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Aym42 t1_iu6gfin wrote

Reply to comment by Preesi in [Homemade] Heavy Cream Yogurt by Preesi

2 pints of heavy cream approaching their sell-by date or 2 pints of heavy cream with a distinct odor?

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Preesi OP t1_iu6h6rk wrote

Approaching. I never use anything past the sell by best by date

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carvedmuss8 t1_iu72dw2 wrote

My grandmother and her 3 weeks expired milk would like a word with you about your waste

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Gastronomicus t1_iu7nm5f wrote

Why not? It's not as if things are automatically spoiled beyond that date. It's a guideline. Things can spoil well before then if opened long before that date and can last well beyond it if opened close to it or even afterwards.

Dairy tend to be pretty easy to tell when its going off.

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keestie t1_iu7t8xm wrote

As a former dumpster-diver, I would encourage you to explore the use of your senses. The sell-by date is not completely disconnected from the chance of spoilage, but it isn't really tied to it either. It's as much about keeping a steady flow of products so that all of the upstream systems can work effectively. If it smells ok, it is ok. Dairy is a very good communicator; it'll tell you when it wants to go.

In any case, you made something wonderful and I'm happy for you. But just be aware that the date is not there principally for your safety, and a lot of food remains safe well after the date has passed. In most cases, your eyes and nose are the best judge.

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Preesi OP t1_iu8j0z9 wrote

I will do what I feel best for me.

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keestie t1_iu8vyt1 wrote

As you should. Just giving you some information that it seems most people don't have.

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denzien t1_iubts95 wrote

I have found dairy expiration dates to be pretty accurate. Sell by is a mystery ... does it mean it'll be bad tomorrow? 3 days? A week?

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keestie t1_iubukwi wrote

It doesn't mean it's going to be bad in any period of time. That's what I'm saying. It's not directly related to the time a product is going to go bad. Have you actually smelled products that have passed their date? Cuz I have, and they generally are fine for a week or two after, as long as they were kept closed and mostly refrigerated.

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triggerismydawg t1_iu7gvhd wrote

Yeah, uh, me neither 🤥

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Duosion t1_iu7kgku wrote

Totally, me too……. (To be fair, plenty of sell by dates are just total bull shit and can be ignored.)

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keestie t1_iu7tlrd wrote

They can often be ignored, but they're not actually bullshit, they're just not for you. They're for the people who stock the shelves. If a product is past it's sell-by date, it gets tossed whether it's bad or not (it's usually not), and it is more to do with keeping a steady flow of inventory and keeping upstream systems working smoothly.

The (quite significant) loss of good food is acceptable to the seller because it keeps the incoming product fresh and consistent, which maintains their brand, and keeps their suppliers happy and willing to work with them. I understand why companies do it but it wastes massive amounts of perfectly good food and it's a genuine tragedy.

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StrLord_Who t1_iu81bon wrote

Then you are throwing out a whole lot of perfectly good food. Unless you are saying you always manage to use it up first. "Sell by/best by" dates are NOT expiration dates or even close.

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