food

Before you throw that food out... don't.

 

We’ve all been there.

You open the fridge/pantry door and stare at the contents, trying to think of what to feed you and your family. You grab the pasta you made three days ago, take a sniff and wonder how safe it still is.

Read more: 5 really healthy pasta recipes.

You look at the cheese, covered in mould and wonder if you remember Year 7 biology correctly when they say mould is really good for you. Because you really want the cheese with your wine.

If it’s just you, you probably risk it. Eh. What’s the worst that can happen, right?

Where as if you are feeding it to your kids… the last thing you want to give them is food poisoning.

Well guess what?

You no longer need to wonder.

Read more: The five foods you HAVE to wash. And the five you don’t.

Still Tasty has been created with just you (and me and everyone else really) in mind.

They provide a comprehensive guide of everything you can find in your pantry, fridge or freezer with when to chuck and when to keep times.

Genius.

Still Tasty says that “sell by” dates or “best before” or “use by” aren’t always 100%. Sometimes food is still good for longer.

So, I asked everyone in the office what is the one thing they are always wondering whether to keep or chuck. This is what I found:

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1. Pasta and sauce.

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Uncooked pasta can be stored in the pantry for up to three years. While cooked pasta can be stored in the fridge for three to five days. Just refrigerate within two hours of cooking in an air tight container.

As for sauce, whether it is the homemade variety (tomato based) or the stuff bought in the jar (that you lie and say is homemade) can be stored for three to four days in the fridge. Just keep the "real" homemade stuff in an air tight container two hours after whipping it up.

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2. Flour.

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Packaged flour, whether it is opened or unopened, can last in the pantry for one year. If that isn't long enough for you, the fridge or freezer will keep it fresh for up to two years.

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3. Cheese.

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Now, there are a variety of cheeses out there, so I went with a big block of cheddar cheese. That is good for three to four weeks in the fridge (or six months in the freezer, but might get all crumbly when you go to defrost it). Handy storage tip... wrap it in waxed paper before cling wrapping it. Oh, and as for the mold, cut away about two centimeters and then the rest is good.

4. Rice.

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I make this mistake all. the. time. I cook enough rice to feed an army, when technically, I'm just cooking for me.

Good news for too-much-rice cookers everywhere... it lasts for four to six days in an air tight container. Just chuck it in the fridge two hours after realising you've cooked too much rice.

5. Coconut Milk.

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Coconut milk is appearing in more and more recipes. Thankfully, it can store, opened, in the fridge for four to six days. Just not in the metal cans. Put it in a glass or plastic container instead.

6. Party snacks.

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I'm talking the dips and the jar of olives. Nothing better than eating left over party snacks.

If the dip has dairy in it (sour cream, cream, cheese), you get a week in the fridge.

As for the jar of olives, it can hang out in the fridge for a year or whatever it says on the bottle. Again, no metal cans, just glass or plastic to store.

While you are here, check out this video on why you really shouldn't be washing your chicken before cooking it. Post continues after the video.

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7. Tomato sauce.

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Unopened, you can keep tomato sauce in the pantry for a year (so go ahead and take opportunity of that bulk sale). Once it is opened, it will last six months in the fridge or a month in the pantry if you are anti cold tomato sauce.

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8. Eggs.

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This was the biggest surprise to me. Eggs can last three to five weeks in the fridge. Wowsers.

Read more: This three-step trick will give you perfectly boiled eggs. Every. Single. Time.

Just keep them in the actual fridge part, not the fridge door. It gets too warm there.

9. Yoghurt.

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Yoghurt is good for about seven to ten days unopened. Once you open it, you get about five to seven days.

Have a food you aren't sure whether it is still good or not? Go to Still Tasty to do your own search.

What food do you always wish would last longer?

Tap on the image below to see the 11 foods you should never put in the fridge. Ever.