As we go through using our food storage, we occasionally come across foods that are past their best-by or use-by dates. It happens to all of us. And those dates can cause us to question whether the food is still safe to eat. It shouldn't, but it can sometimes nagging doubts. And if the dates don't raise the doubts, someone in the family undoubtedly will.
There are different methods for testing various foods and determining safety. Sometimes it's obvious. If a can of vegetables is bulging, or a jar of home-canned peaches has lost its seal, it's a no-brainer. That food gets tossed.
But in other situations, it's not so easy to tell, and this is especially true for those lacking sensitive noses and taste buds. I'm one of those people, but I'm not as bad off as some. One of the areas some people struggle with is determining whether an oil has gone rancid. While a lot of folks just automatically assume the oil is bad when it reaches its use-by date, that's not necessarily the case. When food is scarce, try using the following tests before relegating it to one of the uses for rancid oil that has previously been discussed here on the blog.
The first step is to smell the oil. If the odor is a bit repulsive, then that's it. Find a non-culinary use for it. If it smells as it should--like peanut or olive or vegetable oil should smell, then move on to the next test.
Next, dip your finger in the oil and taste it. If it tastes bad, take a look at the non-culinary uses for it. If it still tastes acceptable to you, proceed to the next test.
Finally, swallow a half-teaspoon straight, or mix it with a little vinegar and drizzle it on bread or salad greens. Wait one day. If you haven't had an unpleasant reaction to it, it's still good for food. However, the shelf life may be short, so use it quickly.
Links to related posts:
Uses for Rancid Oil
Four Ways to Maximize the Shelf Life of Cooking Oils
13 october 2022
