[Marlene]

I thought we could use this topic to discuss the shelf lives of various products and condiments etc.

Jake was kind enough to bring me a couple of packages of wonton wrappers. I have a couple of ideas on what to do with them, but the first question I have, is how long will they keep in the fridge for? Can they be frozen?

I want to make an asian chicken salad, but I thought I'd wait till hubby makes it up again on the weekend, rather than just making it for myself. Will they keep that long?

I've also got a 4 cheese nibble that I want to try with them.

Also, crostini? How long is it good for? I made some yesterday, but we never did get to the carpaccio. Will they keep till the weekend, or will I need to make new ones?

[Dianne]

Won ton wrappers definitely freeze well. And I think they would keep in the frig for a week if they have not been opened.

The crostini depend on how dry they are. If they are dry and crunchy, they keep.

This post has been edited by Dianne: 23 July 2007 - 07:03 AM

[Marlene]

Excellent. I'll probably freeze one of the two packs then. the crostini is dry and crunchy and is in a ziplock bag.

How about roasted garlic? How long does that keep?

[Jake]

roasted garlic is fine for a couple days in the fridge -- never really tried to keep it longer.

[Dianne]

Jake, on Jul 23 2007, 09:23 AM, said:

roasted garlic is fine for a couple days in the fridge -- never really tried to keep it longer.

I have kept it for a week at least.

[Matthew Kayahara]

I'm not sure that this is the right thread for my question, but what the heck!

Due to a scheduling conflict, I find myself in the position of picking up some pork liver and shoulder from the butcher tomorrow, but not able to do anything with it until Thursday at the earliest. (I'm making pâté.) How long will pork liver last in the fridge? Can I freeze it, or will that ruin the texture?

[James]

Freezing is the last resort option. But you can keep it fresh and shrink-wrapped several days. Your butcher may offer this service, but if you do it yourself it might be best to salt it first, then rinse and vacuum wrap. The instructions on a salt box for koshering should help.

[Matthew Kayahara]

James, on Aug 17 2007, 01:30 PM, said:

Freezing is the last resort option. But you can keep it fresh and shrink-wrapped several days. Your butcher may offer this service, but if you do it yourself it might be best to salt it first, then rinse and vacuum wrap. The instructions on a salt box for koshering should help.

Unfortunately, I don't have a vacuum sealer, so that option is out. I've ended up freezing everything. Of course, he brought in three times as much liver as I had ordered, but only charged me a dollar for the whole thing, so even if it doesn't work out that well, I can afford to try again later!

[Corgi Man]

Dear Belovéd Respected Home-cooks,

How long do you keep vinegar and oils around after they've been opened? My tiny NYC kitchen is going through a purge (instigated by a pipe bursting and the ensuing mess.) But I have all these vinegars, should I just throw them out if they've been opened for more than a few months?

[Marlene]

You probably need to sniff them to see if they've gone rancid. I generally only keep oils a couple of months, and the same for vinegars.

[James]

Marlene, on 09 September 2009 - 03:04 PM, said:

You probably need to sniff them to see if they've gone rancid. I generally only keep oils a couple of months, and the same for vinegars.

Vinegar should keep indefinitely. Olive oils 1 year. I can't imagine replacing these two staples 6 times a year.

[Marlene]

James, on 09 September 2009 - 10:30 PM, said:

Vinegar should keep indefinitely. Olive oils 1 year. I can't imagine replacing these two staples 6 times a year.

That may be true for regular vinegars, but certainly not for flavoured ones or for nut oils in either. And Olive oil will go rancid once it is opened. I never have olive oil sitting around for months though. I go through too much of it. Vinegars are another matter.

[Matthew Kayahara]

Marlene, on 10 September 2009 - 07:44 AM, said:

That may be true for regular vinegars, but certainly not for flavoured ones or for nut oils in either. And Olive oil will go rancid once it is opened. I never have olive oil sitting around for months though. I go through too much of it. Vinegars are another matter.

I agree: regular vinegar, especially if it's pasteurized, should keep forever, but flavoured ones will fade over time. If unpasteurized, vinegar will go bad - and you'll know, because it becomes extremely unpleasant smelling.

Neutral cooking oil (canola, peanut, etc.) is unlikely to go bad before you use it up. Less-processed oils, like extra-virgin olive oil, will go rancid, but I'm usually able to use it up before I notice. Nut oils and cold-pressed canola oil will go rancid quite quickly, so they should stored in the fridge and used within a couple of months.