# Pantry Purge - what to do with the stuff I'm getting rid of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [February 28, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530 "2006-02-28T21:57:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/1 "2006-02-28T21:57:56Z")
I’m about to do a major purge of my pantry. Too many odds & ends are cluttering it up, and I need to get serious about going back on Weight Watchers and (irrationally perhaps) can’t get myself mentally prepared without cleaning house of all the food I have lying around. Here’s the catch - do I throw the food I don’t want away, or give it to a food pantry? Anything that’s expired will definitely go in the trash, but what about the stuff that’s not expired? There is a very real possibility that this stuff is stale. OK, maybe not the cans of pineapple or the jars of mint jelly, but the boxed rice mixes & noodles and things - they’re probably past their prime. I know that there are many who would say that food is food and that someone without food would be lucky to get a box of stale couscous, but as someone who recently cooked and ate a box of stale couscous, let me say - it doesn’t taste very good. What say you all? ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/2 "2006-02-28T22:05:57Z")
Hrm. Misread the title as “Panty Purge”- thought you had made the decision to go commando and I was about to cheer you on. Carry on… ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/3 "2006-02-28T22:14:33Z")
> [@McNew](#): > > Hrm. Misread the title as “Panty Purge”- thought you had made the decision to go commando and I was about to cheer you on. > > Carry on… I do own too many clothes, and have been interested in cutting down on possessions in all areas of my life. Thanks for the suggestion! ---
**Author:** ![corkboard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e9bcb4/32.png) [@corkboard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/corkboard)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/4 "2006-02-28T22:20:15Z")
OK, I feel bad about my drive-by comment, so I’ll offer a real opinion to the OP. I’d suggest throwing away the stuff you suspect is stale or past its prime. As far as I know most food drive places don’t really appreciate getting stale food- the people they’re helping deserve fresh food as much as anyone else. If you feel bad about it, maybe buy $20 or so of some replacement items to donate to a local shelter. What with Lent starting tomorrow, good deeds and all that, if you’re so inclined. Religiously, I mean. And on preview, well then definitely start with the panties! ---
**Author:** ![Belrix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed655f/32.png) [@Belrix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Belrix)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/5 "2006-02-28T22:21:16Z")
I’d say that it’s sealed in its original container, the container is in good shape, and within the “use by” date on the packaging, then certainly give it away. To many hungry people out there. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/6 "2006-02-28T22:45:41Z")
Give it to the food pantry or shelters, unless it’s gone bad. ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 10:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/7 "2006-02-28T22:59:25Z")
> [@Harmonious Discord](#): > > Give it to the food pantry or shelters, unless it’s gone bad. See, that’s the problem. How do I tell if it’s gone bad? In the case of the couscous I ate the other night, it was well shy of its sell-by date, but I would have felt very guilty feeding that to anyone, much less someone who has no other food. Seems a bit insulting, ya know? ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2006, 11:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/8 "2006-02-28T23:00:59Z")
Does pasta even go stale? I mean, it was dried to preserve it, wasn’t it? I’ve never found an inedible box of pasta, even after a year in my pantry. As long as the date on the package is in the future, I say donate it. Chances are good that the person recieving it won’t notice it’s “stale” any more than I would. ---
**Author:** ![Rysdad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7cd45c/32.png) [@Rysdad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rysdad)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/9 "2006-03-01T01:17:30Z")
> [@McNew](#): > > Hrm. Misread the title as “Panty Purge”- thought you had made the decision to go commando and I was about to cheer you on. I misread it the same way, but I thought it was going to have something to do with [the after effects of Olestra.](http://www.zug.com/pranks/olestra/) ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 1:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/10 "2006-03-01T01:53:22Z")
> [@McNew](#): > > Hrm. Misread the title as “Panty Purge”- thought you had made the decision to go commando and I was about to cheer you on. > > Carry on… 😃 That’s exactly what I came in to say!! ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/11 "2006-03-01T02:03:16Z")
I mean through out bulging cans or old canned vegetables. Pasta and many other things will last forever. Donate it if you don’t know. It’s a lot worse when you have nothing to eat. This is not a let them eat lima beans attiude, it’s a I’ll eat anything when I have nothing else to eat attiude. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/12 "2006-03-01T02:04:22Z")
throw not through ---
**Author:** ![xbuckeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/9e8a1a/32.png) [@xbuckeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xbuckeye)\ **Post date:** [March 1, 2006, 2:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pantry-purge-what-to-do-with-the-stuff-im-getting-rid-of/346530/13 "2006-03-01T02:41:25Z")
Unfortunately, there is no real way to tell if something has gone bad before its natural lifespan. Until you eat it… If you know it is past its prime, toss it. If not donate it. Do not donate any opened packages. The recipient can decide if it is worth eating or not, just like you would if it were still in your pantry.