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Scalded Dog · 10-16-2015, 10:40 AM

So, for now, these dark days, I am a cubicle jockey. For those of you who have never cubicle- jockeyed before, yes... it IS hell, as you suspected.

Anyway, a staple for survival in this weak, fluorescent- light bathed world of phones and computers and TPS reports, is a drawer full of condiment packages that have sort of been pilfered from fast food establishments. After a meal, when there are a few packages of catsup or hot sauce or mustard or whatever left over, they get thrown into a drawer, in order to use them some other time, when the condiments are forgotten, or to try to enhance some other food.

(Bonus comment for the day, from a kid I know who is in college: "I recently learned that if you take Top Ramen, and mix it with Taco Bell hot sauce, it tastes just like poverty!")

So, now I have a drawerful of these condiment packages. I have not rotated the stock as a good grocery clerk would have, so I have no idea when I acquired any of these: Some might be a week old, some might be as old as my high school kids are. I've been able to find lists online telling me how long various condiments SHOULD be good for... but since I have no idea how long I've had them--- or how old they might have been when I got them!--- those lists don't help me.

I do see that most--- well, many--- of the little packages have some sort of code stamped on them... perhaps a manufacturing or expiration date? I pulled a stack of packs out from my drawer, and found a number of of them--- from different restaurants (Taco Bell, Arby's, Del Taco, etc.) ---that have a "CW" followed by various short numbers. But, not all restaurants or manufacturers seem to have "CW" stamps... some have "CK"s or long strings of numbers or "AN"s or even just single digits.

(I have noticed that small bags of chips will often have expiration dates that are essentially utterly worthless. They will read month/ day... but no year. The chips might expire on May 15... but that could be of the next year, or maybe they quit being edible back in 1993. No way to tell, other than attempting to consume them: If you die, the year was probably long passed.)

So... anybody know how to tell if my condiment packages are good to eat... or am I better off lining them up end to end in front of somebody's tire, for a great mess of goo squirtage?

10-16-2015, 10:40 AM	#1
Scalded Dog Drives: 2011 1LT Join Date: Mar 2012 Location: Crestline, CA Posts: 3,029	Can I eat this?!? So, for now, these dark days, I am a cubicle jockey. For those of you who have never cubicle- jockeyed before, yes... it IS hell, as you suspected. Anyway, a staple for survival in this weak, fluorescent- light bathed world of phones and computers and TPS reports, is a drawer full of condiment packages that have sort of been pilfered from fast food establishments. After a meal, when there are a few packages of catsup or hot sauce or mustard or whatever left over, they get thrown into a drawer, in order to use them some other time, when the condiments are forgotten, or to try to enhance some other food. (Bonus comment for the day, from a kid I know who is in college: "I recently learned that if you take Top Ramen, and mix it with Taco Bell hot sauce, it tastes just like poverty!") So, now I have a drawerful of these condiment packages. I have not rotated the stock as a good grocery clerk would have, so I have no idea when I acquired any of these: Some might be a week old, some might be as old as my high school kids are. I've been able to find lists online telling me how long various condiments SHOULD be good for... but since I have no idea how long I've had them--- or how old they might have been when I got them!--- those lists don't help me. I do see that most--- well, many--- of the little packages have some sort of code stamped on them... perhaps a manufacturing or expiration date? I pulled a stack of packs out from my drawer, and found a number of of them--- from different restaurants (Taco Bell, Arby's, Del Taco, etc.) ---that have a "CW" followed by various short numbers. But, not all restaurants or manufacturers seem to have "CW" stamps... some have "CK"s or long strings of numbers or "AN"s or even just single digits. (I have noticed that small bags of chips will often have expiration dates that are essentially utterly worthless. They will read month/ day... but no year. The chips might expire on May 15... but that could be of the next year, or maybe they quit being edible back in 1993. No way to tell, other than attempting to consume them: If you die, the year was probably long passed.) So... anybody know how to tell if my condiment packages are good to eat... or am I better off lining them up end to end in front of somebody's tire, for a great mess of goo squirtage?