What's lurking at the back of your cupboard?

[Rocketron]

Had a go at some early spring cleaning and found a bottle of Pomegranate Molasses at the back of the cupboard. Outta sight, top shelf, lurking in the corner.

What on earth did I buy that for? Can't even remember. Think it might have been some obscure recipe for a curry or something. Bit like tamarind paste, can't see the point of it personally. I bought that as a block and threw most of it away. And in a plastic box in the garage is a whole load of Japanese ingredients like pickled pink ginger, dried seaweed, tamari sauce etc that I really ought to sort out. Been there since we moved here 3 years ago.

Anyway what's lurking in your cupboard? Have you ever bought an ingredient for a recipe, used it once and hidden it away til it emerges 3 years past its use by date?

Or is it just me

"... I went from adolescence to senility, trying to bypass maturity ..." - Tom Lehrer
Earth Wind and Fire

A letter in The Independent, today.
"A big thank you to Mark Hix (Food & Drink,13 March) for the best cookery tip I've had in ages:'if you can't find cassareep, use pomegranate molasses.' I'm off to the local Co-op now"

Possibly you couldn't find cassareep, either ?

[Patchninja]

A letter in The Independent, today.
"A big thank you to Mark Hix (Food & Drink,13 March) for the best cookery tip I've had in ages:'if you can't find cassareep, use pomegranate molasses.' I'm off to the local Co-op now"

Possibly you couldn't find cassareep, either ?

Sounds like a strange African animal!

Mr Ninja claims I tried to feed him 10 years out of date crackers once........quite possibly true!
I dread to think what I've got. I really need a clear out.

[wellie]

Three Years? That's nothing!
I've got a Crosse & Blackwell Christmas Pudding from when I worked as a Secretary in an Advertising Agency when I was knee-high to a Grasshopper back in the 80's that the Crosse & Blackwell Clients gave to me one Christmas as a gift, still in it's original tin, with the original sellotape round it.
Every Christmas, or spesh moments like this, I wet myself laughing, just thinking how sad/spesh it is to be here now talking about it.

[Caro]

Hmmmm. Hibiscus flowers.

Yes really, bought them for a special occasion. Preserved in syrup, you put them in the bottom of a champagne glass and top with champagne. The flower opens and looks pretty, and you can add more syrup if you like more of a kir royale taste.

[Helgalush]

Probably all sorts of packets of things

I remember in my mum's cookery cupboard she had all these flavourings and colourings like vanilla essence etc and they would have prices on like 17 & 1/2 pence!!! I even found some that said 7d on it, and I was like, Whats That?

This was in the late 90s which is saying something as 1/2 pence were phased out when I was about 5 in the early 80s and I dont even know what 'd' are - shillings? Lol!!

[BarleySugar]

I've loads of colourings I collected when I did lots of special occaison cakes. The flowers I make can't be eaten as they are usually on wires, so I can't see much point in binning them. It would cost a fortune to replace them all, and although I don't do many these days, it's good to have a large choice when I do.

[Pumpkin Becki]

Yesterday I found some Baking Powder that should have been used by April...2007!!!! Oops!

[Madasafish]

My better half found some Knorr cooking cubes with a use by date of 1993.. yes really.

(she keeps them in a tin .. they were at the bottom... we have lived here since 1982....)

My mother had a preserving jar in her kitchen full of cooking apples in the 1960s .. they were filled in 1946...