We at Letpads know that money is tight for all students, so this week’s blog is about how to make the most of your food. Look no further read the information below and you may even save a bob or two!
Expiry dates on food are a good way to know whether or not something is safe to eat, but for some items they’re really more of a suggestion than a hard-and-fast rule. As long as they’ve stored properly, many foods can still safely be consumed past their expiration date or best-before date. Keep in mind that your eyes and nose are still the best way to check if a product is still good to eat. The nose really does know.
Hard cheese
Cheese is one of those foods that you might toss should it pass its expiry date, but you’d be wasting good cheddar! The way the cheese is made and aged allows it to remain safe to eat even past its expiry date. Just be sure to cut off any mould at least two or three centimetres before you dig in.
Cereal
As long as you keep your cereal stored in a cool, dark place and the bag is well sealed, cereal can easily last months longer than its expiry date. It might be a little stale, but it’s still safe to consume.
Canned goods
Most canned goods have expiry dates that are about three years after they’ve been shelved, but as long as there ae no dents or rust on the cans, and they’ve been stored in a cool space, they’re safe to eat for another three to four years after that.
Bread
Like cereal, bread might get a little stale past its expiration date, but it’s still safe to eat. In fact, stale bread makes the best croutons for salads! Even if there’s a bit of mould on the end, just cut it off before you enjoy a slice.
Eggs
Eggs are one of those staples that not all homes go through before they reach their expiry date, and that perfectly OK. You can tell if an egg is still good to eat by placing it in a glass of water. If it sinks dig in, if it floats, toss it.
Pasta
This is one of the student staple item PASTA! Dry pasta has a rather long shelf life already, at one to two years, but because it doesn’t contain any water, it can actually last even longer than that. Be sure to keep it in a cool, dry place to prolong its life.
Butter
It’s best to keep only small portions of butter on the counter in order to avoid it spoiling. Kept in the fridge (or better yet, the freezer) butter is perfectly fine to eat past its expiration date, as long as it doesn’t smell rancid.
Crisps
Once again crisps may be a little stale after their expiry date, but they’re still perfectly safe to eat. If the bag is sealed, you should be fine for a few months past the best-before.