Bananas with Brown Spots Are Sugar Bombs
Those brown spots on your bananas aren’t signs of spoilage—they’re actually nature’s way of telling you the fruit is at its sweetest. When bananas develop brown spots, the starches inside have converted to sugars, making them perfect for baking, smoothies, or eating straight up. Many fruits like apples, pears, bananas and nectarines emit a natural chemical called ethylene which causes premature ripening, so if you want to slow this process, keep bananas away from other fruits. Even bananas that look completely overripe on the outside often have perfectly sweet, creamy flesh inside. Most people toss bananas when they’re brown, but professional bakers know these are the best ones for banana bread. Think of those brown spots as nature’s candy coating—the more spots, the sweeter the fruit.
Milk That’s Past Its Date Can Still Be Golden
Even milk and eggs are usually safe after the expiration date, according to healthcare experts. Rather than using the expiration date to determine whether to throw out food, your senses should be your guide. The smell test is your best friend here—if milk doesn’t smell sour and hasn’t developed an off taste, it’s likely still good to drink. Milk is one of those items that’s pretty easy to tell when it’s no longer safe to consume. If it smells off, is discolored or the texture has changed, toss it. Many people don’t realize that pasteurized milk often stays fresh for days beyond its printed date when stored properly. The key is keeping your fridge at the right temperature and trusting your nose over the numbers on the carton.
Bread That’s Gone Stale Isn’t Gone
“Sell by” is most commonly found on breads and baked goods, said Baker, and signifies the date by which retailers should sell the product to ensure peak quality. “The date is for the store,” she said. “But it … allows the consumer to have it home for the next several days for the best quality.” Stale bread isn’t spoiled bread—it’s just lost some moisture. You can easily revive day-old bread by running it under water for a few seconds and then popping it in a warm oven for a few minutes. Cherry Digital says that consumers can reduce food waste by freezing those that can be frozen, including milk, which can be put in an ice cube tray and used in coffee or tea, placing herbs in a glass of water so they’ll last longer, and making stale bread or crusts into breadcrumbs using a food processor. Even if your bread has gone completely stale, it’s perfect for making breadcrumbs, croutons, or French toast. The texture actually works better for these applications than fresh bread would.
Eggs Are Good Long After You Think They’re Bad
For best quality, use eggs within three to five weeks of the date you purchase them. The “sell-by” date will usually expire during that length of time, but the eggs are perfectly safe to use. Eggs are good in the refrigerator 3-5 weeks after purchase. The confusion comes from the fact that depending on state regulations, your store-bought eggs will have a “sell by”, “best if used by” or an “expiration” (EXP) date. Here’s a simple test: place the egg in a bowl of water. If it sinks and lays flat, it’s fresh. If it stands upright but stays on the bottom, it’s still good but older. Only if it floats should you toss it. Many eggs reach stores only a few days after the hen lays them, so they often last much longer than people expect.
Yogurt Lives Beyond Its Expiration Drama
Yogurt is one of those foods where the expiration date is more of a suggestion than a rule. We’ve all purged our refrigerators of yogurts a few days past their “best by” date and dug through the bread shelf at the store to try and find a fresher loaf with a later expiration date. But if you have a carton of yogurt that’s just past its “best by” date, you don’t have to let it go to waste. The live cultures in yogurt actually help preserve it, making it last longer than you’d expect. As long as there’s no mold growing on top and it doesn’t smell off, yogurt can be perfectly fine for several days past its printed date. The liquid that sometimes forms on top isn’t a sign of spoilage—it’s just whey, and you can either stir it back in or pour it off. Greek yogurt tends to last even longer than regular yogurt due to its thicker consistency and lower water content.
Cheese Gets Better with Age (Even the “Expired” Kind)
Hard cheeses like cheddar, parmesan, and gouda are practically indestructible when it comes to expiration dates. What about hard cheeses, like cheddar and Parmesan? White says that areas of hard cheese with mold should be avoided, the parts of the cheese with no mold are still safe to eat. If you see a small spot of mold on hard cheese, simply cut it off with a clean knife, leaving about an inch of good cheese around where the mold was. The rest of the cheese is perfectly fine to eat. Soft cheeses are different—they should be discarded if any mold appears. Smith says soft cheeses are particularly susceptible to bacteria growth, including listeria, salmonella and E. coli, which can lead to the same health consequences as consuming spoiled milk. If you see mold on your soft cheese, that’s a sign that it’s expired. The aging process that makes cheese delicious in the first place means it can handle a little extra time in your fridge.
Apples Stay Crisp Long After You’d Expect
Apples are masters of longevity, especially when stored properly in the refrigerator. Even when they start to look a little wrinkled or develop soft spots, they’re often still perfectly good to eat. The key is understanding what to look for—brown spots on the skin are usually just cosmetic, while the flesh inside remains crisp and sweet. Don’t judge food by its appearance! Oddly shaped or bruised fruits and vegetables are often thrown away because they don’t look ‘perfect’ but in reality, they taste exactly the same. Even those more mature fruit and vegetables are perfect for smoothies or juices. If an apple has a few soft spots, simply cut them out and enjoy the rest. Apples that are too soft for eating fresh are perfect for cooking, baking, or making applesauce. Many people don’t realize that apples can stay fresh for weeks when stored in the crisper drawer of your refrigerator.
Pasta and Rice Are Nearly Immortal
Dried pasta and rice are among the most durable foods in your pantry, lasting years beyond their printed dates when stored properly. Most shelf-stable foods are safe to eat much longer than their expiration date. The same goes for frozen foods, as bacteria cannot grow in the freezer. The dates on these products are really about quality, not safety. Over time, pasta might lose some of its texture and rice might take a bit longer to cook, but they’re still perfectly safe to eat. Keep them in airtight containers in a cool, dry place, and they’ll last almost indefinitely. “Best by,” “Best if used by,” or “Best before,” are purely for flavor and quality, she said, and have nothing to do with safety. “It’s just that the manufacturer has likely done some testing or observations and determined that by that date, you’re going to be at peak quality – optimal color, taste, texture, those sensory characteristics,” she said. Even if your pasta or rice is years past its date, as long as it’s been stored properly and shows no signs of pest infestation, it’s good to go.
Canned Goods Are Time Capsules of Nutrition
Canned foods are the ultimate survivors in your pantry, often staying good for years past their expiration dates. Canned foods and non-perishable products are likely to last long past their expiration dates, according to food safety experts. The canning process creates a sterile environment that preserves food almost indefinitely. Canned products with sharp dents near the seam, bulges or signs of leakage are indicators that the product should not be used. As long as the can isn’t dented, bulging, or showing signs of rust, the contents are probably fine. The biggest change you might notice in older canned goods is a slight change in texture or color, but the nutritional value remains largely intact. Our analysis shows that the average American family of four throws out more than $3,000 worth of groceries each year, and much of this waste comes from tossing perfectly good canned goods simply because they’re past their printed dates. Trust the can, not the calendar.
