CraigC
Master Chef
- Joined
- Jan 27, 2011
- Messages
- 6,486
Dang, I should have voted 4-10, forgot about the black and yellow seeds.
Dang, I should have voted 4-10, forgot about the black and yellow seeds.
I didn't count dry because it isn't in the fridge. If I count them then I change my answer from 3 to 6.
I have seven mustards in the fridge, plus yellow dry ground and seeds in the cabinet. I threw out - and didn't count - a jar of Gulden's that said "best if used by XXX, 2007"
- yellow ballpark off-brand
- Grey Poupon Harvest Coarse Ground
- Horrock's Roasted Garlic (came in a Christmas gift basket)
- homemade jalapeno
- Spicy Brown
- Dijon
- Horseradish
Wow, that jar must have had its own zip code before getting tossed! Darn pesky expiration dates.
By its very nature, mustard has vinegar in it. A natural preservative. So how could it possibly go bad? No matter what date the manufacturer puts on it. That is just a ploy to sell you more.
Vinegar evaporates.
From a sealed container? Not for a long, long time. Maybe if there is just a dab left in the bottom of a jar or bottle it can dry out just with the trapped air, but not if there is any significant percentage of the original contents left.
We're talking about an eight-year-old jar of mustard here. I opened the jar and what little was in there looked a bit crusty. I wasn't worried about it being spoiled. I just decided I didn't want it anymore and tossed it in the recycling bin.
Last year some Facebook friends got into counting vinegars and I found an old bottle of malt vinegar with just a little residue on the bottom. I didn't count that one So yes, it takes a while, but it happens.