Old gas can be saved — if it doesn't smell like varnish.

If last season’s fuel was stabilized and stored properly, you don’t have to throw it out — you can safely blend it with fresh gas.

The key is the condition, not the age. Open the can and check. If the gas still smells like gas and looks clear or slightly yellow, mix it 50/50 with fresh stabilized fuel and use it in the next couple of weeks. That dilutes any early breakdown and works fine in mowers, trimmers, or snow blowers.

If it smells sour, varnishy, or looks dark or cloudy, don’t blend it. That fuel has already oxidized, and no amount of fresh gas will fix it. The varnish will gum up your carburetor, and you’ll spend a Saturday cleaning it instead of cutting grass. Ethanol-blended gas goes bad faster, so if you know that’s what you stored, lean toward dumping it if there’s any doubt.

Obviously, you don’t want to make a habit of stretching it. Stabilizer slows decomposition, it doesn’t stop it. But one season of well-treated, sealed storage is usually fine to blend out.

When in doubt, drain it — a few ounces of gas is cheaper than a carburetor.