When it comes to eating past its expiration date, crescent rolls can be a bit of a gray area. Many people wonder if they’re safe to eat after the expiry date or not.
Also, there’s a difference between whether you’re talking about eating expired, already baked crescent rolls or those expired, still unbaked cans of crescent dough in your refrigerator.
In this article, we’ll take a look at the factors that affect shelf life of crescent rolls, the best practices for storing them safely, and how long after the expiration date you should use these bread products.
We’ll also check into whether you can get sick from eating expired crescent rolls and what happens if you eat raw crescent roll dough, such as Pillsbury dough.
What Are Crescent Rolls And Why Do They Expire?
Crescent rolls are a type of bread made from enriched, yeasted dough. They’re similar to French croissant rolls.
I love these smaller versions and they’re a staple of any holiday or celebration dinner in our home.
In fact, one of my childhood memories is of learning how to roll the dough triangles of unbaked crescent rolls just right, after Mom opened the can.
Stores and bakeries sell these ready-to-eat rolls, while ready-to-bake refrigerated dough products can typically be found in cans in the dairy section of grocery stores.
When you want to bake a can of crescent rolls, you simply open the can of biscuits, roll the dough into a crescent shape, then put them on a baking sheet and bake them. So easy!
Both types can contain preservatives, but refrigerated, unbaked dough also contains butter or vegetable shortening and other ingredients that can spoil or go bad if left out for too long.
All of these ingredients could cause food poisoning if consumed after the expiration date on the package has passed.
Do Pillsbury Crescent Rolls Go Bad After Expiration Date?
The expiration date on Pillsbury crescent rolls is really a “best if used by” date rather than a hard “expired” date.
A best-by date means that after this date, the flavor and texture of the product may be compromised.
However, it doesn’t necessarily mean that Pillsbury biscuits will become unsafe to eat after this time.
Technically speaking, as long as you’ve stored them in the fridge and haven’t had them sitting out for more than 2 hours at room temperature (or longer than 4 days in the refrigerator after opening the can), you can still consume them safely.
If possible, however, it’s always safer to stick within expiry dates when consuming ready-to-eat foods like crescent rolls.
Bottom line: as long as you take proper precaution and store the crescent rolls in a safe environment, expired Pillsbury crescent rolls should still be edible and won’t put you at risk of food poisoning.
How To Tell Of Crescent Rolls Are Bad?
The first thing you need to do is check the expiration date on the packaging – whether we’re talking baked or refrigerated dough.
For best results, if your crescent rolls are past their use-by or best-before date, then you probably shouldn’t eat them.
However, even if they haven’t reached their sell-by date yet, you’ll still want to look for signs of spoilage that means they may be bad.
As with expired tortillas, you should toss out any crescent dough rolls that have a sour or strong smell or taste, a discolored texture, or signs of mold growth.
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How Long After The Expiration Date Can You Use Crescent Rolls?
If the expiration date of your canned biscuits has passed within the last 7 – 10ish days, the good news is that they should still be safe to eat – assuming they’ve been in the fridge all that time.
If it’s longer than 1-2 weeks, and they have been stored, unopened, in the freezer, you can still use them, but don’t expect the flavor and texture of the dough to be what you’d get with a fresh can of rolls.
If they’ve been stored only in your refrigerator for longer than 10 days, you should discard them in order to avoid any potential foodborne illnesses.
At that point, even if your unopened package of crescent rolls have been properly stored, they may harbor bacteria which could make you sick.
As far as the already-baked kind, you shouldn’t eat crescent rolls from the grocery store or local bakery longer than two or three days past the expiration date.
They may contain bacteria or mold which can cause health problems if you eat it.
To be sure that your crescent rolls are safe to eat, always check their use-by or best-before date before baking or eating them.
This will help you guarantee that you are eating a fresh product with all of its original flavor and texture intact. Plus, it’s always better to be safe than sorry!
Best Practices For Storing Crescent Rolls
In order to maximize the shelf life and ensure safety of your already baked, leftover rolls, follow these storage tips:
- Store in a cool dry place away from direct sunlight.
- Refrigerate or freeze any crescent rolls that you don’t plan to use within a few days.
- When freezing, double wrap in plastic wrap and store flat in airtight freezer bags for up to 6 months.
- If the crescent rolls were not stored in an airtight bag, transfer them into a plastic bag before storing.
When it comes to unbaked, raw crescent roll dough, store the dough in a refrigerator or freezer in a heavy-duty freezer bag until you’re ready to use it.
Can You Get Sick From Expired Crescent Rolls?
While eating expired, baked crescent rolls may not be the best idea, it’s unlikely to make you sick.
The ingredients used in crescent rolls have a high acidity that helps inhibit bacterial growth, making it difficult for bacteria to grow on the baked item and cause food poisoning.
Both commercially prepared and homemade crescent rolls will eventually get moldy though.
Keep in mind, if you notice any mold or an off smell to your uneaten bisquits, discard those bad crescent rolls immediately.
The safest thing to do is follow directions for storage and expiration date guidelines to avoid potential illness.
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Raw, unbaked crescent roll dough is a different animal – it has a higher chance of making you sick.
Expired raw crescent roll dough should be thrown out and not eaten for safety reasons.
Bacterial contamination can occur, and foodborne illness can arise from eating expired raw crescent rolls.
Here are some food poisoning symptoms, courtesy of the CDC:
Food poisoning symptoms may range from mild to severe and can differ depending on the germ you swallowed.
Symptoms of E. coli infection include stomach cramps that can be severe, diarrhea that can be bloody, and vomiting. Symptoms usually start 3 to 4 days after swallowing the germ and usually go away within 1 week. However, some people develop an illness called hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS), a serious condition that can cause kidney failure.
Symptoms of Salmonella infection include diarrhea, fever, stomach cramps, and vomiting. Symptoms usually start 6 hours to 6 days after swallowing the germ and usually go away within 4 to 7 days.
Some groups of people have a greater chance of infection and severe illness. These groups include children younger than 5, adults aged 65 and older, and people who have health problems or take medicines that lower the body’s ability to fight germs and sickness.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
To avoid this, always follow expiration date guidelines and proper storage according to package instructions.
Conclusion
Fresh, golden brown crescent rolls make a delicious side dish or an easy snack, but you can’t keep unused dough forever. But as you can see, expired crescent rolls can be safe to eat if they’ve already been cooked and have been stored according to the package instructions.
However, it is not recommended to consume raw, unbaked biscuit dough that has passed its expiration date due to the potential risk of bacterial contamination.
To stay safe, always follow directions for storage and the expiration date guidelines.
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