My grandmother’s kitchen is nothing short of a time capsule. The haldi could double as a museum artefact and the jeera has seen more drama than a Bollywood film. The dhaniya hasn’t aged gracefully and the chillies have turned into a weird shade of brown. And don’t even get me started on the dabbas of Horlicks and fancy teas and coffees from around the country! Forget expiration dates. In this culinary cosmos, every spice has a story which could be told for generations to come because they are just…there lying inside the cabinet for years.
Here’s an example. A woman took to X to share how her mom made an apple pie for her which tasted a little weird. She then found out that the nutmeg that was used to prepare the dish expired 24 years ago!
“I told my mom that her apple pie tasted a little weird this year, and she goes ‘Really? I always use the same recipe. The nutmeg was a bit clumpy, maybe it didn’t blend well…’ She takes out the jar to show me, and after a very long pause, I say ‘Mom…this expired 24 years ago’,” she wrote.
Have a look:
I told my mom that her apple pie tasted a little weird this year, and she goes “Really? I always use the same recipe. The nutmeg was a bit clumpy, maybe it didn’t blend well…”
She takes out the jar to show me, and after a very long pause, I say “Mom…this expired 24 years ago.” pic.twitter.com/mhFutRzinM
— Sarah McGonagall (@gothspiderbitch) January 6, 2024
She double-checked other items in the kitchen and they all expired 2 decades back!
Anyway, we decided to double-check the rest of the spices in the drawer and it certainly did not disappoint. pic.twitter.com/c5STxFTDvF
— Sarah McGonagall (@gothspiderbitch) January 6, 2024
Also, I think we all have that box of cocoa or hot chocolate that expired generations back.
She started with at least thirty spices. She now has six spices left.
We also cleared three full shelves of fossilized teas and rediscovered my favorite hot cocoa mix…from when I was a toddler.
I cannot stress enough how many of these things expired YEARS before we moved here.
— Sarah McGonagall (@gothspiderbitch) January 6, 2024
Several people online narrated stories from their own lives where their mothers and grandmothers did the exact same thing. Why? No one knows. Make this make sense. 😛
I recently found cream of tartar (tartaric acid) in my parents’ pantry from 1977. It was barely young enough to have a barcode on it.
— William Baughman (@WillPBach) January 6, 2024
My mom has a jar of celery salt that I swear is from the 80s, and she won’t throw it out.
— 🫀Kara Jorgensen🏳️🌈 (@AuthorKaraJ) January 6, 2024
no it didn’t! it expired in 2000. thats not 24 ye— oh fuck oh shit
— Sebastiaan de With (@sdw) January 6, 2024
older ppl get on my nerves with this cause why did my granny do the same 😭 https://t.co/Y5LYUBsLuv
— 𝕛𝕒𝕟𝕖𝕒 (@heyyitsjanea) January 6, 2024
I don’t even trust anyone over 30 in the kitchen anymore tbh.
My grandmother used spoiled milk to make ice cream one time
— MyOrgasmWasFake (@IFakeOrgasams) January 6, 2024
Had a similar experience with my mom once but with other condiments. Like BBQ sauces and other stuff. Was about 10 years old tho 24 years is nuts
— Milly🎲 (@Hoodie_Milly) January 6, 2024
At least your parents can blame it on the fact that they are elderly. I fried chicken at my friend’s house and noticed it wasn’t getting crispy. He checked the bag of flour and it had expired a year prior. Who doesn’t go through a bag flour in a year?🤣
— Mazie Passeri (@passeri_mazie) January 6, 2024
I cleaned out my spices this year so my kids wouldn’t spice-shame me. Oldest was ginger from 2012.
— Pat Zietlow Miller (@PatZMiller) January 6, 2024
Listen, I think we all need to take some time out and clear our fridges and cabinets!