sunnykerr

It was a super thoughtful gift on her part.

I received my tea today. I'm looking forward to trying out a cup tomorrow.

MsPerfectionist

to tea!

over the weekend, i finished a tea i bought in Ireland got a reality check moment there

sunnykerr

I vaguely remember you mentionning Irish friends... Couldn't you wire them money and have them ship you stuff? I mean, I get what you're saying about getting to the end of your stock resonating with you. I'm just trying to look for ways you could continue to enjoy the memories and the quality tea.

I'm still enjoying the chilled Berries & Cream, but I'm on my last bit of it. It's nearing the point where it's been too long in the fridge and it's starting to turn a bit.

MsPerfectionist

the store has an online shop and i could order online if i wanted. the shipping is expensive though. it's not so much of the tea i miss, it's the store, the town and Ireland in general. That café where i got the tea, i remembered writing there a few times. i even brought my cousin there when she visited me. it seems so long ago now.

oh how many days in fridge?

sunnykerr

Ah, I thought it might be the experience of being there you were missing. I still think it might be worth it to get some stuff shipped your way. For a rainy day. It won't ever be the same, but it can soothe the soul.

I honestly am not sure when I put that tea in the fridge... Fortunately, it's not like I was running the risk of poisoning myself here.

MsPerfectionist

yeah that's also why i was so happy to see Barry's tea here. it's an average brand of tea but i guess it brings me back there.

hmm still be carefully.

sunnykerr

Oh, the fridge tea went down the drain. When sediment starts accumulating at the bottom... I mean, I'll give it a taste, because it is steeped so sediment appears pretty quickly.

It's a judgment call. But I never let it hang around too long. It's just a waste, but

MsPerfectionist

shouldn't take any chances.

i wouldn't trust sediment unless it's supposed to be a kombucha.

sunnykerr

Don't drink much wine, do you? Sorry, I'm only teasing.

I was raised in a house where "best before" didn't mean "bad after." Blue fuzz on a fruit? You cut off that part. weird crust on bread? Same thing.

So I do take chances, but I trust my nose and I wouldn't take chances if something didn't look or smell alright to me.

MsPerfectionist

i like wine in small quantity.

yeah my family is the same. it's true, the best is trust our senses and i think in case of doubt, don't eat it.

sunnykerr

Well, that's it. I never eat or drink anything if I'm in any doubt that it's no longer sound.

But I have no hesitation eating yogurt that's well passed its best-before date or drinking tea that has some sediment at the bottom.

That's led me astray just the one time but, in my defense, I'd been under the weather for days, so I couldn't keep track of time and I couldn't smell or taste anything. In fact, I'm not even positive that the end result was actual food poisoning. I think my stomach instantly realized that chicken was no bueno and just yeeted it the heck out of there. Because I was fine after that.

It's a lesson learned, though.

MsPerfectionist

yogurt is fine even a week past expiration date.

i hope u're feeling better now. oh the butter chicken, how many days did u keep it?

sunnykerr

Oh, the potential food poisoning incident was ages ago. I can't even remember if it was leftover chicken from takeout or from one of my own meals. The butter chicken was fine and certainly didn't hang around long enough to cause harm. Like I said, it was a lesson learned.

Yogourt, I judge from the date at which I've opened the container. I've had yogourt that was a month past the best-before date, but it had been sealed and in a fridge the whole time so it was pretty much fresh. Once I've opened the seal, though, I won't let it hang around more than a week or so.

MsPerfectionist

i see . sometimes i leave it open over a week and still fine. i always have a taste first just in case.

Speaking of dairy, i remembered opening new pint of milk, it was fine. next day, goner.

sunnykerr

Oh, if it's "new" yogourt, I give myself more than a week to eat it. I'm talking about when I'm opening it when it's a good couple of weeks after it's best-before date.

And, like you, I've bought stuff that was obviously left on the shelf too long. I hate it when half of the strawberries I buy end up in the garbage because they've gone off. The impact of oxygen on food cannot be underestimated.