Guess how old this is...

[AllenOK]

About a month ago, my MIL moved in with us. The past week, we've been moving all her stuff into my house. I'm now starting to unpack and sort through all her kitchen stuff, including her dry goods.

Some of this stuff is ancient! I'm pitching the obviously out-of-date, unusable/inedible stuff, but some things are interesting. I just found a box of Sun Giant Pitted Dates. It's got the original plastic wrapper over the box, with a price tag from some store I don't recognize, with a price of $1.19. Here's the kicker. On the back, there is a disclaimer that these dates were "Grown in Iran". I wasn't aware that Iran was exporting anything to us these days? There's no date on the package, so I don't know if I should keep it or not. Any ideas on how old it might be?

 

[kitchenelf]

Oh my!!!!! Sounds like you should throw it out! Plastic or no plastic, opened or unopened - those suckers are old! lol

I went to my MIL's and behind her back my SIL and I threw away 4 EMPTY cans of Pam cooking spray - why would she even have those????? Call me crazy but doing that with my SIL was like we were actually sisters plotting behind our mother's back - we had fun sneaking around!!!!

 

[IcyMist]

Reminds me of my grandmother. She use to buy things on sale and then put them all over her trailer. I actually found 3 jars of BLACK mayo after she had passed. Also found half a dozen bags of marshmallows.....she didn't even like marshmallows.

 

[AllenOK]

Well, most of my MIL's stuff is actually "junk" (read: Trash). The only problem is, most of this "stuff" was my MIL's mother's and that the only connection my MIL has with her mother. As a result, she refuses to throw ANYTHING away. I mean, I found a 7 oz STEEL Coors beercan, that had been opened with a church key because there wasn't even a pullring to open it with! It had to be close to 40 years old. There's an unopened can of Slitz beer in the basement, that does have a pullring (not the modern pulltab or staytab). I was warned not to touch it, as that's her father's beer, not that I would consider drinking a 30-y.o. beer.

MIL comes home from the hospital in a little bit, and she's probably going to go ballistic when she realizes I've thrown out about a box'es worth of trash (empty jars, inedible food, rubber bands, etc.). I'm sorry, I but I refuse to stuff my house with her junk.

Once she passes, there's A LOT of things going to the dump, and a lot of things going to be sold. Anyone want to Elvis 8-tracks or records? How about a working (I think) 8-track player? I may have to start selling stuff on the big E.

 

[Lugaru]

Allen: I need to send you a link where some one samples a 15 year old box of Urkel O's...

Still yeah, I say fear the old food. I once got pretty badly poisoned by a 1 year old can of pringles (I thought it was announcing the two towers... turns out it was announcing the first LOTR movie).

 

[Michael in FtW]

... I just found a box of Sun Giant Pitted Dates. It's got the original plastic wrapper over the box, with a price tag from some store I don't recognize, with a price of $1.19. Here's the kicker. On the back, there is a disclaimer that these dates were "Grown in Iran". I wasn't aware that Iran was exporting anything to us these days? ...

Don't know which date will apply (no pun intended) but it looks like they would have been imported either before November 1987 or after April 2000 according to the information on sanctions in the "Iranian Transactions Regulations - 31 CFR Part 560". http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sanctions/t11iran.pdf

 

[Alix]

Oh ewww. If she is anything like my mom you can bet on the pre 1987. I found a jar of Cheez Whiz in Mom's fridge that said best before Jan...1992!!!

 

[BlueCat]

Well, at least it didn't say Grown in Persia. That would REALLY be old.

BC

 

[Claire]

Oh, Blue Cat, I love you! I love a web site where people actually know that. Haha! I'd be slightly tempted to soak your old dates in some very strong booze, then take a taste. In reality I'd probably throw them out! I have a cast-iron stomach, and tend to taste things others wouldn't, so maybe I would.

In the military, you'd be surprised at some of the foods you "inherit" when people move. Especially if you've gained a reputation for cooking. I've gotten jars of tahini that were so close to concrete that I swear I could pave a sidewalk with it, jars of jams, jellies, and chutneys, commercial and home-made. Once-upon-a-time, I would inherit bottles of tabasco and worchestershire that were old (people's tastes have changed since those days). I once got an entire case of various liquers when someone PCS'd (moved, to most of you). When we moved, we'd throw a party, and specifically fix foods that were from condiments and such that we needed to get rid of. Then we'd also put out a box of other stuff we couldn't or didn't want to move, for anyone to grab on their way out.

 

[SpiceUmUp]

Momma always said, when in doubt toss it out!

 

[middie]

i'd say toss them too.

 

[bknox]

I say E BAY BABY!

Especially if one of the dates actually looks like Sadam Hussien.

Bryan

 

[SpiceUmUp]

that would be Iraq, not Iran

 

[bknox]

I still say E BAY!

Especially if one looks like Mohammad Khatami (pretty sure he is the leader of Iran).

Thanks for correcting me SpiceUmUp.

Bryan

 

[kleenex]

you might have one that looks like Bill gates, hehehehehehe.

 

[bknox]

Next time I clean out the pantry I am going to keep an eye out for food that resembles famous people. I may have missed my calling. ;-). There may be a potato in there somewhere that looks like Carl Malden.

Bryan

 

[BlueCat]

Oh, Blue Cat, I love you! I love a web site where people actually know that. Haha!

Thanks! I like that kind of trivia.

BC

 

[jpmcgrew]

I say the emty and the full beer cans on Ebay Im sure some body collects those things.