Follow-up to "How Long Can Foods Be Kept in the Refigerator"

[andzigallery]

Interesting!  I just happened to come across two items in my refrigerator and happened to glance at their expiration dates:

Results
365 Organic Brand Dijon mustard--best before April 22, 2011
American Choice Brand Ketchup--best by August 28, 2010

 As I remembered ketchup can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 4 months and mustard can be kept in the refrigerator for up to 8 months.  So when I looked at the dates above, I just thought hmmm!  No comments just hmmm!      That's all!

[Laurielynn25]

I wonder, in response to the previous post, if the 4 months and 8 months refers to when you actually open the product?  It's so hard to tell these days with all the process foods that we have...my mom would always smell the milk to know if it was still good...I also wonder if that's a bad sign!

[ktheodos]

I read an article that said that expiration dates are important, but if you take care of the foods and make sure like the fridge is cold, isn't too crowded with stuff, and the items are sealed, dates can be extended...smelling milk and checking it out visually and elsewise is important too though b/c sometimes you just get a bad batch or something.....

[mc1962]

untill there is fuzz growing on the bread and oranges?  (LOL) 

[cloudsoup]

I read an article that said that expiration dates are important, but if you take care of the foods and make sure like the fridge is cold, isn't too crowded with stuff, and the items are sealed, dates can be extended...smelling milk and checking it out visually and elsewise is important too though b/c sometimes you just get a bad batch or something.....

i hate smelling milk! ha. i make the boyfriend do it

i've noticed that you can prolong the life of vegetables
by cutting them up and storing in tupperware type
containers! i used to just throw them in the crisper.
i don't like freezing them - maybe its just in my head,
but they don't taste as good after they've been frozen
&thawed 

hmm... does baking soda help keep your fridge fresh
or is that just for keeping odors away?

[cliftonhaye]

Always look at the expiration date and play it safe.