SC - Licensing & a question of concern

[Philip & Susan Troy]

deborah kupcek wrote:

> The big scarey box. Hmm you didn't specify what kind of stuff was
> lurking in said box.   If its open containers of flour sugar and stuff.
> Then  yes i would have a  few concerns. but some things like salt and
> spices i would consider to be ok.

Not directly in response to the above, but the thread in general...we also tend
to have a box  of supposedly-non-perishable leftover odds and ends. A bottle of
oil, maybe some flour, sugar, and forty-seven bazillion little tins of ground
pepper, ginger, etc. I usually go through these every time I cook, and throw
out a lot of it. Flour just usually gets checked for weevils and other
fascinating invaders, and I often throw it away if I'm even remotely in doubt.
I usually buy whole spices and grind them as I need them (except for batches of
things like powder forte and such). As for the little tins of ginger and such,
I usually taste them and if they don't taste good, I'll pitch them. If they are
still good I'll try to find a way to use them up first, and leave the fresher
stuff for next time, especially since what i buy tends to be whole and have a
longer shelf life.

Yes, it's certainly true that many dry goods will keep a long time, and it's
also true that oily things like nuts will keep indefinitely until they become
rancid. Same for certain types of vegetable oils, which can become rancid
easily (especially corn oil, which, in spite of the arguments one might m that
it isn't period and why have it anyway, people do buy it and it does go rancid
pretty easily if unrefrigerated). On the  other hand, the indefinite period for
these things is just that: indefinite. Almonds become rancid pretty easily too,
generally lasting no more than a month after purchase or opening, unless
refrigerated.

I myself have gotten to the point where I'll try to send things like the
remaining quart of olive oil home with someone who'll use it and appreciate it,
rather than worry about whether something nice will make it til the next feast.

For those who might be shocked at the fact that some groups have such boxes, I
should point out that most groups have several cooks (or more than one, at any
rate), and shopping styles vary as much as cooking styles, and many feel
there's no reason to interfere with a cook's style as long as the desired
results are achieved.

Of course, there _was_ one time when someone stored the box improperly, and I
found mysterious little oblong black specks, like fat caraway seeds, sprinkled
over everything. Figuring mouse turds would be a bad addition to the feast, I
picked up the entire box and threw it in the trash, box and all. Yes, there was
a new one next time I cooked, but the little additions were absent in future.

Adamantius
______________________________________
Phil & Susan Troy
troy at asan.com


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