Once a week after work I pick up food at the food pantry for my mom and my neighbor. Both are in their 80's, don't drive anymore and luve alone. When I deliver their groceries, sometimes there's items they don't want. I think mostly it's because they don't know how to incorporate it into a meal or it's because its a week or so over the expiration date and they think its bad BUT sometimes its just a "best if used by" date. Well, I will take the item home with me and put it into my freezer (because it's really still good)!
Like for example: Last night neither of them wanted their expired artichokes. They're only expired by a week. So I brought them home, took them out of the glass jars, put them in freezer bags and froze them. So this is how it works from here: In 2 or 3 weeks I will make a big pot of soup of what I froze that they didn't want (in this case artichokes)... I'll bring them each a container full of artichoke soup. They will tell me how much they LOVE my soup and praise and thank me like it was the most wonderful thing...they will be so happy to recieve it.... lol...
I have made them purple sweet potato soup, orange beet soup, soup with wilted bok choy, carrot soup cause they didn't want so many carrots, brocollini and cheese soup, even tomato soup because they had some bad spots and didnt want the tomatoes (I just cut the spots off)... just to name a few...
Anyway my point of this post is.... if it's going to go bad or if it's slightly over expiration it's still probably good so FREEZE IT (even if you dont know what to do with it, freeze it).... then when you have time, get creative (or ask this group what to do with it). Then make a big pot of soup with it... Share the soup with your family and neighbors .. sharing food (in particular soup) is like sharing a big warm hug. I promise you'll put a smile on someone's face and that's a really good feeling...