# Ancient Stove Top **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095 "2001-11-25T01:26:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 1:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095/1 "2001-11-25T01:26:23Z")
OK, so I’m getting hungry and I decide to pillage my kitchen for a meal substitute. I’ve been in Europe for the past 2 weeks and before leaving I decided to basically eat all my perishables. This basically left my fridge bare with the exception of a few choice condiments, and my cupboards empty except for some pasta, rice, and canned veggies. Being a lazy male I haven’t been shopping yet, so I decide to start digging in an attempt to salvage something with flavor. In my search I stumble across Stove Top! Tucked away deep in the darkest recesses of my cabinets, I find it. I think, “hey, its Thanksgiving, stuffing is perfect!”. I dig it out and prepare for a scrumptious treat. As I’m looking for the required ingredients, I begin pondering what may have posessed me to purchase Stove Top. Baffled, I consider that I don’t ever recall buying Stove Top. I flip the canister and note the use by date which reads January 31 1999. **January 31st, 1999!!!** Now, when you consider this, remember that Stove Top has an amazing shelf life, and was therefore probably purchased in early 1998, or maybe even late 1997. Now, since I probably bought this canister of Stove Top, I’ve likely lived in no less than 4 locations in not less than 3 cities. I’ve graduated college, and had 4 jobs in that span. Needless to say this is a well traveled canister of Stove Top. So, this brings me to the point. Question #1: Anyone have a newer can of Stove Top? How far in the future is the use by date? I want to try and pinpoint the general timeframe of when I bought this. Question #2: Whats the oldest unopened portion of food in your cabinet? ---
**Author:** ![GrammarNinja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/7cd45c/32.png) [@GrammarNinja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GrammarNinja)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095/2 "2001-11-25T01:57:15Z")
A friend almost popped a couple Advil a few weeks ago, but I flipped the bottle over and saw that it expired in Jan. 2001. Nearest I can figure, it was the bottle I bought when I got to college. Nearly six years ago. ---
**Author:** ![Etaoin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/c2a13f/32.png) [@Etaoin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Etaoin)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 3:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095/3 "2001-11-25T03:51:43Z")
Out of the realm of food and drugs, a few years ago I found some Kodak photographic paper that expired in March 1941. I tried a couple of sheets and they still worked, I suppose because it had been in various cool basements for nearly 60 years. The prints were flat, though, that is, not much contrast, like a black-and-white TV picture tube ready to burn out. Still, it was sorta like finding Franklin’s undeveloped glass plates. ---
**Author:** ![tapioca\_tundra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a88e57/32.png) [@tapioca\_tundra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tapioca_tundra)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 2:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095/4 "2001-11-25T14:07:58Z")
~~Don’t have a newer can or any other container of Stove Top… Do have some green beans that are 4 years old… I didn’t know Stove Top came in a can… ---
**Author:** ![LorieSmurf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a587f6/32.png) [@LorieSmurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LorieSmurf)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2001, 2:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095/5 "2001-11-25T14:22:05Z")
It’s usually my salad dressing in the fridge…I find bottles that are have expired a couple of years ago. Anyone know if I would die if I ate this? I’ve always been curious…not curious enough to try, of course. ---
**Author:** ![Omniscient](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/omniscient/32/3290_2.png) [@Omniscient](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omniscient)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2001, 7:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ancient-stove-top/95095/6 "2001-11-26T07:07:13Z")
Well, it doesn’t really come in a “can”. It comes in two different packages that I’ve seen. The basic cardboard box, and the paper canister. The one I have is the canister, basically a cylindrical paper can sealed with foil at the top, and a plastic replacable cap on top of that.