Remember Jiffy Pop? Well, I’m cleaning up the ol’ bachelor pad because I’m taking a week’s vacation for R&R&S (Rest, Relaxation, and Sanity). I discovered in my cupboard one pan of Jiffy Pop. The expiration date specifically says, “Best by May 30, 2011.”
Okay, so it’s July 30, 2011 now and I’m willing to accept less than best. Is it still within the window of safe eating?
I’d pop it. Honestly, it can’t be that bad. At worst, it’s stale.
Still safe. The “Best By” date has nothing to do with spoilage but that the food will still has the taste, texture and other characteristics as intended by the manufacturer.
This is the kind with butter (or whatever ConAgra calls butter flavoring) already in it. Thanks for the responses. A Korean friend has never even seen the stuff before and she wants to try it.
One episode of Married…with Children had Jiffy pop, years past its expiration date.
I would pop it. Part of the thing with popcorn is the moisture inside the kernel, needed to make it pop. The older it gets, the more that moisture leaves and the less likely you are to get it to pop. You’re just more likely to get fewer kernels popped and possibly have it burn more easily, the older it gets.
Last Christmas received some popcorn package that says best by 2002. We popped it the other night. It didn’t pop so well, but it was fine to eat.
Two months? ISTR some archaeologists opening an Egyptian tomb and finding some emmer wheat that was still able to sprout. “…a [month] is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a [month].”
you can rehydrate old kernels. place in a jar with a small amount of water on the bottom, let sit for a day or two.
Just to clarify:small amount as in a tablespoon, shake well to distribute.