# Foods that don't seem to ever expire **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 20, 2015, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419 "2015-01-20T22:18:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/21 "2015-01-21T15:24:05Z")
In the early 2000s on an Army field exercise, I ate some ~20 year old MREs. The food in the pouch was fine, but the Mars bar (I was excited to try, because I hadn’t had a Mars bar in ~20 years either – I think they stopped making them in the 80s) was just powder by then. ---
**Author:** ![Wallaby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/dc4da7/32.png) [@Wallaby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallaby)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 10:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/22 "2015-01-21T22:41:49Z")
Actually - year-old honey (or even older) is often actually more yummy - it crystallises and turns into sugar heaven. ---
**Author:** ![Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/soul_brother_number_two/32/3515_2.png) [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soul_Brother_Number_Two)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/23 "2015-01-21T22:49:40Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Wait, you keep it around? Why not just get it fresh? > > Plus, nobody seems to eat that in my house, even though I do try to sell folks on the idea. Um, which folks, exactly? ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/24 "2015-01-21T23:23:53Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > Anything that’s mostly sugar, like honey or syrup. The concentration of solute is too high for anything to survive in it. Rather than hunt for eggs on Easter morning, we hunted for jelly beans which had been scattered about the house. The odd jelly bean invariably turned up months later and still good. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [January 21, 2015, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/25 "2015-01-21T23:44:12Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Um, which folks, exactly? I noticed use of the plural as well. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/26 "2015-01-22T00:19:27Z")
> [@don\_t\_ask](#): > > I remember when Krispy Kreme first opened in Australia one of my son’s friends bought some. He ate a few and then the remainder disappeared under things in his bedroom. Some weeks later he discovered them and tried them and thought they were no worse than when he first ate them. He was horrified by this and insisted that it was “unnatural,” that if they were really food they should deteriorate. So he never ate them again. This story has so much Wrong, I don’t know where to start! > [@Wallaby](#): > > Actually - year-old honey (or even older) is often actually more yummy - it crystallises and turns into sugar heaven. I heard honey _never_ goes bad. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/27 "2015-01-22T00:37:30Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > Semen! Then why do they freeze it when storing it? ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/28 "2015-01-22T00:41:31Z")
> [@scabpicker](#): > > Wait, you keep it around? Why not just get it fresh? > > Plus, nobody seems to eat that in my house, even though I do try to sell folks on the idea. With a username like that, no wonder! 😛 …um, FOLKS?.. ---
**Author:** ![MsKaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MsKaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsKaren)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/29 "2015-01-22T01:10:10Z")
Food items that don’t go bad like the unrefrigerated forms of pepperoni and cheeses are our hurricane supplies along with chocolate, apples, crackers, wine, potatoes and carrots. When the season ends, snacks! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![scabpicker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scabpicker/32/8268_2.png) [@scabpicker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scabpicker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/30 "2015-01-22T02:35:09Z")
> [@Soul\_Brother\_Number\_Two](#): > > Um, which folks, exactly? > [@Saint\_Cad](#): > > I noticed use of the plural as well. > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > …um, FOLKS?.. Well _not at the same time_, and it’s not like they all lived with me. I’m just not that fortunate. 😃 > [@nearwildheaven](#): > > With a username like that, no wonder! > > 😛 It’s not my name in real life. My parents were much kinder to me than I am to myself. ETA: To add something useful to the thread, my brother once wondered if the out of date sour cream he had was bad (hey, it’s sour when it’s fresh). So, he called Kroger’s food help line on the side of the package. Turns out if it doesn’t smell like death, and hasn’t turned pink; it’s still good. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/31 "2015-01-22T03:24:30Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Then why do they freeze it when storing it? For the extra little zing on insemination. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 7:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/32 "2015-01-22T07:57:55Z")
Apparently Thousand Island dressing can go for ages. I’m pretty sure it expired in 2012 (And I got it in 2013). ---
**Author:** ![Soylent\_Juicy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/82dd89/32.png) [@Soylent\_Juicy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Soylent_Juicy)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 3:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/33 "2015-01-22T15:11:24Z")
Brown sugar just seems to get hard, but still edible if you can break up the brick-like chunks. ---
**Author:** ![california\_jobcase](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9d8465/32.png) [@california\_jobcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/california_jobcase)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/34 "2015-01-22T23:04:32Z")
Canned food will be edible indefinitely unless the can has been breached. That said, I ate some 5+ year old canned peaches once. They tasted fine, but were a bit mushy. Russian dogs ate frozen mammoth with no ill effect, said a book I owned when I was a child. ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [January 22, 2015, 11:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/35 "2015-01-22T23:50:05Z")
> [@](#): > > Anything that has essentially zero Calories, like vinegar or mustard. There’s nothing for anything to eat. Vinegar does produce a scummy stuff called [Mother of vinegar](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mother_of_vinegar), which apparently isn’t bad for you, but once it’s developed, I throw the whole bottle out. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 3:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/36 "2015-01-23T03:08:02Z")
> [@california\_jobcase](#): > > Canned food will be edible indefinitely unless the can has been breached. Normally yes, but there can be exceptions. When in doubt, throw it out. Also, it doesn’t necessarily have to breach, if the can bulges, don’t even open it. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/37 "2015-01-23T06:37:31Z")
> [@Gatopescado](#): > > This story has so much Wrong, I don’t know where to start! > > I heard honey _never_ goes bad. Only on special occasions. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![grude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e47774/32.png) [@grude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/grude)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 6:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/38 "2015-01-23T06:48:04Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Normally yes, but there can be exceptions. When in doubt, throw it out. > > Also, it doesn’t necessarily have to breach, if the can bulges, don’t even open it. I think a bulge indicates it wasn’t properly canned to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![Honey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honey/32/5074_2.png) [@Honey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Honey)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 7:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/39 "2015-01-23T07:00:11Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > Brown sugar just seems to get hard, but still edible if you can break up the brick-like chunks. Microwave for 1 minute. ---
**Author:** ![Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ce7236/32.png) [@Mona\_Lisa\_Simpson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mona_Lisa_Simpson)\ **Post date:** [January 23, 2015, 8:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419/40 "2015-01-23T08:03:17Z")
Put a piece of bread in your brown sugar container and wait for a few hours or a day. I like putting the really small end pieces of a loaf of rye bread or other round/oval shaped loaves in. After a day I have very dry bread and very moist brown sugar. 🙂 I will use unopened yogurt or sour cream long after the date, but because I live with nasty boys I tend to flush items that were previously opened but have “aged in place”. Old yogurt or sour cream that hasn’t been spoon contaminated makes wonderful pancakes, biscuits or quickbreads.Although my son is kind of annoyed that I revealed his “chocolate cake for breakfast” amazing treat was actually me using up yogurt and an aged banana. “I don’t mind eating healthy food for breakfast but don’t make me eat chocolate cake and then tell me it is healthy!” I once made a boxed mix “pudding cake” recipe that turned out to be a few years outdated. Although it was sealed and should have been fine, it definitely tasted stale, although it cooked up fine. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/foods-that-dont-seem-to-ever-expire/710419.md?page=3)