I know, I know… the subject of today’s post sounds pretty disgusting! But just bear with me here, because I promise it isn’t as bad as it sounds. :-)
Today I’ll be sharing some useful tips for putting expired foods to good use. But before we get started, I want to be very clear about what I mean when I say “expired.” (Spoiler Alert: “Expired” does not mean “rotten!”)
Defining “Expired” Foods
For the purpose of this post, I am using the term “expired” to describe a food that is past the expiration, use-by, or sell-by date.
There is almost always a certain amount of time between a food’s expiration date and the date when it actually goes bad and becomes unusable. That in-between time is your window of opportunity to put that food item to good use!
So how do you know when a food has gone from “old but still usable” to downright rotten? Trust your senses of sight and smell! If the color or texture has changed dramatically, go ahead and throw it out. Likewise, if it smells bad or dramatically different from how it used to smell, throw it out.
Okay, so now that we’re all on the same page here, let’s get to it.
9 Useful Ways To Use Expired Foods
1. Mayonnaise
Use old mayonnaise to shine up your stainless steel appliances. It sounds strange, but the oil content in the mayo will really make your stainless steel sparkle! Check out more interesting uses for mayo at the link below.
Related: 17 Surprisingly Clever Uses For Mayonnaise
2. Greek Yogurt
You can use past-its-prime Greek yogurt to make an exfoliating face mask. Greek yogurt is packed with lactic acid, which helps exfoliate dead skin cells to reveal brighter skin underneath.
In a small bowl, stir together 2 tablespoons of Greek yogurt and 1 tablespoon of honey. Apply the mixture to your face in an even layer, let it sit for 15 minutes, then wash it off with warm water.
3. Ground Coffee
If your ground coffee has gotten stale, you can still put it to good use as a face scrub! Coffee is packed with antioxidants and has an astringent effect, a combination that can help nourish and tone your skin.
Just mix your stale ground coffee with enough milk to form a paste. Rub the coffee paste onto your skin for a minute or so, let it sit for about 20 minutes, then rinse clean.
4. Milk
Have a carton of milk that’s started to go sour? Use it for baking! Add it to cakes, biscuits, waffles, and pancakes for a dose of added flavor. Slightly soured milk can be used as a substitute for buttermilk in a lot of baked goods and they turn out delicious.
You can read more about baking with expired milk at The Spruce Eats.
More Ideas You'll Love
5. Wilted Herbs & Veggies
Have fresh herbs or veggies in your fridge that have started to look a little sad or wilted? Instead of tossing them out, store them in your freezer to make homemade vegetable or chicken stock later. Learn how easy it is to make your own homemade stocks below.
Related: How To Make Homemade Veggie Stock The Lazy Way
6. Brown Sugar
I can’t even count how many times I’ve gone to grab my brown sugar and realized that it had hardened into a brick. I used to believe that made the sugar unusable, but now I know better—you can use your blender to revive hard brown sugar.
Just pulse the brown sugar in your blender a few times until it softens up. You may need to add a few drops of water to help break up any very hard clumps.
7. Bread
Stale bread isn’t very pleasant to eat, but it’s great for making homemade bread crumbs. Just pulse a few pieces of stale bread in your blender or food processor, add a bit of salt and pepper or your favorite seasoning, and use them in your favorite recipes for added crunch.
8. Eggs
If you have some old eggs on hand, hang on to the shells. Eggshells are great for your garden because they’re rich in calcium and other minerals.
Just crush them up into tiny pieces and sprinkle them around your established plants. You can also sprinkle eggshells into the bottom of holes while you’re planting to give seedlings a boost.
Related: 8 Smart Reasons You Should Be Keeping Your Eggshells
9. Avocado
Who among us hasn’t waited a moment too long to use an avocado? While an overly-ripe avocado might not taste great, it’s not a problem if you’re using it as a moisturizing treatment for your hair.
Smash up an avocado in a bowl and apply it to wet or dry hair. Let it sit for an hour, then wash it out with your normal shampoo and conditioner. Your hair will look silky smooth and moisturized afterward!
More Ideas You'll Love
Related: 11 Beauty Hacks From Back In The Day That Everyone Should Know
What’s your best tip for using less-than-fresh foods?
I put 2-3 large marshmallows in my brown sugar and it never hardens. The marshmallows stay soft too. Every once in a while I replace the marshmallows if I have some on hand. You can eat the marshmallows that will have grains of brown sugar on them too.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great addition, Julie! Thanks :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.For coffee grounds, if they have been used for espresso or are relatively dry, they make a great cleaner. It’s a mild abrasive with a little bit of acid to help out. I use it especially for my cast iron skillet if it needs more than just a little soap and water.
I just found your blog today, and I’m going to bookmark it. There is lots of good information
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Adrienne – welcome!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I’m wondering about using old milk as a replacement for buttermilk. Would you still get the same chemical levening reaction as the buttermilk?
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Hi Becky! Sour milk is not going to turn out exactly the same as buttermilk. It makes a great replacement flavor-wise, but can be different when it comes to texture. If you’re making something that really relies on the buttermilk, I wouldn’t replace it with anything! :-)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.To soften brown sugar I have a piece of broken terracotta flower pot, (washed and dried), on hand. If your brown sugar is hard just take the piece and soak it in water for about and hour. Then towel dry it and place it in the bag/box of sugar. Wait 20 minutes or so and your sugar will be soft. It’s simple and reusable!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Just put a slice of apple or a slice of bread in the container of brown sugar works in a short time
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Yes, you missed the. Best use for food, eat it! Use by and sell by dates are very arbitrary. If it smells fine, is not slimy or moldy, it is. Generally safe. Bulging or leaky cans definitely need to be tossed, but we have used canned goods a year past expiration without problems. Frozen meat that is well wrapped stays great for a year. I have kept frozen hams and turkeys a full year and they were delicious when cooked. Slightly sad (wilted, spotted) veges make fine veg. Soup once you cut off the spots and any soft or bruised areas. Celery, onions and peppers getting a little old are terrific diced, thrown in freezer bags and frozen, then when you want soup, an omlet or Stir fry they are great to add in. We all need to use our food instead of just buying new, it cuts waste, and saves money. Still tasty is an excellent resource..
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Make coffee infusion with that stale coffee. Just add oil & let sit a while. Use in lotion bars, chap sticks, soaps….
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Got stale cereal? Birds, squirrels, chipmunks and the like don’t mind. Especially during the winter months when food sources are scarce.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I put my brown sugar in a mason jar after opening. When you use some, just put the cover on ASAP. It stays soft. I do the same for all kinds of things that can dry out or get stale. I don’t use bisquick very often so put that in a mason jar as well and store it in the freezer. Take out what I need and let it come to room temp when I’m going to use it. I’ve never had a problem with that either.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Another way to revive hard brown sugar: place sugar and a couple slices of bread inside a sealed container (like a gallon ziplock bag). The bread softens completely within a day. Also works with cookies that are too hard for your liking.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Excellent ideas. I’m going to try the avocado tip. Thanks so much for sharing these ideas and Happy New Year to you and your loved ones!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks Beverly! Happy New Year!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.I asked at a local organization that feeds homeless, and they will take canned goods up to five years after the expiration date. Of course, no bulging or leaky cans.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Great – thanks for the tip Barb!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Some places will accept out dated cans and some won’t. Call the organization ahead of time.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You can use those coffee grounds in your compost or just spread around plants. Same with used loose leaf tea and tea bags (open tea bags and shake out tea.)
Please log in or create a free account to comment.An excellent resource for “best before”, “best by”, expiry dates etc. is a website called stilltasty.com. It gives you freshness and consumption information on countless food items. It tells you how long things last if…opened, unopened, frozen, etc. I’ve used it for years!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thank you! Just looked at that site, what a resource!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.can’t believe I’ve never heard of that site!!! We should ALL use it!!!!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Thanks for this information.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Marrianne: THANK YOU for the website information! I have bought bulk foods and bulk herbs for decades and always wondered about that.. The website is invaluable to me and my family. Again, thanks very much, especially because when you buy 25# or more of bulk foods, there is likely no “best by” date given…
By the way, a former Herbalism Professor I studied under said to always place your bulk herbs in a canning jar (clean,dry) and vacuum seal them in it. Then cover the jar with a brown paper bag or something similar that will keep out the light, to prevent deterioration.
Please log in or create a free account to comment.Store in a cool, dry location. He always told his students these would be nearly good as new for 5 years this way…good for making tinctures and teas, etc.!! I have even done this with mung and aduki beans, with organic nuts (cause there’s not enough room in my freezer), etc. It has never failed me to date!
You are so right Jes! People generally are guilty of wasting an awful lot of food! I have a friend who will throw out an entire loaf of bread just because today might be the “best before” date! Sad! Another great myth is telling people to throw out their herbs and spices after 6 months. A trained pastry chef told me that’s nonsense. Just rub them with your fingers in the palm of your hand to refresh them and they’re good to go. Many years ago I worked on a computer conversion for a large dairy company here in Canada. They had a full-time food biologist on staff, who explained to us that even though they had to take their yogurts and sour cream, etc off the store shelves because of the so called “expiry” dates, the product was still totally safe to consume for as much as 6 weeks beyond that date! As long as it’s properly sealed and stored…no problem! Staff was offered the products that were returned to the plant. My family ate a lot of yogurt, etc, that year, which cost me either nothing, or pennies. NO ONE EVER GOT ILL FROM IT!!! Heck, they have found seeds and honey in Egyptian tombs that were still good after 3,000 years!!! Best regards, Marianne
You’re lucky you worked in Canada. Here in the USA most if not all states will not allow dairy to be sold, even for pennies, past the “sell by” date. In fact’ stores cannot even give it away to food banks or employees.
Is it because of fear of frivolous lawsuits? Or is it because it is better for the economy to waste massive quantities of food so people have to buy more? It is also generally illegal to take food from dumpsters…perfectly good food, with perhaps a small blemish.
Whatever the reasoning, I think it is sinful!
This is wonderful info, Jes! I an so tired of buying then having to throw away fresh herbs!
Amazing! Thanks Marianne!
Please log in or create a free account to comment.You are very welcome! I have been one of your Canadian followers for many years, have learned an awful lot, and it’s nice to give a little something back! Keep up the good work Jillee! Marianne
Outdated sour cream can be used for baking as long as it hasn’t started to mold. I love using sour milk for baking.
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