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a shelf
>>>life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a shelf life.
>>>:-)
>>>
>>
>>Either that or stage midnight command raids on the fridge, eliminating
>>suspect foods.
>>
>>I'll never forget being invited to dinner at my future parent-in-laws
>>house and being offered previously opened bottled salad dressings that
>>were FIVE YEARS out of date.
>>
>>That was just the tip of the extremely disgusting iceberg.
>>
>>And years later, my MIL, a prime example of Darwin's Hammer, was
>>offended when I declined to leave our infant daughter with her for
>>overnight visits.
>
>
> Realize that many of those a "best by" dates, not expiration or safety
> related dates, particularly for stuff like salad dressing.

Realize a bottle of cheap-ass supermarket bottled dressing might cost,
what three bucks? And when you take the lid off of a bottle of
something that's supposed to be "creamy" and there's a plug of congealed
god knows what in the neck, maybe it's time to take the "Best By" date
to heart.

SteveB wrote:

> "Melba's Jammin'" <[email protected]> wrote
>
>
>>Tell her that refrigeration does not prevent spoilage; it only delays it.
>>
>
>
> BTDT.
>
>

Try replacing the term "spoilage" with "rot", "decay", or "decompose".

Those verbs tend to convey the concept a little more efficiently.

In article <49453d05$0$28008$[email protected] .com>,
"Pete C." <[email protected]> wrote:

> SteveB wrote:
> >
> > My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea that if
> > you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as shelf life.
> >
> > "Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> > good?"
> >
> > I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I won't
> > eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time ..............
> > Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
> >
> > I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it on
> > Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly landed
> > on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will leave chicken
> > to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
> >
> > I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> > kitchen safety re: foods.
> >
> > I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will still
> > say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
> >
> > Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could send to
> > her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it if it comes
> > from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
> >
> > Steve
>
> If it's been in the freezer at 0 or below, and it was good when it went
> in, then it *is* still good, at least from a safety perspective. Not so
> if it's in the refrigerator.

People in Siberia have eaten Mammoth that's been frozen for several
thousand years...

Or so it's been rumored.

A google for that turned up mixed results. <g>

I personally set a limit of two years without copious trimming. I detest
the taste of freezer burn!
--
Peace! Om

"Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them humanity cannot survive." -- Dalai Lama

Kathleen wrote:
>
> Pete C. wrote:
>
> > Kathleen wrote:
> >
> >>Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> >>
> >>
> >>>On Sat 13 Dec 2008 05:20:45p, SteveB told us...
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>>My wife and mother in law (I see where my wife got it) have the idea
> >>>>that if you put something in the refrigerator, there is no such thing as
> >>>>shelf life.
> >>>>
> >>>>"Well, it's been in the refrigerator," is the common answer to "Is this
> >>>>good?"
> >>>>
> >>>>I finally made a rule that if you can't tell me when it was cooked, I
> >>>>won't eat it................ Oh, I cooked that last week some time
> >>>>.............. Was it Thursday, or the Thursday before .........
> >>>>
> >>>>I'm telling you, we went through the Clorox wipes thing after she saw it
> >>>>on Oprah, and wiped down everything in the kitchen if so much as a fly
> >>>>landed on anything in the kitchen including the ceiling, but she will
> >>>>leave chicken to thaw from 7 AM to 4 PM in the sink at 70 F.
> >>>>
> >>>>I need to get ahold of Oprah and have her do a show on shelf life and
> >>>>kitchen safety re: foods.
> >>>>
> >>>>I mean, it can have brown mold on it, be unrecognizable, and she will
> >>>>still say, "I don't understand it. It's been in the refrigerator."
> >>>>
> >>>>Help me out. I've tried explaining it. Some good sites that I could
> >>>>send to her friends, and they could forward to her (she won't believe it
> >>>>if it comes from me, but her friends and Oprah are Goddesses).
> >>>>
> >>>>Steve
> >>>
> >>>
> >>>Perhaps if you can't convince your wife that virtually foods have a shelf
> >>>life, refrigerated or not, that you will have to assign *her* a shelf life.
> >>>:-)
> >>>
> >>
> >>Either that or stage midnight command raids on the fridge, eliminating
> >>suspect foods.
> >>
> >>I'll never forget being invited to dinner at my future parent-in-laws
> >>house and being offered previously opened bottled salad dressings that
> >>were FIVE YEARS out of date.
> >>
> >>That was just the tip of the extremely disgusting iceberg.
> >>
> >>And years later, my MIL, a prime example of Darwin's Hammer, was
> >>offended when I declined to leave our infant daughter with her for
> >>overnight visits.
> >
> >
> > Realize that many of those a "best by" dates, not expiration or safety
> > related dates, particularly for stuff like salad dressing.
>
> Realize a bottle of cheap-ass supermarket bottled dressing might cost,
> what three bucks? And when you take the lid off of a bottle of
> something that's supposed to be "creamy" and there's a plug of congealed
> god knows what in the neck, maybe it's time to take the "Best By" date
> to heart.

Yea, that's pretty nasty.

I don't normally do the creamy type dressings other than Marie's Super
Blue. For the Super Blue, I generally don't go more than a week past the
"best by" date. For other vinaigrette type dressings that stay in the
refrigerator, a year past the "best by" date isn't going to bother me.
Nothing gets older than that since I try to clean the fridge at least
once a year, putting everything in coolers while I clean the fridge and
shelves and then checking dates as I put things back.