Fresh? Not exactly.

Michelle Ann and Anita are sure to love this one.

I make holiday candy every year, and I usually start around now, when the weather begins to turn cold enough that I can store the candy in the garage without worrying about the heat ruining it.

So I've already made a batch of cashew brittle, and this morning I was lining up my ingredients for a batch of hot pepper peanut brittle.

I pulled a bag of peanuts from the freezer and put them on the counter to thaw while I started boiling the sugar syrup.

At some point I glanced down at the package and was startled by what I read: EXP OCT 98.

So I am apparently a FIFO (first-in, first-out) kind of cook when it comes to ingredient accounting, which isn't good. Fortunately, I always check those freshness dates when I am baking.

So, from the expiration date, these nuts were purchased for the 1997 holiday season...my first holiday season living in New York. We were living in our little apartment in Roslyn. It's a big surprise to me that these peanuts traveled from the apartment to the old house and then to this house. Wow. Those nuts have seen so much since 1997.

By the way, nuts can be successfully kept in the freezer and stay fresh for up to 36 months. Eleven years is a little over the top, though.