How long after a 'best before' date are vegetables safe to use?!
How long after a 'best before' date are vegetables safe to use?
I want to try out a recipe tonight with some veg (ie carrots, parsnips, sweet potatoes and onions) I've had in my fridge for a couple of weeks, but their best before dates are all between the 8th and 10th of May. They look fine but are they still ok to use or shall I just go and get some more?!
Answers:
Most veggies can be stored for a very long time at the right conditions (dry, cool). Unless there is any mold or slime on the veggies you should be able to use them. The main problem is that older veggies are often somewhat soft and not crunchy anymore but that does not matter if you cook them anyways. Since these veggies are all solid ( eg don't use already cut onions that are past the exp. date) any microorganism growth can not penetrate the veggie very far/fast, so even if one end of the veggie seems to be somewhat soft/ moldy (often happens with onions) you can still use the good part of it.
Source(s):
I am a microbiologist
No.
They are probably fine.
Vegetable will stay about a week out of date.
I use them until they turn brown, go mushy or just plain smell bad.
If they look ok and not all bendy or sprouting things i would probably use them, especially in a curry or something as it wouldn't notice!
As long as they look fine, smell fine and are still firm they're fine to use
Until they show signs of wrinkling, rotting, turning brown, soft spots or mold. If any of those are present, you could cut out the bad spots or throw it away.
sometimes they're even bad before the 'best before' date
Look both ways before you cross the street and don't forget your umbrella. Oh, and chew each mouthful thirty-two rimes...can't you decide anything for yourself?
As long as there isn't any rotten spots, they are fine; or you can cut around any soft spots and still use them. Go ahead, use them.
useally about 2 days
There is a difference between "best before" and "consume by".
Best before simply means that the veg is at its very best before that date and any time after the veg cannot be garaunteed to be at its best,it will slowly oxidise and go bad,
Consume by is a date given to indicate that after that date you would be best throwing it in the bin.
So you would be fine to eat the veg if only a few days after the best before date.
I was once told a week.... but use your own judgement; if the vegetables are still firm then they should be ok.
Hmm. I think you should probably get rid of them and use something fresh - probably will taste better, too.
My dad works for the agriculture dept, so I get lectured about food safety a lot. I always throw things out a few days before the "best before" dates or on, as taught by him. Some things may be ok. I'm sure the potatoes are fine if they aren't molding on the outside or feeling smushy... onion, I'm sure are fine, too... I'm not too familiar with parsnips, haha, but the carrots I would at least replace.
cdeeeeeeeeeeff vgtggggggg vccccccccccccccccccccccccccccc... ceeweeeeeeweeeeeeeeeewwwwawawe...
If they are still firm and the skin is not wrinkly they should be OK provided when you slice them they are not dried up, I use the best before date as a guide rather than a strict rule after all they are not going to change at one minute after midnight so if they look OK and feel OK. then they should be OK
If they look okay, then they are. Vegatables get brown and slimy when they go bad.
If they look ok then I would use them,whats the point of chucking something out that's good enough to eat.
The "hard root" veggies tend to last longer you may need to replace some of the mentioned items. Start the recipe it may turn Great! but plan as if you might need to replace some.
Best before is only a guideline for supermarkets and their sales. To ensure good quality of products I never go by the best before date for vegetables if they look ok use them you will be fine. You dont get best before dates when you go to a farm shop their produce is checked for quality, a high turnover allows for great looking fruit and veg. As long as your carrots are not mushy or very bendy and your sweet potatoes are sprouting new plants get that recipe and get cooking!!!
By the way what is the recipe I have three vegetarians in my house and love trying out new recipes?
vegetables are fine to use/cook if they look o.k. and aren't looking dried up or are decaying .
I never bother with sell by dates on freash veg as I just looka thte quality of the food then eat whats o.k.
if they look ok &( taste ok) & smell ok then u'd be fine.
It's not like it's sth packaged that u don't know what's inside to make sure it's safe 2 eat...u think in the old days they had sell by dates? what did people do?
even now, alot of things are ok a few days after the sell by date(I take no risks with milk though), it's just for supermarkets to protect themselves.