Home Cooking: On buying expiring food items

(image from Eat By Date)

One of the things that I look out for whenever I go to the grocery are the markdown items. One, it's one way to stretch my budget and it actually helps me plan my menu since the dishes I would create would depend on the item that I just bought.

Grocery items that are usually on sale are those that are about to expire. But, did you know that they're still good for an extended period after the supposed expiry date?

The first time that I've heard about it was back in college. A friend of mine used to work at a wine shop where they also sell chocolates. That, plus her background in HRM, made her a credible source for me when it comes to food. I recall that they were having their chocolates on sale. I asked her why they were still selling expired items. She said that it's still good for 3 more months after the expiry date. Obviously, I took her word for it and bought a number of them. Hey, it's a Valrhona. To those who are into this brand, a markdown offer on it is something you just grab. Anyway, I've kept that very useful tip in mind and became a smarter buyer.

I do notice in supermarkets that they don't sell expired items, but they do offer promos to those that are about to (at least according to the expiry or best before date that's indicated in the packaging). I usually grab them and try to figure out what dishes I can do with it. 

When I get home, I would go to Eat By Date to check out how long my soon to be expiring food item will last. It's a very informative site to go to. It teaches you the difference of shelf life dates: Use By, Best By, etc.). One can browse the site by food category, but they have a search box feature to make things easier for the user to locate the information about a certain food item.

Worth having around!