Best before ...

I see best before dates are back in the news, following the Co-op's decision to sell out of date food.

The article mentions a seasonal issue that has puzzled me for a while, Treacle. Why does it have a strong worded "Dispose on expiry" message, in combination with "best before" ? Well, the BBC didn't say but the combined wisdom of the web is that internal gas build up can cause an explosion on opening. How exciting ! Assuming this is some sort of ferment, is the remains part way to being Rum, I wonder.

The other seasonal question for me is the can of Mackeson stout called for by Delia's christmas pudding recipe. And one of Gold label barley wine. Both of these only come as four packs these days, and Guinness is not an acceptable substitute somehow. The best before date (suspiciously) falls just a bit too early to save it for next year. What to do with the rest ? Well, you could drink it. I can just about enjoy the stout, but the Gold label ? I could donate it to an alcoholic I suppose. Usually I save it for slug trap bait. It is jolly effective, though not terribly economical.

Thank goodness a little sense is being shown somewhere over this ridiculous, wasteful 'sell by' idea.

I have had the same problem with buying an item for a recipe and not having anything to do with the rest of it. I don't bother now, the recipe can manage with an alternative.

I love the thought of exploding treacle!!

I don't know how treacle comes now but it used to come with a press-on lid like Golden Syrup so if it did get a bit gassy, I imagine the lid would just blow off and, apart from a bit of a mess in the cupboard, no real harm done.

It does sound rather an over-reaction, I think Now I know, I think it's a risk I'd be prepared to take.

I've just bought a ready-made Christmas pudding from a Traidcraft stall. Have not check ingredients so anything could happen

I love the thought of exploding treacle!!

Look up the Great Boston Molasses Disaster of 1919 when 21 people were killed by treacle.

Good grief!
I don't suppose an average householder would have over 2 million gallons in the kitchen cupboard, though