So I found this jar of raspberry spread/jam/something like that in my fridge that had been hiding behind the vinegar. The best before date on the cover is April 26th, 2012. It doesn’t smell or taste any different than the last time I used it, but I did have to stir it violently with a butter knife because it was all in one piece in the jar. I assume this is fine for human consumption?
Yes
Perhaps it is better to say that the jam is just as safe as it was prior to the expiration of its use by date.
As long as you don’t see any mold, it should be fine. Foods don’t automatically turn bad on the day after their “best by” date; you have to use your senses to see what’s wrong.
Jams are acidic, which preserves them, and sugar is a preservative (as long as mold can’t grow).
Hahahaha. Good point!
Well, I know that most expiration dates are more about not getting sued, and/or selling more product, than they are about safety. I just figured I’d ask in case.
So I’m about to put some on my toast. I don’t think I need to write my will first.
“There’s some milk in the fridge that’s about to go bad… And there it goes.” -Bobby Hill
They’re also about making sure stores don’t sell you a jar that’s been sitting on the back of the shelf since the Nixon administration.
But (IIUC) in many cases the main consideration is quality. Food doesn’t have to be unsafe to have reached the point where it just isn’t as good any more. The jam company wants you to know that if there’s something off about the taste of the jam (or its appearance or its texture), it’s because it’s gotten too old to use, not because they make crappy jam.
I’m finding it hard to suppress laughter. I’ve got jam in my refrigerator that’s 3 years past its sell by date.
This sounds like a description of jam. It sounds like a description of jam given by someone who has never encountered jam before. Weird.
There’s a reason they used to call this stuff “preserves”.
make toast, have a PBJ. report back.
You got me, I suppose I have to go back to Area 51 now.
No, I swear that usually doesn’t happen. Could be that I buy a weird brand. Maybe it’s because it’s always been so recently used that it doesn’t have time to congeal like that. Or maybe I’m nuts, and simply don’t remember when this usally happens to the jam.
It depends upon the jam.
Most jams are made with up to 45% fruit and the remainder is sugar and setting agents - this is the stuff that will be fine, in the UK it will have a ‘best before’ date which is an indication that the contents may have compromised quality. Such foods are unlikely to cause food poisoning.
However…
There is a recent trend for ‘extra’ jams, reduced sugar jams and of course diabetic jam. These may have fruit content up to 65% - any more tends not to set at all - they are definitely more intense tasting and generally significantly more expensive.
Manufacturers instructions tend to be along the lines of ‘Refrigerate once opened and consume within 6 weeks’.
This can be confusing since it may have a ‘best before’ referring to the safety of the jam prior to being opened, but one the lid is off it effectively becomes ‘use-by’ food whose date should not be exceeded.
In other words, you need to read the label, under 45% fruit and you will be fine, over 45% and you may need to put it in the fridge - depends upon other preservatives that it may contain.
It’s probably only considered as a “best by” date anyway rather than an expiration date. Would not matter to me in any case. I’d buy it at the store if I needed it. And you have it refrigerated too.
Now if you are saying that the jar has been open and half used, my story changes slightly. I’d look for mold on top and shave the mold off first. Then I’d enjoy.
I’m amazed that the date on the jam was as specific as April 26th. Jam is one of those foods that has such a long shelf life (in its unopened state at least) that I only ever see month/year expiry dates.
Unopened jam will last just about for ever. Opened, especially in the fridge, it ought to be fine for several months. If it does go off, it’ll generally be because of mould growing on the top, which is pretty obvious. (And if you scrape the mould off with the top layer of jam, I’d imagine the rest of the jam would be OK to eat too, but I would probably pitch it.)
I always figured the expiration dates are so you can tell how long stuff’s been sitting in the back of your cupboard. (I threw out some stuff I found last week that had a 2010 date.)
With jam or anything else that’s soft, there’s a lot more mold than just the visible stuff. That fuzzy green/black/white mold is only the fruiting body of a much mycelium, with “roots” that go far into the food.
In the lab, I commonly encounter molds as contaminants in agar petri dishes. A tiny, barely-visible spot on the surface might have mycelia extending 1 cm deep (visible under a microscope). And a 1 cm diameter visible colony will have mycelia throughout an entire 10 cm petri dish.
With hard cheese, the mycelia can’t penetrate very deep, which is why you can just cut off the bad bits. Not so with anything soft.
Of course, garden variety mold isn’t actually much of a health risk, so even in the worst case you’re only facing an upset stomach…
Beyond being quite convinced that I have nothing to worry about, I just learned some interesting shit about mould. Gods, I love the Dope.
A date on a product is useful in / when rotating the stock.
Those dates could be determined by a product production run, maybe this April 26th product was manufactured on the previous October 26th.
I would say yes, particularly because it has been in the fridge which would extend the life compared to shelf life
Beside that fact, I would have no problem using jam well past the use by date, unless there were signs of mould…which would form on the jam if it is too old!
I hope that helps
Sounds like you just bought a brand that has a firmer ‘set’ than you’re used to.