How long do condiments last when refrigerated?

[james t kirk]

I've got relish in my frige (home made stuff) that dates from 2000, or 2001.

I've got jams, mustards, etc. that are probably just as old. Some opened, some never opened.

There's no "Best Before" dates on them.

I'm wondering if they are still good. Hate to rebuy this kind of stuff. (They are custom condiments )

 

[Cycleguy007]

I've got relish in my frige (home made stuff) that dates from 2000, or 2001.

I've got jams, mustards, etc. that are probably just as old. Some opened, some never opened.

There's no "Best Before" dates on them.

I'm wondering if they are still good. Hate to rebuy this kind of stuff. (They are custom condiments)

Kinda makes you wonder if you should be consuming them AT ALL doesn't it???? (Even if they weren't expired... if such a thing is even possible...)

 

[kennedy1600]

JTK, unless a microbiologist is reading this and can comment, I would err on the side of caution and not take the risk. Home made stuff tastes great, but if the jars were not sterilised, there is a risk of a bacterial growth. Now, that said...I would think that it would look/smell bad if there were a problem....but really do you want to end up in the ER because of mustard?

 

[velvet touch]

ditto!!! Throw that stuff out!!! I think after you open the bottles, they last about a month to a month and a half.

 

[Twister]

Sounds like if you had them for so long you don't use them much, make an effort and throw the stuff away ....you'll be safer too. What? you wanna keep them for another 6 years? You can always call the company.....

 

[toughb]

Condiments can last long past their due dates. Especially pickled items, mustard etc. but not for the length of time you've had them.

Throw them.

Remember TERB rule #37. No dieing on TERB time. You'll get banned for that.

...

 

[The Options Menu]

As was mentioned, factory canned, jarred, and bottled good will last well past their expiry date if not dented or opened. (Which is scary in it's own way.) In most cases you can open them, expose then to air for a little while (in a refrigerator), then smell them and look at them. Anything that's heavily salted, or pickled, or laden with other preservatives will last a good while after opening. 'Homemade stuff' will generally degrade quicker, but if done properly and not opened their life can stretch into the years range. (Often 2 or 3 years.)

The simple rule is: if in doubt throw it out. Saving $3 on relish isn't worth 24 hours of worry over the sandwich you just ate, or actually getting sick. To put it in TERB terms, "Is the weeks of worry worth it to you if you've done something unsafe with a sex worker under sketchy circumstances?" Yeah. You're talking about relish dude.

edit: There's actually a story of the US Military testing some WWII era tinned rations on volunteers in the 90s. Apparently everybody was OK. The story was something to the effect of the military wanting to test the extreme end of the self life spectrum on these things. But yeah, relish in no way worth a day of worry or actually getting sick over, IMHO.

 

[WhaWhaWha]

Think of it this way.

When you bought that relish:

The average age woman we review on this forum was in grade 6.
Most people posting to this thread were not members of TERB and likely hadn't heard of it. James T Kirk and I had post counts well under 1,000.

There were no affordable high-definition television sets. And your cable provider wasn't broadcasting HDTV signals. No flat screens. A 36-inch analog TV, weighed over 125 lbs. Many of us were still using a dial-up, 56k narrowband Internet connection in major cities around the world. AOL and Compuserve were still major internet providers. Laptops weighed more than 10lbs with hardly any RAM and a 500MB hard drive and 3.5 inch floppies. Cel phones were bricks that barely fit in your pocket. There were no i-Pods or any other MP3 players. We listened to portable CDs and hauled boxes of albums with us. Napster was available but most people didn't know what it was for. VHS was in as was PlayStation ONE. Sega DreamCast was just released. My camera required film, which was developed at the pharmacy. Google was a year old. There was no Twitter, no Facebook, No Myspace, Flickr, Firefox, Netflix, Wikipedia, satellite radio, or any of the other endless assortment of digital services we enjoy today.

So unless you intend to put that relish on a Bronto Burger I'd say it's out dated.

 

[james t kirk]

wha, that post took allot of thinking.

I threw out a pile of jars of this and that this morning as it's garbage day. (Mayo, salad dressing that expired 1.5 years ago, etc.)

But I hesitated at the mustard, relish, jam, etc. I guess I should do a real complete culling of the condament shelf.

Ditto the President's choice shelf. I was looking at this PC Jerk Spice bottle. Half empty, no expiry date that I could see. I KNOW it dates from 97 or 98, but it's pure spices (like tar). Really should throw that shit out too.

It's funny cause I have this stuff in the fridge, but so seldomly use it. Then when you might want it - you don't have it.

 

[Brill]

Same rules as pussy except for that pussy needs to be at least 16.

If it looks good with no mold or fur and doesn't smell bad, I'd eat it.

 

[james t kirk]

Same rules as pussy except for that pussy needs to be at least 16.

If it looks good with no mold or fur and doesn't smell bad, I'd eat it.

Yeah, that's my general rule too. However, 10 year old relish - from Carp Ontario no less, probably time to bin it.

 

[onthebottom]

If you have to ask, throw it out....

OTB

 

[Cycleguy007]

Same rules as pussy except for that pussy needs to be at least 16.

If it looks good with no mold or fur and doesn't smell bad, I'd eat it.

I thought it was 18...

 

[Brill]

Actually 14, but 18 if she's selling her pussy or you're an authority figure.

But I'd sniff to see if she's 19 just to be sure.

 

[james t kirk]

On a similar topic, how long does beer last in the fridge. I'm not a beer drinker, but I have a few bottles for when friends come over.

They could be 2 years old or so...

 

[The Options Menu]

On a similar topic, how long does beer last in the fridge. I'm not a beer drinker, but I have a few bottles for when friends come over.

They could be 2 years old or so...

As long as they weren't left in the sun or exposed to the elements I'd still drink them without hesitation.

 

[Ref]

Give them to the homeless or just put them in those donation bins at the supermarket

 

[K Douglas]

I've eaten old mustard before its not pleasant. If you're not sure just chuck the entire lot. Most condiments have vinegar in them and if you've ever tried rancid vinegar you'd be wise to play it on the safe side.

 

[Aardvark154]

On a similar topic, how long does beer last

That's an interesting question, in my experience it depends upon the brand. Some Russian beers not so well on the other hand Keiths IPA will last for a couple of years without any problems (at least to my tastebuds).

 

[xix]

Okay JTK where did you find the tall chick sig picture?
Also is there a full version video of that tall lady in your sig?

Yes I have seen her before mentioned here on Terb.