How long can you keep unpasteurized miso?

[raweater]

I found miso in my fridge I got probably almost a year ago and the only date on it is a "sell by" date of December 2011. Is it still safe to eat or should I get rid of it? How long does unpasteurized miso normally last for? It seems like no miso has an expiration date, does it mean it keeps forever?

Thanks

[DebB]

I went and looked at mine cuz I've had it for months - and it said best used by April 2012. To be honest, I thought I've had if a couple years. Maybe not. I still use it - I made Miso Miso Soup tonight with it. For me, if it still tasted good and wasn't moldy - I'd still use it with the date yours has on it. But, that's just me!

[MysticTree]

I eat it too.

[iwuvmydoggy]

unless it's dried out & crusty & has weird discolorations, you should be fine.. miso is a lot like kimchi, in that it can ferment for years.. the older it is, it just adds more flavor. :) darker "white" & "red" misos are just aged more. :)

[Juicing Juli]

I'm so glad this came up, because I just used mine the other day for the first time in probably 6-9 months!!! I thought,,"hmmmm does this have preservatives in it?...it looks like the day I opened it"

[RabbitTwo]

agree with author good!

[PunkRotten]

This thread just reminded me that I have some hidden in the back of my fridge that I forgot about. Mine is pretty old too.

[raweater]

This thread just reminded me that I have some hidden in the back of my fridge that I forgot about. Mine is pretty old too.

That's exactly what happened with me. In fact I also found another that's likely 5 years old, would that one also be safe to eat still?

I started watching the Dr. Oz show and am amazed at how much truth about natural health they are giving considering it's a mainstream show, he's doing an awesome job of nudging people into natural health, and he sometimes does raw or mostly raw recipes on the show (one was all raw except they added milk! ugh!).

Anyway in one or more shows he recommended miso, fresh cilantro and wakame seaweed. Since I heard those recommendations and the health benefits I told myself I'd have all 3 of those at least once a day and I've been making at least one miso-wakame-cilantro soup a day, but it's so good I often have 2-3 lol. This makes a super good tasting "medicinal" soup with tons of health benefits. I was amazed by how much the wakame expands in water, the package said to add 1/2 tsp to a soup, I was thinking "that's a ridiculously small mount, I'll put 3-4 teaspoons", well within minutes I had a bowl filled with huge seaweed leaves, they expand from less than 1/2" to 3-4 inches long! And for cilantro I just chop about half a cup of cilantro leaves and add it to the soup.