sell by dates

August 18, 2025

‘sell-by’ dates. Trust them?

There was a time, in this galaxy and not so long ago, we HAD no sell-by dates, and we went by different criteria. The sell-by notes are useful, but the real MUST-go date varies by conditions of storage almost as much as the ‘earliest possible disaster date’ meaning—grocers —SELL it. If it looks and smells ok, it might be ok, IF IT’S A RECIPE THAT HOLDS IT AT BOILING POINT FOR SIGNIFICANT TIME, that helps.

Here’s the scale we used to live and die by, and for the record, I’ve gotten sick off iffy food, but I don’t personally know anyone who’s ever died from it.

Except the Franklin Expedition, but there were kind of unusual circumstances. And we followed the rules and STILL got sick, so the rules aren’t perfect. But these are clues it’s still worth knowing.

if a can is swollen or the top is bulging—it’s bad. or if a bottle gasps when you take the lid off and it’s not supposed to be carbonated….toss it.
if weevils are in the rice—it’s ok if you’re starving. But otherwise, see if you can find a part of the bin they haven’t reached yet. Usually the weevils are pretty efficient.
wash the beans. Rocks get gathered up with them. If it’s round, it’s a pebble.

3b If it’s fresh beans, still wash them well: you don’t know what the night-critters are doing in that garden.

If the meat smells off, it’s off. Don’t use it. Smell is a no-go.
Wilted veggies are still usable in a stew. but if you spot grey or white mold, chuck ’em.
If milk is clotted or smells—chuck it.
wash everything: it comes by freight in burlap sacks they pile on the warehouse floor, and you don’t know what’s been sleeping on it.

The above for your edification, and MAYBE save you a little money on food that’s been well-kept. My point is—the sell-by date is exactly that point where it falls below the standard of what the customer ought to expect of the grocer. It’s still edible. But if sell-by was months back, probably it’s over the edge. Unless it’s rice and beans, which can go years. Beans and seeds have amazing durability, and have sprouted thousands of years after being found in archaeological sites.

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