Shelf Life
Is this a deal or not?
I have a $h#t load of dried figs.
These figs could be prettier.
I have two different people in my life. One person sees a Best By date, and that item immediately goes in the trash. The other disregards the date completely. Who’s right?
As a whole, we are quite wasteful people, and I'm trying to think through my part of it. According to the FDA, "The FDA identified that about 20% of all food waste does indeed stem from confusion over date labeling, resulting in 133 billion pounds of discarded food worth $161 billion." Yikes.
On my shelves are dried figs from Spain with a Best Before, date of June 2022. Actually, they started to look not very pretty several months before the Best Before date. That’s my shelf life. Looking not pretty means they are beginning to have a mottled look about them which is just sugars coming to the surface. But, they will not look pretty on a cheese board, which was why they were purchased.So, I’m stuck with them.
A "Best Before" date indicates when a product will be of the best flavor or at its peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
So now I have a lot of dried figs in my personal pantry. Wanna know what I did?. I did something that I don't usually do, bake. And it worked out great! Look for Fig and Walnut Foccacia recipe at the end. Also, I know Giada De Laurentiis has an delicious recipe for a fig port sauce. It doesn't seem seasonal to me, but why not try it on something grilled (I told myself) cuz… I have a boat load of dried figs.
One of my shelves.
While I was looking at shelves and cursing my buying habits, I realized I was using the word expiration date. I'm sure my throw this in the trash immediately (sister) is thinking expires on: when she makes that call to toss.
I have to admit, expiration is a pretty ominous word. So I decided to go through the terms and see precisely what they all mean. Oddly I don't even see expired by used any longer.
"Sell-By" date tells the store how long to display the product for sale for inventory management. It is not a safety date. According to studies, "one-third of a food's shelf-life remains after the sell-by date for the consumer to use at home." For instance, under proper refrigeration, milk should last five to seven days before its sell-by date before turning sour. That doesn't always work for me at home. My milk is stored in a refrigerator that runs closer to 40 degrees. Up north, we have milk in a fridge that sometimes isn't opened for weeks at a time. It is set at a 34-36 constant temp. So, the milk can still be good a month after the expiration (oops) SELL BY date.
PS- My other person, JZ, doesn't want to waste a thing. So he flinches when I clean cupboards every spring. I save all canned/boxed/bagged goods dated 2019 and above. We also have a snack tasting challenge, and come July 4th, we all pitch in to taste open bags of snacks. My Lulu (age almost 4) is really good at this. Also I’m instructed not to chuck the year old open mayo in the fridge. I used it and I’m here to tell the tale. Is that ok? probably, but, that is a whole other research project, so don’t quote me on that.
"Use-By" date is the last date recommended for the use of the product while at peak quality. Again, it is not a safety date. This is the suggested date by which you should eat the food. But close the trash lid. Just because it's a day or two past the use-by date again, it won't make you sick if you eat it. But, you should examine the product.
"Freeze-By" date indicates when a product should be frozen to maintain peak quality. It is not a purchase or safety date.
The USDA says, "Most shelf-stable foods are safe indefinitely. In fact, canned goods will last for years, as long as the can itself is in good condition (no rust, dents, or swelling." (I give it 4 years). "Packaged foods (cereal, pasta, cookies) will be safe past the 'best by date, although they may eventually become stale or develop an off-flavor." (The reason for our July 4th taste off.)
And finally:
Sana Mujahid, manager of food-safety research at Consumer Reports, says, "the best way to know whether a perishable food has spoiled is simply to "trust your taste buds and sense of smell."
Foods past their prime often develop mold, bacteria, and yeast, causing them to give warning signs to your senses. Spoiled food will usually look different in texture and color, smell unpleasant, and taste bad before it becomes unsafe to eat. Foodborne illness comes from contamination, not from the natural process of decay.
Taste and smell first. Trust your nose; it knows.
Trust your nose.
So unfortunately for me as a retailer, having lots of shelf options and selling them long before that pesky date comes into play is a juggling act. As it sits for Food Union, my number one problem is my lack of discipline in buying items I personally want! Therefor my shelves have more STUFF than they should according to my sales.
Mid-July, I am going through my inventory and having a big sale, so I can recoup and look for new items! Really? Yes, I have no control. I must get new things! So watch for both the sale and new items!
Fig, Rosemary and Walnut Foccacia
I followed this recipe from Bon Appetit click HERE, adding the dried figs, walnuts and rosemary right before baking. I was surprised it worked, haha, and it was really tasty! My hole punching needs to improve which will also allow for the olive oil and rosemary to permeate the bread better.
My hole punching needs to improve.
Perfect cheese partner.
Should you ever find yourself with an over abundance of dried fruit you can rehydrate! Boil some water. Pour over dried fruit (in a bowl of course!) Let steep for 15 minutes or so, drain and use. Sub fruit juices, rum, brandy or wine, in place of water.
Over and out I have some sell-by chocolate to investigate!