I recently had to replenish my Keen's Hot Mustard Powder. The only recipe I use it in is my Caesar Salad Dressing (or maybe potato salad). When I really thought about it, I don't think I'd had the need to purchase any since 1982.

What's the oldest item in YOUR pantry?
(I don't know where to put this! We don't have a "Foods" forum! Feel free to move it wherever!) ~Lea

Well, I've only been living in my flat for about 2 and a half years, but I'm sure there's stuff from then, if that counts?

Probably baked beans, I don't know how that happened - I've got a milloins cans of the flippin' stuff and I don't even eat it!

I just ducked out and had a look and found some oats that I HAD to have for a recipe about 8 years ago. They're still sitting there with no intention of ever being used. I'd be scared to open the bottle incase they have become alive. I'm sure there are some herbs or spices that have worked there way to the back of the cupboard and are older than that.

Believe it or not we actually found a roll of paper towel with a coupon that expired in 1965.

If you're talking about food, last year I found a can of Campbell's Chicken Soup that had an expiration date from 1993.

I am feeling MUCH better now!
I found a large coffee can of dried clam chowder mix which I bought in bulk and transferred to the can...at the back of the cupboard...and I don't want to really say when it was purchased...but my daughter's in college...and it was at the old house....and that would be ohhhhhhhhhhh....at least 19 years ago! I have NO IDEA why I bought it in the first place! I found no signs of life.

I can't play this one. We painted the kitchen, including the insides of the cabinets (I'm not lucky enough to have a pantry ) back in May, so I got rid of every little thing that was old. I am enjoying reading everyone else's stories though.

We have some liqueur that, at last Christmas we discussed how old it was...I knew it was in the liquor cabinet when I first moved to France, it's a mountain thing, with Juniper berries etc..then, I thought, "well that's twenty years ago"!
And when we moved all the things out of that place when they sold it...we then took stuff like that to another old house;..then...they sold that one, and it's in my house!
I've opened it a few times, probably wouldn't be bad to sanitize your intestinal system...I'm not drinking it though!

I have a bottle of Polish vodka..as one night we picked up some Polish people stranded as their zloytls weren't enough for a hotel..and our car was breaking down and we couldn't find one either...we all crammed into the little car and we taught the husband his first French words, "complet" which means full...as we did every single hotel on our mountain road...finally we found one...and my husband insisted on paying for them, said it was his damn country...and please allow him to do so. It was three o clock in the morning...and nothing to eat but a few crackers and then, they came in and gave us a bottle of Vodka...quite touching...it's probably how they thanked people as they were staying in people's homes and had an exit visa for playing in chess tournaments.
We of course had a drink...(I never touch it...) and then it went into the liquor cabinet and is still there after twenty years! I know this might not be fair, but I've moved twenty times literally, so having something that long is significant.

I do have a jar of anchovies in the fridge, just two years old though. I have some nasty Twinings caramel flavoured tea bags...bought them five years ago...I know I've made a few Brits faint dead away, rightly so, they're horrid...I can't bear to throw them out though...
That's not too bad though, is it?

Oh microwave popcorn my students brought me, but I hate microwaves since I translated for Amana many years ago...don't know if I shouldn't give it to someone...

I am afraid to check! I think the oldest item is probably a container of semolina that my cousin purchased when she visited me in 1996. She used it to make a pudding for dinner one night and I don't have any recipes that use semolina, so the remainder sits in my pantry until I find a way to use it. Believe it or not, she wouldn't give me the pudding recipe!

I just remembered this one...
one christmas we were celebrating at my step-dad's parent' house. His mother was nice enough to give us some Pepsi even though she never drinks the stuff. After one sip my mother and I gagged it was flat and tasted nasty, my mother then went to the fridge and took out the bottle that was half full and she looked at the expiration date on it, it was for two years prior.

Oh I was going to do a junk drawer thread too...bet it'll be worse than the handbag or this one!

Have you noticed that many of these things are well laid plans that go awry? You go on a kick...and then it gets old?
I had some miso paste in there for three years...nice fermented stuff, looked bad though.

Everything in my pantry is old enough to throw out. The only edible thing is a tin of sweet corn, some plain flower and a can of dolhpin safe tuna...

I have an outstanding relationship with the local Chinese takeaway store.

Quote:

---

I have an outstanding relationship with the local Chinese takeaway store.

---

At least you pick your relationships well! That's some good eatin'

I think a junk drawer thread could be a hoot! I am almost scared to open mine these days! Just thinking what all might be in there is enough to cause nightmares!

A handbag thread could be fun too!

Quote:

---

A handbag thread could be fun too

---

We had one of those a year or two ago... I think I won...

Someone want to go ahead and start the junk drawer thing?
Please ladies, have the honour..I've got plenty of weird stuff in my junk drawer...
The handbag thread is a riot...you won Ren...where did it go? Lefois gave you a run for your money though.
We could renew it, as I'm sure some of us have the same stuff in there and other stuff added to it!

Spices, I think. They never get old and I use them until they are gone -- even if I can't find a use for corriander seed and tarragon leaves. From the pricing labels I would guess that these 2 condiments are circa 1975, but I'm not sure.
They do fill out my apphabetized spice rack nicely, though.

Some Karo Light Syrup from, I think 1998. An old boyfriend brought it to use in some baking he was doing and it's been here ever since. I periodically throw out spices every 6 months. No reason to keep them after that, they lose their potiency.

You need to make some Pecan Pie with that stuff...but don't ask me over to eat it.

Now that you mention it, I have a half-bag of pecans in the freezer. Been there since Christmas of '97.
Maybe it's time to check other stuff for its antique value.