Topic: Old Food

[6pairsofshoes]

Magic ways to revive old food.

Shriveled potatoes, if not too far gone, can be peeled, cut into chunks and then left to sit in a bowl of cold water for a few hours.  They magically absorb the water and regain their former firmness.  It's a miracle.

Celery, lettuce, basil and swiss chard, can be revived like wilted flowers by cutting off the bottoms/stems and placing in a quart mason jar of water.

Got any other tips?  I'm sort of waking up, but got a wild hair to post this as it's been pretty quiet around these parts, lately.

[8ullfrog]

Sorry, I don't really store food, so I'd be of no use in this thread. For me old food generally means cheese gone mold or hot dog buns gone mold. Not much savings there.

[6pairsofshoes]

You make me realize how much extra space is important for food storage.  I planted tons of tomatoes that hopefully will allow me to put them up.  Once canned they last for years.  I have canned food and pasta that take up space, but they are shelf stable and make for easier meal planning.  I can also take advantage of sales and stock up on cheaper staples.  If you live under circumstances where space is at a premium, it's much harder to do that.  So I am lucky in that regard.

[smokester]

Magic ways to revive old food.

Shriveled potatoes, if not too far gone, can be peeled, cut into chunks and then left to sit in a bowl of cold water for a few hours.  They magically absorb the water and regain their former firmness.  It's a miracle.

Bugger! Just threw away half a bag of wrinkly potatoes before reading this. If anything, it would have been a perfect opportunity to test the theory as I'm amazed to discover this.

[6pairsofshoes]

Yep. Potato miracle.  Lots of food gets wilty or less than ideal looking and a little rehydration does wonders.

[6pairsofshoes]

Question:  In cleaning out my parents' basement I came across a case of Perrier sparkling water from 1995.  Stored in dark cool place.  For 25 years.

Is it safe to drink?  Any insights will be welcome.

[dweez]

I'm gonna say "No".

https://www.perrier.com/ca/en-ca/faqs (Next to last question on the page)

https://www.stilltasty.com/Fooditems/index/19026#:~:text=Properly%20stored%2C%20unopened%20sparkling%20water,expiration%22%20date%20on%20the%20bottle%3F

[6pairsofshoes]

Wine is kept in glass bottles for very long periods of time.  So I wonder, although I expect that alcohol helps sanitize the contents.  At any rate, it makes perfect sense that Perrier, who stands to gain business by telling you not to consume their water past a "best by" date, would err on the side of "caution."

There's a bottle in the fridge. We'll see if we get brave enough to try it.  I believe that, since it's sealed, the risk of contamination is low.

[6pairsofshoes]

This has to do more with old food serving items than with the food itself.  I have several old salt and pepper shakers that are quite nice; belong to a set of mid century dishes; and they're perfectly functional except for one problem.  The rubber stoppers that came with them have rotted, so they are no longer pliable.  I know I could use generic cork cones that come in smaller sizes, but does anyone have any suggestions for replacements of a DIY nature?  Some goof online suggested toothpaste tube lids, but those are too hard for the task.  These need to be able to accommodate slight irregularities of earthenware pottery.

I've checked several places online but have not yet seen the right fit.  Any suggestions will be greatly appreciated.

[6pairsofshoes]

Today we found that 25 year old Perrier, even stored under optimal conditions in glass bottles, is undrinkable.  We poured it on the plants.  It was, amazingly enough, still bubbly after 25 years. 

Another burning mystery solved.