# Dealing with outdated food



## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

This is an offshoot of the "Dealing with massive clutter" thread. Because I'm a bit of a prepper I had amassed a large amount of food, some home canned and some commercially packaged. Before moving I went through the commercially packaged and gave a lot to a local food pantry. But the remainder of the commercially packaged is out of date, which doesn't bother me since the dates on food are pretty useless in determining quality. I mean, why on earth date things like salt or baking soda that lasts forever? But that's another topic. Food pantries won't accept out of date food.

I was raised by a mother who went through WWII and rationing in England, and was taught NEVER to waste food. Ie. don't throw any food away. But the fact is at my age I don't need 4 to 5 years of food hanging around, especially when storage is limited, plus my eating habits have changed and the food I've stored don't fit with my new eating plan. 

So.... how do you deal with out of date foods you no longer want, even when you know the food is still good? Do you bite the bullet and throw it away? 

I need some encouragement here as there are 11 boxes of canned and packaged food taking up space, plus a freezer full of meat that I'd like to pare down. <sigh>


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## roadless (Sep 9, 2006)

Depending on what it was I have given food to a farmer friend for his hogs.


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

roadless said:


> Depending on what it was I have given food to a farmer friend for his hogs.


That's what I would suggest.(hogs) also you can compost or feed worms with it
some things can be cooked and fed to dogs


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

At this exact point in time you would like, more space and less food stored. Fine, and if conditions remain as they are currently, great.

However, you could find your self in seven months starving to death, and with lots of open space to die in. I have found a solution to works for me, that involves caching outdated foods. And about two years ago I shifted to buying mostly foods with a 30 year storage life, and shifted to consuming more of my current SHTF foods.

Food that is for sure not eatable I feed to the wilderness animals that I enjoy watching, and living with. 






Belfrybat said:


> But the fact is at my age I don't need 4 to 5 years of food hanging around, especially when storage is limited, plus my eating habits have changed and the food I've stored don't fit with my new eating plan.
> 
> So.... how do you deal with out of date foods you no longer want, even when you know the food is still good? Do you bite the bullet and throw it away?
> 
> I need some encouragement here as there are 11 boxes of canned and packaged food taking up space, plus a freezer full of meat that I'd like to pare down. <sigh>


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## Belfrybat (Feb 21, 2003)

Sourdough said:


> At this exact point in time you would like, more space and less food stored. Fine, and if conditions remain as they are currently, great.
> 
> However, you could find your self in seven months starving to death, and with lots of open space to die in. I have found a solution to works for me, that involves caching outdated foods. And about two years ago I shifted to buying mostly foods with a 30 year storage life, and shifted to consuming more of my current SHTF foods.
> 
> Food that is for sure not eatable I feed to the wilderness animals that I enjoy watching, and living with.


I'm in a small apartment in town--no dogs, no hog farmers around here, plus I doubt they would want to open umpteen cans and boxes of food anyway. I no longer have the storage space I used to and my eating habits are changing. At 67 years old, if the SHTF, I wouldn't want to live past a few months anyway, so I figure a one year stock of food is ample.

I do have a couple of dozen large cans of long term (20-25 year) storage foods that I am keeping. It's the outdated items I am having problems with. My frugal soul hates to throw them out. I was looking for encouragement ("permission"?) that I could do that.


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## Sourdough (Dec 28, 2011)

Well, just set the cases (maybe two a week) out for the trash collector, he might know the best thing to do with them.




Belfrybat said:


> I'm in a small apartment in town--no dogs, no hog farmers around here, plus I doubt they would want to open umpteen cans and boxes of food anyway. I no longer have the storage space I used to and my eating habits are changing. At 67 years old, if the SHTF, I wouldn't want to live past a few months anyway, so I figure a one year stock of food is ample.
> 
> I do have a couple of dozen large cans of long term (20-25 year) storage foods that I am keeping. It's the outdated items I am having problems with. My frugal soul hates to throw them out. I was looking for encouragement ("permission"?) that I could do that.


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## M5farm (Jan 14, 2014)

Your in a city so u have vagrants and homeless. Take it to them. They eat alot worse


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## cfuhrer (Jun 11, 2013)

Do you know of any single mom's or shut-in seniors who could use it?

You can't donate it through official channels but that doesn't mean you can't give it to someone else privately.


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## secuono (Sep 28, 2011)

If it smells fine, looks fine, then we test a bite. If it tastes fine, we eat it. If not, our hogs get them. 
Though, we also leave food out for days on the counter, 65-70F house. Smells, looks, tastes fine, we eat it. But we have the right gut bacteria to do so. In many cultures, people purposefully rot and spoil food, then eat it. Same with burning to a crisp and eat it. 
If you introduce it carefully and control the process, we can eat near anything. But I'm about to get off topic...sorry. 

Had some chicken stock cubes from 6yrs ago or so, they were still fine. Outdated does not automatically mean you cannot eat it. We have some freezer burnt things, I've been getting used to the taste. It's fun to say "tastes like the freezer", lol!


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## BohemianWaxwing (Sep 13, 2014)

Post an ad in craigslist saying, "free expired foods on the curb at x Rd and y St" then set it all outside. It'll be gone before the trash collector gets it.

ETA I spent more time than I care to admit opening tiny expired baby food jars from the pregnancy center where DW volunteers. But we raised our piglet for close to nothing and she's delish.


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## Maura (Jun 6, 2004)

I agree with the others in giving it to street people. Drive around, see where they congregate. Bring out a box and give it to some one. They might need a can opener.


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## WildernesFamily (Mar 11, 2006)

I agree with BohemianWaxwing. If possible, try set it out a few hours before trash collection comes and then post a notice on CL. If someone takes it, great! If not, the trash will take it and you no longer need to concern yourself over it...

It is okay to throw away expired food that you don't need. Let it go.

And you said panties in the OP.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Our chickens will eat almost everything except for kidney beans for some reason. I found some canned fruit dated 08. Cans were still good but tasted nasty.

So find someone with chickens.


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## HillBettyMama (Aug 29, 2015)

Good catch wilderness family, now I'm chuckling.
But back to the topic on hand. I agree with the Craigslist suggestion, chances are they will disappear before the garbage collector comes. As for the home canned items, perhaps phrase the add "free canning supplies" I would like to think anyone who cans would be able to. Use their judgement on the contents...


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## romysbaskets (Aug 29, 2009)

Great suggestions! Setting it beside the trash with an ad on CL is not throwing it away. You can release the feelings you have because you don't need to check to see if it was picked up before the trash came! I am assuming you will dump out the canning jars to reuse them, right? If not, the suggestion to list canning supplies...could also be worded canning jars, need cleaned out. I traded a lady plants and things I make for a huge box of canning jars...they needed a very thorough cleaning! For extra storage for long lasting dry or canned foods, you might use the open space under your bed.... It is surprising just how much fits under there!


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