We all know about food expiration dates and many of us dutifully will dispose of food past the date on the package. While fresh food certainly does go bad after a short period of time, other foods can last months or years. After my cousin from Israel visited a few years ago, the ritual of throwing out old stuff in the refrigerator was practiced by my son, daughter, and wife. Yet, milk a few days past expirations probably still tastes fine and is not curdled. Other things such as creamed cheese and other cheeses that are unopened may also be fine while fruits may become moldy and will require they be thrown out. Supermarkets regularly mark down near over-ripe food at great prices. Often, these older products such as tomatoes are great for consumption immediately in salads and especially fresh tomato sauce. That older condiment may still be just fine unopened in the closed past expiration. Some refrigerated older dressings and other things may need to be thrown out if they look moldy or smell bad. Check out the article below for some great advice on when to keep food vs. the expiration date. Expiration Dates Are Meaningless Do I dare to eat an old peach yogurt? Yes, yes I do. By Yasmin Tayag For refrigerators across America, the passing of Thanksgiving promises a major purge. The good stuff is the first to go: the mashed potatoes, the buttery remains of stuffing, and breakfast-worthy cold pie. But what’s that in the distance, huddled gloomily behind the leftovers? There lie the marginalized relics of pre-Thanksgiving grocery runs. Heavy cream, a few days past its sell-by date. A desolate bag of spinach whose label says it went bad on Sunday. Bread so hard you wonder if it’s from last Thanksgiving. Read more