This $6 roll of stickers saves me from getting food poisoning and standing in front of my fridge sniffing almond milk and cheese
The author uses stickers to label foods with the dates they were opened.The author
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I can never remember when I open food items that go bad quickly.
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To avoid both food waste and getting food poisoning, I needed a solution.
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Putting a sticker with the date on packages after I open them helps me feel safe about what I eat.
In the great expiration-date debate, I fall somewhere in the middle. More than once, I’ve had a headache while at a friend’s house, asked for an aspirin, and been told they only have an ancient bottle. I’ll take an expired tablet without batting an eye, saying, “It doesn’t really ‘expire’; it might just be less effective.” After putting matcha into my jar of choice and giving a carton of almond milk I know was opened less than 10 but more than seven days ago a sniff — and asking my partner for a second-opinion sniff, just for good measure — I’ll pour it right on top of the green powder and drink up.
On the more cautious side of the spectrum, ever since I read “Kitchen Confidential,” in which Anthony Bourdain wrote, “nobody I know has ever made hollandaise to order” and that “bacteria love” the rich sauce, I’ve resisted the urge to order eggs Benedict during weekend brunch with friends — no matter how much I like the taste of the dish. And while I’m not fond of food waste, I won’t eat leftover takeout beyond the day after I’ve ordered it. Even my favorite foods aren’t worth poisoning myself.
I hate food waste, and I knew I could get better at avoiding it at home
In my own kitchen, I try my best to use food before it goes bad. I freeze things that come in large quantities that will defrost well, like large loaves of bread, so I can eat them in the future. I also check expiration dates on items I don’t frequently use, like all the different jams I’ve bought on impulse when I want to change up my toast or peanut-butter-and-jelly routine or the strange varieties of mustard I’ve purchased.
The items that don’t have a hard-and-fast expiration date but a…
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