[MERGED]: Exp. dates/Best before & use by dates

I live alone and have the same problem with bread ... and with just about everything, to be honest. I had the same problem in the US. Food isn't made for 1 or 2 people, it seems. Anyway, I just keep my bread in the freezer and hack off one or two slices as I need them.

You can buy bread which lasts longer but it isn't freshly baked and contains preservative.  Can you buy a smaller loaf perhaps? Or freeze half of it? If you defrost it overnight it's fine.

I never had this problem in the US. I guess the bread all contained preservative. I can't find anything in the shops other than the stuff that only lasts one or two days.

I wonder if this is related to  the weird British attitude toward not saving leftovers.  In addition to British people not taking home food from restaurants, I've had the following unusual experiences:

1. I was at a conference at work. Coffee/tea and packages of biscuits were served at a point that was supposed to be in the middle of the conference.  But after everyone had taken maybe a few sips off coffee and a bite of a bisuit, the conference was abruptly ended and people didn't have time to finish drinking and eating.   I was the only one who took my leftover biscuits, in the open package, and put them in my handbag to eat later. Everyone else just left them on the table.  Even though the packages had already been opened, so they couldn't be reused.

2. My husband was eating something, and realised he'd made too much, but didn't want to throw anything away.  So I told him I'd take what he couldn't finish, put it in a plastic container, put the container in the fridge, and he could have some more tomorrow. He refused and instead forced himself to finish everything, even though it made him feel ill.

3. When I cook extra food and put the extra in containers and refrigerate them so we can have it for later, my husband asks, "Are you sure you can do that?" Er, that's what the containers are for.

i have a similar situation.....the first time DH and i went to indian food, he looked at me funny when i asked them to put the leftovers in a container so i could take them home.  that started a long discussion on how people in this country don't do that.  i still don't understand it, but i don't care.  i paid for the food so i'm takin' it home if i don't eat it all...

I took food sanitation classes, so I can be a bit goofy myself But my fiance is even worse! hehe

It doesnt help though I still get tripped up by the month and day being switched...up to the 12th obviously after that I know

But D will not eat bread on the day it goes off. and if anything else is on or past its date forget it.

However, they happily store tuna/beans etc in their tins? I was always told storing food in its aluminum (sorry aluminium  ) tin is a bad thing....they dont believe me

But as for eggs, the general rule of thumb is you dont really need to worry about the expiry dates, they are fine approx 4-5 weeks after you bring them home.

Milk is fine a day or so after the date, sometimes longer, depends a lot on storage conditions, check and if you are unsure dont use it.

I believe yogurt is also fine 1-2 days later

things like lunch meat last approx 5 days..Ive made it a week and been fine though

Cheeses, if its a hard cheese and has mold on it you can cut 1 inch out from each side of the mold and its fine, soft cheeses if its moldy it cant be eaten.

reheating, its generally not a good idea to reheat things like gravy because they are the most likely to have gone off, even if you cant tell. Meats etc need to be reheated to a safe internal temp which by now most of us know.

I have learned about some pretty nasty things you can get from eating food thats been improperly stored/cooked etc....and make sure you wash fresh fruits and veg!! I know it may sound silly but lettuce is a good example, it can carry listeria and is dangerous to pg women and young/old people or those with compromised immunities.

Not to mention the pesticides etc of commercially grown non-organic foods...even organic food can have cow poo and other animal waste on it..ick

Ok Im done

Katrina
 
(just saw some of you had the butter crock I mentioned, thats what I get for posting after readng 1/2 way through )

and seafood should never smell fishy, if it does you shouldnt eat it.

I wonder if this is related to  the weird British attitude toward not saving leftovers.  In addition to British people not taking home food from restaurants, I've had the following unusual experiences:

I've never noticed that people don't save leftovers here. I think most people I know do.

As for restaurants, generally speaking, the portion sizes are not as massive as they are in the US, which might explain it. Portions are designed to be eaten by one person at one meal. Just a thought.

I've never noticed that people don't save leftovers here. I think most people I know do.

I was about to say everyone I know saves leftovers. It's only my husband who won't eat them!

My work colleagues are always amazed by the yummy leftovers i bring in for lunch most days... they always want to see what i've got! 
I think the reason they dont have leftovers is because they have families, so everything gets eaten.

I wonder if this is related to  the weird British attitude toward not saving leftovers.  In addition to British people not taking home food from restaurants, I've had the following unusual experiences:

I havent noticed whether this is a British thing or just a my man thing, but he will not generally eat leftovers either. Poor guy he must seem like a nut to you guys lol

I asked his mom about this...she told me how to get around that If its something like a lasagne for example, and there was more than we could eat (and there generally is, I cook like I am feeding an army ) if I just put it in the fridge it would sit...untouched.

She said if however I were to freeze it and then wait a bit (few days minimum) and then serve it again he will eat it...now she didnt mention if she actually tells him it was leftovers.... but we will be on a tighter budget planning for the wedding, he'll have to get used to it

Dont even get me started on how food must look to him and the temperature of it lol

Dont even get me started on how food must look to him and the temperature of it lol

Oh go on... Im intrigued!!