You found some food in your refrigerator that’s starting to grow mold. Can you eat moldy food? Some things you can keep, but most you should toss.
Can I Eat Moldy Food?
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It happens to everyone, at least once in a while. You buy a little too much of this, or you forget about that. And somehow, you end up with a science project in your refrigerator. While you should throw out most moldy foods, there are a few that you can safely eat – with a little bit of pre-treatment.
The Scoop on Mold
Molds are a group of fungi that live on plants and animals. As molds grow, they make spores. The spores are the colorful parts of the molds you can see. Different species of molds have different spores – and they can look furry, shiny, or anywhere in between, and they can be any color.
There is always more mold on a food than you can see. Molds send out thin filaments, like roots, deep into the place they are living. So if you find moldy bread on your counter, you shouldn’t just break off the moldy corner and use it on your sandwich. There is more mold in the bread that you can’t see, and it isn’t safe to eat it.
In addition to mold, there is probably bacteria that you can’t see growing on the food. This can be a big food safety risk, so most foods that have visible mold should be thrown out.
Should I Keep It or Toss It?
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food Safety and Inspection Service has some great information about moldy food, and what you should do with it. Here is a quick summary of their recommendations.
Leftovers
Toss it. Leftovers should be thrown out after 3 days. If you aren’t going to eat your leftovers before then, freeze them. If you get to the three day mark, or if you see any mold on your leftovers, throw them away.
Lunch meat, bacon, hot dogs
Toss it. Molds on these foods can penetrate below the surface and deep into the food. Your best bet is to throw these away if you see mold. (In this house? Bacon never sits around even close to long enough to get moldy!)
Hard salami, dry-cured country ham
Keep it. These meats are harder, so the mold “roots” can’t penetrate. Some surface mold is normal on these meats, just scrub it off before you eat it.
Hard or semi-hard cheese (mold not used in making)
Keep it. The hard texture of cheeses like Cheddar, Gouda, Gruyere, Parmesan, and Swiss means that the mold “roots” can’t get very deep into the cheese. Cut off the moldy section plus at least one inch of the cheese that still “looks good”. Throw away the moldy cheese and the old wrapper. Wrap the cheese in new packaging.
Cheese made with mold
Toss some, keep some. Cheeses like Roquefort, blue, Gorgonzola, Stilton, Brie, Camembert are made using some specific types of mold. They can still grow other types of mold. If you see a different mold on soft cheeses (like Brie and Camembert), throw it away. If you see a different mold on hard cheeses (like Gorgonzola or Stilton), handle them like you would a hard cheese (see section above).
Soft cheese – including shredded, sliced, or crumbled cheese
Toss it. Because these cheeses have a softer texture (or are in smaller pieces, like shreds or crumbles), the mold “roots” can invade deeply. Throw out any of these cheeses if they get moldy.
Yogurt, sour cream, or other dairy products
Toss it. These foods are very soft and have a high moisture content. If you can see some mold, there is much more that you can’t see. There are also likely many bacteria that you can’t see growing with the mold.
Jam and jelly
Toss it. Some types of molds thrive on sugary foods. If you see mold on jam or jelly, throw it away. The texture of these foods makes it easy for mold to quickly spread through it.
Peanut butter
Toss it. Most peanut butters won’t grow mold, but some natural peanut butters made without preservatives will. Treat these like jam or jelly (see above) and throw these away if you see any mold.
Firm fruits and vegetables
Keep it. Fruits like apples and vegetables like carrots can still be eaten if they are moldy. First cut off the moldy section plus an extra inch of the food. Throw the moldy part away, and wrap the food in a clean package.
Soft fruits and vegetables
Toss it. Fruits like peaches or grapes and vegetables like cucumbers and tomatoes should be thrown away if you see mold. There is much more mold that you can’t see below the surface.
Bread and baked goods
Toss it. Breads and other baked goods are excellent at growing molds, and their soft texture means that the mold can send “roots” deep into the food. Throw these away when you see mold.
If you over-bought at the grocery store (and who hasn’t every once in a while?), you can store fresh foods longer if you freeze them. Check out this refresher about freeze by dates, and what they mean.
Free Printable for Can I Eat Moldy Food?
Do you need an easy way to remember which moldy foods you can keep, and which you should toss? Download this free printable to hang on your refrigerator.
Did I miss anything? Let me know! What other questions about moldy food do you have? Leave a comment and I’ll find the answer for you.
Enjoy!
3 Ways to Take the Fear Out of Your Kitchen
- How to Store Fresh Produce
- How Long Can You Keep Leftovers in the Refrigerator?
- How Long to Keep Foods in the Refrigerator
Can mouldy raw peanuts after washing and sun dried is safe for consumption? Tq!
The mold that grows on peanuts can be dangerous. The trick with many molds is that they send tiny “roots” down into the food that you can’t see. I would not eat any peanuts that were moldy, even after they were cleaned and dried.