87 Things People Found While Cleaning That Had Clearly Been Forgotten For Decades

Of course, most of us probably don’t keep expired things around because we’re trying to build a little museum of forgotten groceries at home. It’s just surprisingly easy to put off jobs we don’t feel like doing, and clearing things out is one of them.

Before we know it, that bottle of sauce we bought for one recipe to impress a date has been sitting in the fridge for five years, while a jar of fancy jam we got in a Christmas hamper is still tucked away at the back of a cupboard. We keep telling ourselves we’ll sort it all out later, but somehow “later” never seems to arrive.

At least when something has survived several birthdays in the fridge, we usually know we shouldn’t be eating it, even if we still can’t bring ourselves to throw it away. Things get less obvious when the expiration date has only just passed. 

Say we wake up to make coffee and notice the milk is a day or two past the date on the carton. It smells perfectly fine. Do we pour it away anyway, or can we still use it?

That depends partly on what the label actually says. In the US, the USDA explains that “Best if Used By” or “Best if Used Before” is about when the food should be at its best quality. It isn’t a safety deadline. So if that date passed yesterday, the food didn’t suddenly transform at midnight. 

The USDA says properly stored food can still be eaten after a best-by date if it shows no signs of spoilage. Infant formula is one important exception. The FDA requires it to carry a use-by date, and that date should be followed because the formula needs to provide the nutrients stated on the label.

Eventually, though, food really does start to go bad. This happens because microorganisms such as bacteria are already present around us and can make their way onto food. Once they have enough moisture and the right temperature, they begin multiplying and feeding on the nutrients in it.

As they do, they produce substances that can change the food’s smell or texture, which is when we start noticing that something is off. Refrigeration slows their growth, but it doesn’t stop spoilage completely. That’s why a carton of milk can stay fresh for days in the fridge and then gradually turn sour as microorganisms continue to grow.

At the same time, the FDA warns that the bacteria that make us sick can be different from the ones that make food obviously spoil. Something can still look and smell completely normal while harmful bacteria are present. 

So our senses can help us notice when food has gone bad, but they can’t always tell us whether it’s safe to eat. When there’s a real reason to doubt something, especially if it hasn’t been stored properly, it’s safer not to take the chance.

Some foods, however, can technically last forever under the right conditions. Honey is one of them. According to Utah State University, commercial honey can have an indefinite shelf life because its high sugar content and low moisture make it very difficult for microbes to grow. 

It may crystallize or change over time, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it has spoiled. Salt can also last indefinitely as long as it stays dry and free from contamination.

At the same time, bacteria aren’t always the enemy. We humans are a creative lot, and we’ve figured out how to put bacteria to work on purpose. Instead of ruining what we eat, the right ones can actually make food taste better and help it last longer. That’s exactly what happens during fermentation.

Certain bacteria feed on the sugars in foods like sauerkraut or pickles and produce acid along the way. As the food becomes more acidic, many unwanted microbes have a harder time growing. So when fermentation is done properly, those helpful bacteria can preserve the food while giving it the distinctive flavor we’re after.

All of this means the date printed on our food is useful, but it doesn’t always signal an immediate trip to the trash. Something that slipped past its best-by date yesterday is very different from a mystery jar that’s been hiding in a cupboard since the ’90s. 

Still, it’s always worth being careful. If something has been stored improperly or gives you any reason to doubt it, leaving it uneaten is probably the smarter choice.