How long do you keep open stuff in the fridge?

[SW FL Dem]

I was just cleaning out the fridge and found several marinades, salad dressings and condiments. I have no clue when these things were opened. I do know that I tossed everything when we lost power last August due to Hurricane Charley. Having experienced food poisoning more than once, I tend to err on the side of caution. I hate to toss good stuff, but I don't want to feed my family unsafe foods. I guess I need to start marking foods once I open them. My kid just opened a pack of 8 hot dogs today. According to list I have, the open pack of hot dogs is only good for a week. The list also says to toss pickles after a two months and that salad dressings only last 3 months.

I seem to recall a post here or in the lounge with a link to a table suggesting food storage guidelines but I couldn't find it. It was in the form of an element table.

[Stinky The Clown]

1. I use my own judgment ......

Leftovers .... I never eat them. Sparkly sometimes does. They always get thrown away on garbage night. Unless we freeze 'em. Of course, we almost always forget them and only deal with 'em when we discover how freezer burnt they are.

High acid foods ..... weeks to months

Eggs ..... I am comfortable going a month past the expiration date. Sparkly sees bugs crawling over them a week before the expiration date. We usually make hard boiled eggs out of old ones ... then devil 'em or egg salad.

Salad dressings .... we rarely buy any store bought, so we tend to throw it away no more than a month after opening ... or when the lid gets crusted to the bottle.

Mayo .... forever

Mustard .... same as mayo

Water/brine packed stuff .... when we see the the Floating Gardens of Babylon faithfully portrayed in miniature in brightly colored bacilli.

Fish ...... 24 hours, tops.

Meat ... a week, tops

Salamis ..... till I finish 'em. They cure with bacteria so what's a few more :shrug:

Cheese ..... until it looks like a science experiment. (See Salamis, above)

I'm sure there are rules about this, but you probably know me well enough to know that I **laugh** at rules. Well ..... usually. Sometimes, anyhow.

[NMDemDist2]

2. i cut the green off cheese but how long can I keep eggs once they are

hard boiled? that's a question that seems to come up way too often in my kitchen

[Warpy]

4. No more than a week on cooked eggs

and I'm not sure I'd keep them that long.

Nothing much eats bottled dressings as long as they're cold, so they're probably OK.

Bottled marinades are the same, probably have enough vinegar in them to keep them safe.

Yogurt, sour cream and buttermilk can be held up to a month after the "sell by" date.

Bacterial counts in cooked foods of all types tend to soar after the first three or four days in the fridge, so even if they don't have green whiskers, if you intend to use leftovers, cook them thoroughly to kill anything that might be growing in them. Microwaves don't typically heat the food hot enough to kill all the bacteria, so reheat on the stove after 3 days or so.

Storing non acid or non fermented items in the fridge will retard bacterial growth, but it won't stop it completely.

[SW FL Dem]

3. LOL You sound like my dad

He lived through the depression so he would never throw anything away unless it was absolutely necessary. I grew up eating cheese with the mold cut off.

[wildeyed]

5. Three days on leftovers.

A little longer if they don't have meat. Using a vacuum packer gadget can double your save time on leftovers.

As far as condiments, etc, if I can't remember opening them, they are gone. Might not be dangerous, but they probably don't taste good anymore.

[trotsky]

6. THIS is what you're looking for.

The Table of Condiments that Periodically Go Bad :)
http://web.mit.edu/dryfoo/www/Info/condiments.html

[SW FL Dem]

7. Thank you

That is exactly what I was looking for.

[DawgHouse]

8. They had all sorts of lists in the newspaper

after the hurricanes! I agree that you should err on the side of caution. When in doubt, throw it out! It's not worth giving someone a bellyache :)