# "Real Salt"'s sell-by date: 2028 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 28, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494 "2013-10-28T22:16:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/1 "2013-10-28T22:16:28Z")
I found that kind of amusing. I’ll probably use the package by then. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/2 "2013-10-28T22:25:34Z")
The marketplace is peppered with that kind of silliness. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/3 "2013-10-28T22:57:50Z")
Ah, if only batteries lasted as long as a salt. ---
**Author:** ![SpoilerVirgin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/4491bb/32.png) [@SpoilerVirgin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SpoilerVirgin)\ **Post date:** [October 28, 2013, 11:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/4 "2013-10-28T23:44:06Z")
I’ve had my can of Morton’s salt since I moved into my apartment in 1988. I keep thinking I’m getting close to using it up, but I never actually get to the bottom. It’s definitely lasted longer than the 15 years from now to 2028. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/5 "2013-10-29T03:28:07Z")
> [@SpoilerVirgin](#): > > I’ve had my can of Morton’s salt since I moved into my apartment in 1988. I keep thinking I’m getting close to using it up, but I never actually get to the bottom. It’s definitely lasted longer than the 15 years from now to 2028. I have a can of black pepper that I bought when I first moved out on my own in 1984. Can you tell I don’t use much pepper? It’s still good, BTW. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/6 "2013-10-29T03:36:14Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > Ah, if only batteries lasted as long as a salt. Lithium primary cells do. Some cells advertise up to [20 years](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/61IodOzvEcL.jpg) of shelf life. ---
**Author:** ![NiceGuyJack](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/niceguyjack/32/3069_2.png) [@NiceGuyJack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NiceGuyJack)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 4:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/7 "2013-10-29T04:58:01Z")
You guys must not do much cooking. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/8 "2013-10-29T05:16:57Z")
How can salt go bad? It’s a _rock_. ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/9 "2013-10-29T05:18:54Z")
> [@NiceGuyJack](#): > > You guys must not do much cooking. > [@Alessan](#): > > How can salt go bad? It’s a _rock_. Sage observations. ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Lichtman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jeff_lichtman/32/1531_2.png) [@Jeff\_Lichtman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jeff_Lichtman)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/10 "2013-10-29T06:41:44Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I have a can of black pepper that I bought when I first moved out on my own in 1984. Can you tell I don’t use much pepper? It’s still good, BTW. “Good” in the sense that it hasn’t turned toxic, I suppose. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 7:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/11 "2013-10-29T07:01:40Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > How can salt go bad? It’s a _rock_. Similarly, I’ve seen expiration dates on bottled water. Uh, yeah… if water expired we would’ve been in trouble a loooooooooooong long time ago. This wasn’t some fancy water, with flavoring or anything, just plain old water. ---
**Author:** ![HardlySanguine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/96bed5/32.png) [@HardlySanguine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HardlySanguine)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 8:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/12 "2013-10-29T08:39:52Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Similarly, I’ve seen expiration dates on bottled water. Uh, yeah… if water expired we would’ve been in trouble a loooooooooooong long time ago. > > This wasn’t some fancy water, with flavoring or anything, just plain old water. Could be that the plastics leech harmful things into the water? ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 8:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/13 "2013-10-29T08:56:46Z")
True. Unlike water, plastic is an organic compound. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/14 "2013-10-29T12:37:05Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > How can salt go bad? It’s a _rock_. My guess is that they’re addressing the fact that over time salt can absorb odors and moisture and, while it’s still salt, some of the flavor qualities sought for cooking might be compromised. Of course if the package has yet to be opened then I’d assume you keep pushing the 15 year ‘Best by’ date back until it is. ---
**Author:** ![Learjeff](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/94ad74/32.png) [@Learjeff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Learjeff)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/15 "2013-10-29T13:37:43Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > I have a can of black pepper that I bought when I first moved out on my own in 1984. Can you tell I don’t use much pepper? It’s still good, BTW. No, it isn’t, at least, not very. That would be like saying “I have this can of coffee that I opened 20 years ago, and it’s still good. Well, it makes coffee and I don’t die when I drink it!” ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/16 "2013-10-29T13:48:21Z")
Ground pepper? It wasn’t any good when you _bought_ it, much less _now_. ---
**Author:** ![Malthus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/85f322/32.png) [@Malthus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malthus)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 2:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/17 "2013-10-29T14:24:52Z")
Heh, at our family cottage in northern Quebec, which was build by my grandfather in the 1950s, there are some food items in long term storage that date to the early 1960s … we are simply too lazy to remove them. 😃 Things like Red River cereal, glass jars with dried beans, that sort of thing. Some may even be edible. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/18 "2013-10-29T14:50:44Z")
> [@runner pat](#): > > Sage observations. About thyme someone made that joke. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/19 "2013-10-29T15:51:29Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > How can salt go bad? It’s a _rock_. And it’s probably millions of years old to begin with. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2013, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494/20 "2013-10-29T15:57:16Z")
I realize that the date is used for stock rotation. I found it amusing. It was at the local natural foods grocery, and I saw some frozen dinners that were marked down to about 80% off. THEIR expiration dates were in late July - of 2009. :eek: No, thanks. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/real-salt-s-sell-by-date-2028/672494.md?page=2)