What’s the oldest thing you’ve found in your kitchen cupboards?

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I’ve been in decluttering mode while I’ve been shielding, I have a whole garage full of boxes from my Mum’s who died 5 years ago and I’ve had them for a year before she passed away as those were her instructions when she had to move into a nursing home as she intended to come out again. Three months after her death I had my cancer diagnosis, and decluttering of her things was the last thing on my mind. Then as I’ve been on treatment for such a long time it was always something that could be left but really should be done prior to much needed redecorating, I still haven’t tackled it I’ve used the kitchen as a distraction declutter. 

I received a magazine through the post the other day and in the top 12 things to do at home in lockdown was decluttering, it talked about Marie Condo and Mrs Hinch. The Netflix series “Tidying Up with Marie Condo” I’ve watch a bit of that over a year ago I think, nice sentiment of thanking each item for its use before deciding to keep, donate or chuck. Mrs Hinch I have not come across but apparently is a social media influencer Sophie Hinchcliffe, I am not on Instagram but she is ‘credited with changing the way we see our household chores’ according to the article. If anyone has seen Mrs Hinch do tell me more about it and if it was useful.

Now I can tell my whole street is decluttering, as (with the tips shut) every other post of my neighbour hood face book is giving away for free chairs, beds, buttons, bricks, paving slabs, bikes are a few I recall.  

I have changed the extractor fan filters, and found I still have spares for next time, deep cleaned the cupboards inside, outside and on top, changed the paper on the shelves and after watching a suggestion on TV have put paper on top of the cupboards to make it an easier job for next time. I had containers of icing sugar and sugar which were solid and chucked them away (I no longer eat and make sweet things although I have made come pumpkin seed flapjacks). I had no idea how long they had been there as they weren’t in their original packets. We have loads of different types of open fruit teas, and loads of empty Tupperware type containers so I condensed things into the airtight containers keeping the best before date and tea type visible. I’ve reorganised the freezer into date order, and the tinned goods, I am aware I am sounding a bit deranged now.

I came across some lasagne sheets, (gosh I haven’t made that for years I thought) the best before date was April 2015. While probably deciding to chuck, the decision became definite when a small dried up insect fell out of the packet !

I just wondered if you to were decluttering what was the oldest date that you found? 

  • You ought to send this to someone as a comedy script @ktaTthome

    Sue

    Fear of the unknown is the worst thing. Once we know what we're facing, we find the strength to deal with it.
  • Ummm, on reading it back perhaps it does sounds a bit like Miranda Hart ! ! 

    I suppose Sue you’re not going to admit to having anything so old in your cupboards or have you not started declutter yet? 

    I’m now wondering if you are learning a new skill, watching box sets, getting creative, or reading lots of books as those were suggestions 1 to 4 !

    Take care KT

  • No, I've not got round to any decluttering yet - if I ever do. Tho I admire ppl who do. Same with being crafty/ creative. I cannot now reach the backs of my cupboards ,as I can't safely get on any steps due to a minor stroke a few years back. Good excuse huh?

    My way of passing the time is read, read, and more read. ! I also write letters, so am catching up with those, plus I'm trying to get back into crosswords - with limited success. I've even got a Latin crossword book...

    Fear of the unknown is the worst thing. Once we know what we're facing, we find the strength to deal with it.
  • Hi buttercup01, My eldest is an avid reader, her friends have set up a virtual book club to discuss what they are reading, and to choose the next book. They take choosing in turns, I will have to ask how well that’s working. 

    I like codewords rather than crosswords I usually ask for a book at Christmas, it usually whiles away the waiting time at the hospital as I usually went twice every 3 weeks. So used to doing them I could guess that each one would take 20 minutes. I kept a tear off book of them in my handbag.

    Last Christmas for a change I was given a book that has crosswords then alternative colouring pages, perhaps they had the foresight that I wouldn’t be going so regularly but would have more time for myself at home.

    Take care KT

  • I'm not decluttering at the moment because I'm too sore to - but also because lockdown life apparently is my life. lol. Nothing has actually changed for me, other than it's harder to get food delivered!

    Because of that, I have been going through cupboards to make things up to eat, using things I kept pushing aside for things I fancied more. So the other week I used a poblano casserole spice mix BBE 2013, and the other day a chicken and mushroom rice packet from 2014.

    Both tasted absolutely fine! Who knows what else might be lurking in my cupboards, waiting to be used!

    Lass

    xx

    I have no medical training, everything I post is an opinion or educated guess. It is not medical advice.

  • Well you have beaten my 2015 . I know you are brilliant at unusual cake recipes, I do hope you managing with ingredients, at least you have a good knowledge to adapt things. 

    Take care KT

  • Well, I'm trying to lsoe weight, so trying not to bake things at the moment as I've no-one to feed them too! However I did make 2 carrot cakes and 2 banana loaves this weekend as I have too many carrots and the bananas were too far gone when delivered - I like mine green! So I gave a cake and a loaf to a lady yesterday, as well as some nematodes, that I met on the local community group I joined. Then I'm going to eat the other banana loaf. Then the other carrot cake will be heading to a friend who is coming to collect some odds and ends from me, and deliver me some sour cream - hopefully, if it arrives in her shopping! lol.

    The sour cream is because I've found some pickled gherkins in the back of a cupboard. So I'm going to make............ Pickle cupcakes! Thought it sounded decidedly weird, and felt it needed tried! lol. So we shall see how they turn out. I just don't have any bourbon for the icing, and I'm not buying a bottle just for 3 tbsp worth! Lol. So I may have to see what might work from my alcohol collection! I'm sure there's something in there.

    But yeh, mostly been doing savoury cooking as and when I can, experimenting with all sorts of things I've picked up. Still trying to work out what to do with my leek flower paste though!

    Lass

    xx

    I have no medical training, everything I post is an opinion or educated guess. It is not medical advice.

  • FormerMember
    FormerMember

    Good Morning,

    We've been decluttering, our kitchen this week, only one cupboard and 3 drawers left to do, I found a box of amoretti biscuits from 2015, needless to say they went in the bin along with some curry spices that were so old I could read the date on them.

    I must say it’s occupied my foggy brain and is about as much as I am mentally up to at the moment.

    i start my chemo on 5 May so am trying not to think about anything at all

    stay safe

    mimi121

  • Poor biscuits! Lol

    If they were unopened, I'd have probably soaked them in some booze then made them into a tiramisu or trifle type idea! Waste not want not and all! lol.

    Good luck on the 5th!

    Lass

    xx

    I have no medical training, everything I post is an opinion or educated guess. It is not medical advice.

  • Hi ,

    The oldest thing I have found in my kitchen cupboards recently is my 75 year old mother on law.  (Stranded with us for the duration of the lock down.

    A couple of weeks ago I opened (and ate) a tin of squid in sauce that I bought when visiting my brother in Menorca.  I cannot remember the date on the tin but it was seriously out of date.  It is over ten years ago that I visited Menorca.  My son was so young that he cannot remember being there and he is now 15.

    I am a great believer in sniffing something before I think about throwing it away.  If it looks OK and smells OK then generally I will eat it.  The main exception to that is cooked rice and shrimps, prawns and muscles.  My wife on the other hand is very much of the school of throw it out of it is past it's date.  I do find that out cupboards are very disorganised and often digging at the back will reveal multiple items the same.  I have recently discovered 4 jars of Harissa paste as well as several tins of chick peas and several more of coconut milk.  All things that we will happily use but not with great frequency.  I think it takes us a couple of months to get through a jar of harissa.

    My wife is also a concert to the Marie Condo approach as she tries to move from being a hoarder towards a more minimalist approach.  I thought our bin was going to break the first week of the lock down as she decluttered the bedroom to turn it into a space where she could work from home.  I could hardly move it out for the bin men.  The paper recycling was similarly overwhelmed with our normal bag full, a large cardboard box full, a bin bag full and a stack of cardboard.

    Inspired to explore more now in our cupboards if you don't hear from me again for a while I may have become stuck at the back of the cupboard trapped by seldom eaten foodstuffs.

    All the best,

    Gragon xx