Does mustard ever go bad?

[Locut0s]

It's one of those products with a REALLY long shelf life so the manufacturer doesn't code date the bottle clearly. Well they do code date it, with a batch number and a string of 3 or 4 digits that is usually the expiry date using the Julian calender (I learned to read these when I was working retail but they differ from one company to another). Seriously should any condiment last this long? Will I get sick. Will I die. First person to reply has dibs on my stuff.

edit: yup fine.

 

[sandorski]

It likely does, but I've been eating some Dijon mustard recently that's 1.5 years past BBD. Speaking of Mustard, I recently decided I'd never buy another Squeeze Bottle of Mustard.

Pretty cool eh?

:laugh:

 

[Chaotic42]

Microwave it to kill any bacteria.

 

[Chronoshock]

Its pretty much mustard seed, oil, and vinegar. The most immediate effect after the sell by is loss of flavor/heat. If you waited a really really long time I suppose it could go rancid

 

[JohnCU]

you are a posting machine lately locut0s

 

[spidey07]

It's technically pickled so no it can't really go bad.

 

[seemingly random]

Rules for food spoilage:

1) once the food is home, ignore the sell-by date
2) if it smells bad, it probably is
3) if it looks bad, it probably is
4) if it tastes bad, it probably is

I've had milk that has spoiled before the carton date and also milk that has lasted 2-3 weeks after the carton date.
Don't drink anti-freeze even though it supposedly tastes ok.
Cheese is an exception to the looks-bad rule. Mold can often be cut off and the remaining cheese edible.
If in doubt or desperate, nuke it.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: seemingly random
Rules for food spoilage:

1) once the food is home, ignore the sell-by date
2) if it smells bad, it probably is
3) if it looks bad, it probably is
4) if it tastes bad, it probably is

I've had milk that has spoiled before the carton date and also milk that has lasted 2-3 weeks after the carton date.
Don't drink anti-freeze even though it supposedly tastes ok.
Cheese is an exception to the looks-bad rule. Mold can often be cut off and the remaining cheese edible.
If in doubt or desperate, nuke it.

There is an exception to that exception though. Don't do that with soft cheese, only hard cheeses. The mold can grow through the interior of soft cheeses without you seeing it.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: JohnCU
you are a posting machine lately locut0s

Wow coming from you that means a lot

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: Locut0s

Originally posted by: seemingly random
Rules for food spoilage:

1) once the food is home, ignore the sell-by date
2) if it smells bad, it probably is
3) if it looks bad, it probably is
4) if it tastes bad, it probably is

I've had milk that has spoiled before the carton date and also milk that has lasted 2-3 weeks after the carton date.
Don't drink anti-freeze even though it supposedly tastes ok.
Cheese is an exception to the looks-bad rule. Mold can often be cut off and the remaining cheese edible.
If in doubt or desperate, nuke it.

There is an exception to that exception though. Don't do that with soft cheese, only hard cheeses. The mold can grow through the interior of soft cheeses without you seeing it.

Invisible mold? That's a new one for me.

Trying to trim soft cheese is certainly challenging. I have trimmed slightly moldy cream cheese but a lot gets discarded.

 

[WildHorse]

``

 

[Modular]

I've thrown away mustard that was a few weeks past the date. Now I just feel bad for wasting it.

 

[lxskllr]

Some mustards have egg and other high spoilage ingredients. The post above about it looking right is a good standard. I've never gotten food poisoning from anything I made in my own house. I wish I could say the same about food out :^/

Btw, I'm not sure microwaving would kill the germs. Food has to be cooked at a sustained high temperature to kill bacteria, I don't think microwaves provide that.

 

[Mr.IncrediblyBored]

I usually keep a bottle of yellow mustard in my cube at work for sammiches at lunch. Sitting out at room temp for a few months makes it taste noticeably off.

 

[Jadow]

bought magnum 32 oz bottle of heinz dijon a few yaers ago, expired back in 07, it still tastes fine, and I use it every few days.

 

[bloodugly]

Mustard.....looks ok, take a taste of a dab and it tastes ok...you're gonna be fine.

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: KnightBreed
I usually keep a bottle of yellow mustard in my cube at work for sammiches at lunch. Sitting out at room temp for a few months makes it taste noticeably off.

Once it's opened and not refrigerated all bets are off. I wouldn't use it past a couple of days. I'd start accumulating a few packets of condiments from fast food places.

 

[IronWing]

I've eaten yellow mustard 4-5 years out of date with no noticeable decline in taste or any illness.


Edit: big bottle, stored in fridge, definitely need to shake it up.

 

[allisolm]

Originally posted by: seemingly random

Originally posted by: KnightBreed
I usually keep a bottle of yellow mustard in my cube at work for sammiches at lunch. Sitting out at room temp for a few months makes it taste noticeably off.

Once it's opened and not refrigerated all bets are off. I wouldn't use it past a couple of days. I'd start accumulating a few packets of condiments from fast food places.

From the French's site:


"Do French's® Mustards need to be refrigerated?

A: Dijon & horseradish mustard will lose their distinct flavors if not refrigerated, so we encourage refrigerating both. For all other mustards, refrigeration will help maintain flavor; however, it is not necessary to refrigerate if you prefer to consume your mustard at room temperature. There are no ingredients in mustard that spoil. "Refrigerate After Opening" is not required for food safety--we only recommended you do so to maintain optimal product flavor."

Despite that I refrigerate mine. It's easier to just throw it all in there than to figure out what MIGHT not need it. I refrigerate the bread to keep it from molding too fast.

 

[nanette1985]

I've been cleaning out the homes of some elderly relatives, either dead or moving into assisted living. Yes, mustard goes bad after twenty or thirty years - it dries up and gets crusty and gets odd colors - presumably mold.

Don't ask what happens to ketchup - really gross.

 

[seemingly random]

Originally posted by: princess ida
I've been cleaning out the homes of some elderly relatives, either dead or moving into assisted living. Yes, mustard goes bad after twenty or thirty years - it dries up and gets crusty and gets odd colors - presumably mold.

Don't ask what happens to ketchup - really gross.

Thanks for that image...

I've got some ketchup that needs to be discarded since it's close to black. Interestingly, this is from my deceased father's house. There were several industrial size containers of ketchup no doubt purchased since it was 'a good deal' who knows how many years ago.

 

[hanoverphist]

i just had corndogs the other day with a small cup of mustard. for some reason i have 4 mustard bottles in my fridge, a collection from different picnics and bbqs at the park and forgetting to bring mustard/ ketchup. the big one that has been in there for a couple years is a darker yellow now, and after tasting it with the corn dogs i realized that yes, mustard will go bad eventually. i tossed that bottle and used one of the smaller bbq bottles. i do have a dijon that has been tasty for the past 3 or 4 years tho, mebbe the spices keep it from being as apparent as the yellow mustard.

 

[Locut0s]

Originally posted by: princess ida
I've been cleaning out the homes of some elderly relatives, either dead or moving into assisted living. Yes, mustard goes bad after twenty or thirty years - it dries up and gets crusty and gets odd colors - presumably mold.

Don't ask what happens to ketchup - really gross.

Yeah I think it's safe to say all bets are off after twenty years lol.

 

[dman]

Funny you should mention it, I bought some brown mustard from a restaurant because the brand they sell isn't available at the local grocery stores (TooJay's Restaurant / National Deli). I didn't notice till I got it home that it said Jun 08 on the bottle. Normally I wouldn't care, it's Mustard, but I just bought it and thought that's awfully long past the sell by date and I haven't even opened it yet.

So, I brought it back, only to find out they had a Jun 08 10P64 or something else at the end. Apparently the date was 2010 but I thought that was exceptionally odd, how they would know a specific day to sell Mustard by? Well I guess they just add x Months to whatever date it's bottled but still, I had my doubts. I checked at another restaurant (a few weeks later) and they had bottles with different Month / day (Like Jul 21 10P64) so I guess it's right. Hasn't killed me yet.

 

[Kntx]

~~~~~~ MUSTARD ~~~~~~