Box Mac-n-cheese Expiration Date?

[tortoise]

Mac and cheese for supper tonight. (with chili)

 

[JanetMarie]

DH found box mac-n-cheese on sale at the local grocery store. It expires next month. He bought a couple boxes for the kids. Turns out it has safe-for-me ingredients! No GI trouble after having a generous serving. What a treat!

I bought 2 cases. 48 boxes total for $16.

I could use them before the best by date. But realistically, how much life do you think is in them?

I've heard of people canning box mixes like that, or put in the freezer.

 

[flowerbug]

pasta in a box can last a year or more, but depends upon storage conditions - bugs and humidity might ruin things sooner.

the cheese sauce powder in the packets should be good for quite some time as those are sealed up even better than the pasta.

me, i'd eat it all eventually, opening the boxes later on i might wonder if there were bugs in there or not, but you can usually see bug damage, frass, dead bugs, etc... some people might freak out about eating something that's been a bit chewed on by bugs, but i just pick out the bugs and other stuff and eat the rest. can't say i've ever noticed a bug taste of any kind. note, only some bugs, anything that poops tarry black gunk, then nope, i'm not going to eat anything those had contact with. no recall at all ever seeing those though.

 

[Trying2keepitReal]

Agree with everyone else, as it is a best by not use by date

 

[Britesea]

The one food I remember reading about where you should pay attention to the expiration date is Cake Mixes; the baking powder used definitely has a finite shelf life, and the cake won't rise well.

 

[Finnie]

The one food I remember reading about where you should pay attention to the expiration date is Cake Mixes; the baking powder used definitely has a finite shelf life, and the cake won't rise well.

I was going to mention cake mix too. Because I’ve had some that were past their date, and when I opened them, they smelled kind of musty. I cooked one anyway just to see if it would be ok, and yup, the cake smelled bad too. Now I try to use cake mixes up well before their date, and pretty much don’t keep them on hand until I expect to need one. I guess vacuum seal or freeze would be another option.

 

[Hinotori]

i really don't like throwing anything away that might give some worms happiness and more playground opportunities (the worms go in, the worms go out, the worms play pinochle on your snout...) along with helping the garden soil to improve.

Thanks for that. That song may now be stuck in my head

 

[CLSranch]

My last job was refrigeration piping. They make frozen pasta dinners. Can't donate them to a shelter but give them to the employees and the dumpster by the pallets if not sold by a certain date that doesn't exceed the sell by date. So many shelters could benefit if that wasn't a rule.

 

[tortoise]

tuna slop was a big thing here. can of tuna, package of frozen veggies and a box of mac-n-cheese. we ate so much of that for years that while i like it and could eat it again, do i really have to? nope. i'll make something else instead. like we'll easily eat just plain macaroni and tomatoes.

Another one of XDH's family meals. "Mac-Cheez-Tu-Pea" They used peas, obviously. I'll admit to liking this one. I forgot about it! Thanks for the reminder!!

 

[flowerbug]

we grew up on some rather lean times so i personally can eat about anything if i really have to. i mean, give me flour and water and i'll eat it as a paste, or plain cold tofu, etc. i can eat it. doesn't bug me. 10 days in a row. mentally sometimes i just put it down as food is food and leave it at that. i can think about other things as i'm eating.

cold cream of wheat, white corn grits cold, oatmeal cold, etc. all ok. surely not my favorite but edible if nothing else is about.

do i want to eat like that? nope. but hey, sometimes it's just what is ready and i'm fine with what is ready.