topic Re: Expired Tomato Sauce in Kitchen

Expired Tomato Sauce

whatsmyname — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 23:20:20 GMT

Hi Everyone,

Do you think it’s okay to use a can of tomato sauce with a best by date of 11/15/23 to make chili? I didn’t realize the date before I went to the grocery store. I googled but really can’t find a straight forward answer. TIA

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

RedTop — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 23:28:29 GMT

@whatsmyname
Yes; no concerns whatsoever as long as the can isn't rusty or leaking.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Kachina624 — Sun, 01 Sep 2024 23:40:02 GMT

@whatsmyname Yes, 8 recently read that those dates are for retailers and indicate the date at which the taste, appearance and texture is at its best. They may decline with time but it has nothing to do with safety.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Nonametoday — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 00:56:38 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@whatsmyname Yes, 8 recently read that those dates are for retailers and indicate the date at which the taste, appearance and texture is at its best. They may decline with time but it has nothing to do with safety.

@Kachina624

according to a university that specializes in what we used to call home economics and agriculture, tomato-based products are the only things that should be disposed of on the "exp date" as it is totally acid and can go bad much more quickly.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Kachina624 — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 01:01:18 GMT

@Nonametoday When tomato products go bad, it's pretty obvious. The cans swell and the top becomes convex. I've actually had a can of tomato paste explode in a cupboard. What a mess that was.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Nonametoday — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 01:02:43 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Nonametoday When tomato products go bad, it's pretty obvious. The cans swell and the top becomes convex. I've actually had a can of tomato paste explode in a cupboard. What a mess that was.

@Kachina624

I mentioned that to the person I was speaking with at a meeting about recipes and this person was from the university giving advice on products to use and not use, etc. She said no, that's not necessarily true although you certainly would not want to use those. So I don't know. I just follow the experts' advice until I prove them wrong.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

redbird — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 02:10:08 GMT

I have a chart I got from the internet.....says it is from the greater Pittsburg community food bank...which lists how long food can be consumed after the best buy date.Tomato sauce is good for one to two years after the best buy date according to the chart. If it says best by you are fine. If it says expiration date toss it. They are two different things. I hope this helps.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Nonametoday — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 02:54:10 GMT

@redbird wrote:
I have a chart I got from the internet.....says it is from the greater Pittsburg community food bank...which lists how long food can be consumed after the best buy date.Tomato sauce is good for one to two years after the best buy date according to the chart. If it says best by you are fine. If it says expiration date toss it. They are two different things. I hope this helps.

@redbird

That's what I was saying, the lady said if it says expiration date, toss it, especially tomato products. She said many other things were fine for a year or two past the sell-by date and some were good for months after the exp date (and she gave us a chart). She also said that some things after the sell-by date would become weaker in taste, i.e., spices and that though usable, they would not have the same strength of taste. I am pretty bad about tossing things when they are not used. I have a son who is a great cook and he will use them for 2-3 years. He's a good cook and he's also stingy.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

loriqvc — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 03:05:25 GMT

@whatsmyname - I agree with the majority of the posters here: If you open the can and the sauce looks or smells bad, don't use it; otherwise, you should be fine. As noted, the acidity of canned tomato products can sometimes prevent them from being good for as far past the marked date as other canned goods, but they should still be fine for a few extra months.

And I can add input based on my own recent experience—last summer, I couldn't find the tomato sauce I liked at my local grocery store for a few weeks, and they told me it was being discontinued and marked the remaining cans down to half price. I was surprised and sad, so I bought a whole bunch of it with an expiration date of last October. Well, it turns out that the company was just tweaking the label format and the sauce returned to the shelves just after the beginning of the year, which is great. And I am still working my way through my stockpile of that October sauce with no issues at all.

Hope everything goes well with your chili!

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

ILOVEDOGS — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 06:59:25 GMT

@whatsmyname You're joking right?

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Tinkrbl44 — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 07:11:15 GMT

These aren't "official" dates, just suggestions.

I just read an article that the government doesn't really monitor these dates. They are estimates made by the food manufacturer and can be somewhat arbitrary.

What I found interesting is the ONLY food the government regulatiors take seriously and monitor ... baby formula.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

candys mine — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 11:43:06 GMT

Tomato is pretty much the Only thing I pitch if it's over any date.

I don't buy Canned tomato sauce to store in the pantry.

I have had a can bulge out Too. So if at least Two people on this board have had that happen, My opinion is that I do NOT want to store canned Tomato sauce. At least with a jar you can see the product inside and you can test the button on the lid to make sure the seal is tight.

I'm not messing around with the possibility of Botulisim.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Jo1313 — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:21:12 GMT

@Kachina624 wrote:
@Nonametoday When tomato products go bad, it's pretty obvious. The cans swell and the top becomes convex. I've actually had a can of tomato paste explode in a cupboard. What a mess that was.

When I buy canned tomatoes..which is quite often..Before I put them in my pantry..I take a marker and write the "use by" date on the front of the can so it's easily seen and doesn't get shoved to the back of the shelf...Started doing that years ago after I had a lg. can of crushed tomatoes explode on a shelf.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

gardenman — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:31:38 GMT

Assuming you're cooking it to a decent temperature (165 degrees F or higher) and the can is intact and the stuff inside looks and smells fine, it should be okay. Cook stuff long enough and hot enough and anything bad will die off in the cooking process. Even botulism dies off at 185 degrees F. If you want to use it uncooked, straight from the can you need to be more careful, but assuming you're cooking with it and get it hot enough, you should be fine.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Razzy 7 — Mon, 02 Sep 2024 14:23:48 GMT

It may be fine, but personally I just wouldn't take a chance - I'd discard it. After all, a can of tomato sauce isn't that expensive.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

whatsmyname — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 02:01:35 GMT

Thank you all for your replies and words of wisdom! When I opened it, it looked, smelled, and tasted just fine so I did use it.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

sunshine45 — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 02:09:56 GMT

i would use it.....

i HATE to waste perfectly fine food and ingredients.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Sooner — Tue, 03 Sep 2024 02:10:58 GMT

I'm mostly a "6 months past and done" gal. That's about all I'm comfortable with and like others, I put dates on lids and labels and keep check on them.

Re: Expired Tomato Sauce

Nonametoday — Wed, 04 Sep 2024 19:02:40 GMT

@Razzy 7 wrote:
It may be fine, but personally I just wouldn't take a chance - I'd discard it. After all, a can of tomato sauce isn't that expensive.

@Razzy 7

I agree. Why risk your health, your family's health and possibly a life of an autoimmune deficient person for the price of a can of tomato sauce!