Food expiration dates??

[Idaho45guy]

I try to keep at least 3 months worth of food on hand and then rotate the older stuff out to the local food bank before it expires.

Got behind this time and just went through my pantry and was surprised at how some stuff seems to have really early expiration dates for no reason.

For example, I love these Idahoan dried potatoes. My grandfather actually used to sell his crops to them, so I grew up always buying their products. They sell these packets of freeze-dried potato flakes for under a buck that when you add a cup of water or so and boil, makes a couple of quarts of delicious mashed potatoes. Super cheap and perfect for survival food.

I bought a box full of them a couple of years ago when Covid hit. According to the printing on them, they expired two years ago.

297923

How do freeze-dried potato flakes go bad in an air-tight package within a few months??

297924

297925

I suspect the "best before" wording is a legal shenanigans ploy to get consumers to throw away perfectly good food.

I went through my little pantry and found 35 different cans or packages of food that had expired. Some said "best by" or "best before" and some said "use by".

No idea if any of them are good or bad. Hate to throw away so much food, but the local food bank won't accept it if it's expired.

Anyone done any experiments to see if food is any good past the printed dates?

[762 shooter]

Generally the taste starts to degrade.

[Half Dog]

I generally don’t go by their dates unless I’m shopping. Although, I’ve found the expiration dates on milk and bread are pretty accurate. Now my wife has a very different perspective, which has probably saved me many times throughout the years.

[Wayne Smith]

Canned, dried, and freeze dried foods degrade very slowly. Frozen foods degrade quicker. Frozen pork, for instance, begins to lose flavor after six months, beef after about 18 months. None of it is unsafe to eat. i have no idea if or how nutrition degrades, or if it does. Someone else will have to answer that.

Very slowly is exactly that. Seeds have been found in Egyptian tombs that are viable, thus if able to grow they are safe and nutritious to eat. The Gillean Palm tree was recovered from seeds stored at Masada during the Roman siege. Now, only a few of each were viable, but this gives you an idea of how slowly dried foods stay good in the right conditions. The international seed bank is stored in the artic, also a unique environment for long term storage.

[Thumbcocker]

There have been instances where canned food has been eaten decades after it was canned. (Metal cans). I routinely eat venison that we home canned in jars 5 years ago. Still tasty.

There is a YouTube channel called Simple Living Alaska. The couple that posts bought a remote cabin on a lake as is. There was Mountain House freeze dried food there that was decades old. Still good.

I don't see how freeze dried food kept in a controlled environment could go bad. If you are acquainted with any Mormans they would be the folks to talk to for food storage pointers.

As far as your freeze dried taters, I would have zero concerns eating them 10 years from now.

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[GhostHawk]

I'm with Thumbcocker.

I've had cans of fruit that passed their experation date that expanded, then leaked. Not edible obviously.

Anything freeze dried, vacumn sealed, frozen I pretty much ignore the dates. They are in effect meaningless.

Canned soups, corned beef hash, spam, those I watch.

[rancher1913]

freeze dried foods last for 30 years or better, if stored correctly. canned foods, if the can shows signs of pressure or has a gas release when you first open, pitch it because of botulism other wise use it. they have found canned food in mason jars in a sunken ship that tested as good 100 years after the ship sank, it was stored in optimal conditions.

[Thumbcocker]

https://www.usda.gov/media/blog/2013/06/27/you-toss-food-wait-check-it-out#:~:text=Before-,You,-Toss%20Food%2C%20Wait

[pworley1]

Unless commercially prepared food has an unusual color or order we usually eat it.

[Thumbcocker]

A little more Google foo found articles where food from the Shackleton expedition in 1910 was still edible and cans from a Civil War era ship were opened in 1974 and were safe but with less nutrients. Note that edible and tasty are a long way apart.

[No_1]

I give the packaging a quick once over before opening - any swelling of the package or leakage is reason to toss the item. Once opened I give it a sniff. If it does not smell odd I will eat it. What I don’t do anymore is place an opened metal can directly in a fire like I did 40+ years ago when I was a scout. I am sure someone will chime in but “modern” cans are coated on the inside to prevent the “metal” taste from transferring to the food.

[CastingFool]

I recently opened a can of sweetened condensed milk that the best before date went back to 2013. Did not taste bad, except it was very thick. I thoroughly enjoyed eating by the spoonful. It was sort of eating soft caramel

[elmacgyver0]

I started writing the purchase date with a sharpie on all food I buy anymore.
A lot more useful than "best by" dates.

[dverna]

We ignore the "best by" date on canned and freeze dried products. I am not sure there is a "best by" date on packs of beans and peas but if there is we would ignore it too.

Those kinds of food are a large part of our preps. No power is needed to maintain them during an emergency. Freezing is OK for short term food storage but we have thrown out a lot more frozen food.

IG45, I would not worry about those potatoes. BTW we use the same ones.

[Rickf1985]

I always wondered about MRE's. I know C-rats lasted a long time, well some of them. we had some dated from WWII in Vietnam. And they tasted like it. But the thing was that the newest ones tasted exactly the same! And the younger generation of soldiers complains about MRE's!!! I have a case of them but they are expired so I don't know whether they are good or not since they are not dried food.

[gwpercle]

It's a "Best By" date not a "you will drop dead " date .
Government started requiring a BBD ...food makers figured out ...the shorter the date , the more turnover at the store level and the more money they make .
Best By dates have never been tested and items like de-hydrated Potatoes will be edible fo Decades ... My Brother and Son both work in the food industry .. Best By doesn't mean a whole lot ... canned goods will last for several years .
Most foods have a 6 month to 1 year "Best By" date and that means best if consumed by that date .
I wonder if the Food Companies would be any help answering a "In an Emergency Situation " how long would canned / dehydrated item stay viable ...like it wouldn't hurt to eat it .
Might be good to know that info ...
I'm going to do a search and see if I can find any answers .
Gary

[gwpercle]

I recently opened a can of sweetened condensed milk that the best before date went back to 2013. Did not taste bad, except it was very thick. I thoroughly enjoyed eating by the spoonful. It was sort of eating soft caramel

LIKE !
I would have eaten it too ... my wife is allway's fussing at me for doing this !
Gary

[Der Gebirgsjager]

Like No_1 said, if the can isn't compromised--showing swelling, leakage, or rust, and it smells o.k. it's edible. But some things if outdated, like tomatoes and tomato products, need to be inspected very closely as they have an acid that eats away on the inside metal of the can. If canned tomato products are at all discolored don't eat them.

DG

[waksupi]

I noticed the mastodon in my freezer is starting to lose it's flavor.

[BJK]

We buy quite a substantial amount of food from a "food liquidation" store that has meats that are past the expiration dates. But the other part of the "use by" statement includes "or freeze by". These meats are all frozen. I've taken vaccuum packed meats out of the freezer that I forgot were in there and they were perfectly good and tasty.

[Winger Ed.]

I recently opened a can of sweetened condensed milk that the best before date went back to 2013. Did not taste bad, except it was very thick. I thoroughly enjoyed eating by the spoonful. It was sort of eating soft caramel

Some recipes call for boiling the (unopened) can for about 20-30 minutes to make your own caramel.

[Handloader109]

My wife was visiting a good friend who doesn't cook very much, single and eats out probably 3/4 of her meals. Another friend was there also and proceeded to clean out the fridge of ANYTHING that had a date earlier than that day. Wife was kind of taken aback, probably $2-300 worth of stuff tossed. For ZERO good reason. Most of your prepared foods have MONTHS if not YEARS of life to them. Anyone looked at a container of their salad dressing that isn't used often? I'd bet you have one over a year past expiration if your refrige is like mine. Foods that are in packaging will last WAY past that best buy garbage date. Best buy has zero basis as to bad food. It is an entirely arbitrary date the manufacturer places on the package. Yes, some thing that are fresh do go bad. Some before any date, Milk... But dry packaged or canned foods will last years past. Why wouldn't they if they are kept at room temp, dry conditions.
If the package swells, toss it. If not, open it up and determine if it is good. Don't fall for fake dates.

[Gewehr-Guy]

My dog used to drag home all kinds of stuff that was well beyond their expiration. He thrived on it, but it did give him bad breath though.

[gwpercle]

That was interesting ! I did a search on the term " how long will food stay edible past it's best by date" and discovered some interesting reads .
De-hydrated (instant) potatoes , canned vegetables and even canned meat (Spam) and sardines will be edible for years past the best by date . As long as the item was stored in a stable inviroment , the package is perfectly intact , and cans show no rusting , denting , or swelling ...the food inside will be edible . It may have an off flavor from long term storage but it will be edible .
USDA and National Canned Food Alliance reccomend using long stored canned beans in Chili and Taco's .
The articles are very eye opening ... We have been throwing a lot of dehydrated and canned food away ...when there was no reason to do so .
With the high prices of everything ... we need to make every food dollar count and stretch things as far as they will go . " If you watch your pennies , the dollars will take care of themselves " ... one of my Mom's many sayings . We was poor but clean and well fed .
Gary
I was born good looking instead of rich

[MaryB]

I try to keep at least 3 months worth of food on hand and then rotate the older stuff out to the local food bank before it expires.

Got behind this time and just went through my pantry and was surprised at how some stuff seems to have really early expiration dates for no reason.

For example, I love these Idahoan dried potatoes. My grandfather actually used to sell his crops to them, so I grew up always buying their products. They sell these packets of freeze-dried potato flakes for under a buck that when you add a cup of water or so and boil, makes a couple of quarts of delicious mashed potatoes. Super cheap and perfect for survival food.

I bought a box full of them a couple of years ago when Covid hit. According to the printing on them, they expired two years ago.

297923

How do freeze-dried potato flakes go bad in an air-tight package within a few months??

297924

297925

I suspect the "best before" wording is a legal shenanigans ploy to get consumers to throw away perfectly good food.

I went through my little pantry and found 35 different cans or packages of food that had expired. Some said "best by" or "best before" and some said "use by".

No idea if any of them are good or bad. Hate to throw away so much food, but the local food bank won't accept it if it's expired.

Anyone done any experiments to see if food is any good past the printed dates?

I am using ketchup that expired 6 months ago, just opened it 2 weeks ago... tastes fine. Soups, condiments that don't have eggs, canned meats(except fish), canned chili etc are all okay past best by date.

Idahoan instant mashed potatoes are my go to when cooking for just myself. Quick, I can make just what I need for that meal so no waste... and taste almost like homemade but no lumps LOL they also make a nice coating for pork chops, fish...

[bangerjim]

I date my own food stuff with a Sharpie rather than worrying about the stupid "sell by" or "best by" date. And that IS a sell by date, not an expiration date!!!!! Many people are fooled into throwing perfectly good product away (my son) by using the sell by date as gospel.

I had a gallon of milk dated 2-1-22 that was good up to 3-3-22 when it finally started to turn.....and you can SURE TELL on milk!!!! :shock:

I would recommend dating all your products the day you buy them and go by that.......and you nose! And pay very little attention to that "sell by" date. It is just for grocery stores to keep up on current stock.

[popper]

We got free cases of steaks from the freezer, marked 1941. They cooked fine in 1962. If you didn't mind weevils in biscuits or in your cereal (until the milk ran out), more protein.

[Shawlerbrook]

Many of those dates are just recommended......for optimum flavor use before.........

[BrassMagnet]

My wife bought sauerkraut packed is a soft plastic bag many years ago. We both got sick after eating it. I dug the packaging out of the trash and check the best by date. It was meant months past it date. Packed like that it is just like fresh food. Since then I have only bought sauerkraut in jars or cans. For canned and dry goods I don't worry about it.

[ascast]

I noticed the mastodon in my freezer is starting to lose it's flavor.

this line sums it all up nicely.
Its all about covering your butt from taste loss maybe an very rare true bug of some kind. And grains may have we vols of some kind after years in storage. thanks autospell- for nothing

[fiberoptik]

We canned Bambi in 2002. Just finished him off. Tasted just like Bambi. We routinely eat expired food. Only problems have been the beets eating through the cans 8 years past date. Canned milk years past tend to change color, but tasted fine. Boxed pasta should be double checked for weevils. Instant taters should last decades. Spoiled milk goes into pancakes.
We ate C-Rats till 1984 from the ’50s. Only one to watch was the tuna. The peanut butter cans were so nasty we used them to heat up the rest. Loved the pound cakes!
My daughter is the big “use by” spaz. She gives me the stuff, I eat it. I rarely have any problems. My food poisoning has always come from fast food restaurants or Marine Corps chow halls!
We lost power once & wife was out of state. After 4 days I had my mom come to check my food as I lost all sense of smell. Fridge was NOT cold. She popped open my container and nearly passed out. Said “you’re not eating this I hope”. Said that was breakfast. I did bring it to a good boil first on my camp stove sitting on the electric stove running propane.

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[Bmi48219]

As a youth I worked after school and Saturdays at an independent local grocery store. Mondays, Tuesdays & Wednesdays were stock shelves days. Nothing had a ‘best by’, ‘sell by’ or ‘use by’ date. Then again the owners were insistent on moving the older cans, bottles and boxes of food to the front of the display and putting the new packages behind. Back then the cans weren’t as impervious to corrosion as now, but in four years I never found a swollen can and only a few leaky ones.
I don’t know if I’d advise heating food in the can. The new cans are lined with a plastic-type coating that will release chemicals into food when heated.
It’s a pain to rotate canned, boxed and glass foods but since the wife believes the ‘best by’ means ‘no good after’ date, it has to get done.

[brassrat]

Put aside a Aldi rum lb cake and check in three yrs. Like new, almost

[flyingmonkey35]

This should sum it up nicely this is salt.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220321/da3be1937785b8ade076766bc57552f2.jpg


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[Smoke4320]

I have eaten MREs that were 10 years old. Some 13 years old..Lost some flavor otherwise Ok.

[elmacgyver0]

I date my own food stuff with a Sharpie rather than worrying about the stupid "sell by" or "best by" date. And that IS a sell by date, not an expiration date!!!!! Many people are fooled into throwing perfectly good product away (my son) by using the sell by date as gospel.

I had a gallon of milk dated 2-1-22 that was good up to 3-3-22 when it finally started to turn.....and you can SURE TELL on milk!!!! :shock:

I would recommend dating all your products the day you buy them and go by that.......and you nose! And pay very little attention to that "sell by" date. It is just for grocery stores to keep up on current stock.

Do this.

[elmacgyver0]

Just watch your cooking oil, once it goes rancid it will make your food taste like excrement, won't kill you but it won't taste good.
The ol' snoz will tell you when its bad.

[elmacgyver0]

The moral of the story, don't waste food.

[Rickf1985]

Wow, Only one reply about the MRE's!? Must not be many former military or survivalists here. :razz:

[bangerjim]

The only problem with food stuff from METAL cans is the contents tend to pick up a metallic taste after some time. It leaches through the inner plastic coating and infiltrates the food, especially if it is a light flavored item. Strong seasoned foods hide the metallic flavor.

I had a can of pears EPLODE (! :cry: !) in the pantry around Christmas. What a mess. The can swelled up and burst, throwing the juices all over the other stuff. Sounded like fireworks! Some things, especially those with citric acid in them, should not be stored for extended periods.

Again.............DATE everything you buy with month and year, and for highly perishables, include the day also.


Works for me!

[gbrown]

I had a can of black pepper I bought somewhere around 2008, maybe earlier. Lasted til 2018 or 2019. Never lost it's strength or flavor. I have home canned jellies and jams many years old. All taste fine. Think about it, manufacturers wanting turn over so you buy more. Government turns a blind eye as that leads to more tax revenues. Just my opinion. My belief is that God gave us 5 senses, use those, you'll do fine.

[bangerjim]

Wow, Only one reply about the MRE's!? Must not be many former military or survivalists here. :razz:

One will eat ANYTHING (!!) when starving!

:violin:

[elmacgyver0]

Wow, Only one reply about the MRE's!? Must not be many former military or survivalists here. :razz:

I am not military but I do have a couple authentic MREs that one of my wife's clients gave to her. (She is a social worker)
Someday I need to try them out, they are older than the hills, but they just get better with age, right?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Just watch your cooking oil, once it goes rancid it will make your food taste like excrement, won't kill you but it won't taste good.
The ol' snoz will tell you when its bad.

Helpful hint #917
If you are in a pinch and all you have is so old rancid cooking oil and you want to fry up some food. Fry some sacrificial potatoes in it, then fry the food you plan to eat. The Potatoes absorb most of the rancid flavor...yeah it won't remove it all, but it'll make it eatable.

An old timer told me that, when he gave me some very old (like two decades old) Bear grease that sat in the corner of his basement all that time. He gave it to me for muzzle loader use and it stunk real bad. He told me to fry up some tators, throw them away when done. I actually fried up 3 batches and I'll be danged, it worked quite well, That was in 1995 and I still have some of that bear grease in the freezer.

[Driver man]

I have some Himalayan mountain table salt that is claimed to be 250 million years old. Expiry date feb 2023

[BJK]

I am not military but I do have a couple authentic MREs that one of my wife's clients gave to her. (She is a social worker)
Someday I need to try them out, they are older than the hills, but they just get better with age, right?

I contacted someone in the know about MREs and was told they are checked to make sure they haven't "grown", if not they're good. I figure if I get hungry enough if it won't kill me I'll eat it. Heck, when I was in in '70-73 we were eating C-Rats from Korea, seriously. They tasted fine to me and filled the hollow in my belly.

[armoredman]

I have frozen meat in the big freezer and I was told beef is good for YEARS, while pork and chicken, might get freezer burned and/or lose flavor. Hopefully not too much - some has been in there for almost a year already, frozen since the day I bought it.
Canned stuff - the sis in law is a fanatic about not eating stuff past the "best by" date and will NOT listen to reason, coddled spoiled brat. We will still be eating good while she is starving.

[armoredman]

I contacted someone in the know about MREs and was told they are checked to make sure they haven't "grown", if not they're good. I figure if I get hungry enough if it won't kill me I'll eat it. Heck, when I was in in '70-73 we were eating C-Rats from Korea, seriously. They tasted fine to me and filled the hollow in my belly.

When I was in JROTC in the early 80s we had some Korean vintage C-Rats...and I got the ham and lima beans. yuck. Edible, but gah. The peanut butter would NOT mix back in, were used as skipping stones.

[fiberoptik]

Heat tab into pb can. Burns plenty long.


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[armoredman]

High school students - they didn't want us burning anything. :)

[Wild Bill 7]

When I was in the service mid 60’s overseas we ate WWII mre’s. They were good and even the candy and cigarettes were ok.

[Gator 45/70]

Pineapple snot, I walked into a remote oilfield location one morning only to discover pineapple snot all over the cub bard shelves.
Seems a can of crushed pineapples had exploded sometime during the night.
Rotate your crushed pineapples can's.

[gwpercle]

This should sum it up nicely this is salt.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20220321/da3be1937785b8ade076766bc57552f2.jpg


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That's just not only Funny ... but Totally Asinine !!!
If it's 250 million years old without the package ... putting it in a package should get you another 250 million years ... some one do the math , what day will it expire on ...
Salt doesn't expire ... they are idiots !
Gary

[bangerjim]

It's called "LAWYERS". [smilie=b: We would be much safer and happier without most of them.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

If it looks good and smells good, I eat it. Occasionally the leftovers don’t make it into the fridge until the next morning. I just heat them well before eating. Opened a 15ish year old MRE once. Ate the cookie, chicken and rice (heated well), and a few other things. The cookie as good, but the chicken and rice tasted a bit off. No sickness from it though. Watch Steve MRE on youtube for consumption of some OLD rations. I try to keep the meat in turned over, but I occasionally miss something. I think 5 years is the longest we have tried and it tastes just fine after trimming off any freezer burn. I would agree that pork doesn’t hold up quite as long in the freezer as the other red meats. The flavor of the fat starts to go off.

[MaryB]

Wow, Only one reply about the MRE's!? Must not be many former military or survivalists here. :razz:

Most of us don't consider MRE's to be food LOL filler to keep the belly from rumbling...

[MaryB]

For long term meat storage vacuum bag it. Air is the enemy in a freezer, no air no freezer burn!

[fiberoptik]

1 secret is put meat/chicken/fish in a cardboard 1/2 gallon milk jug, add water and freeze. Ice keeps air away....


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[Idaho45guy]

Opened up a couple of cans of spaghetti-Os with meatballs that expired a year ago. They taste like normal, which isn't good even when fresh, but edible. One can had a thin film across the top when opened and the other looked like new. Both seem fine. I guess I'll find out in an hour or so, lol.

[panhed65]

I started writing the purchase date with a sharpie on all food I buy anymore.
A lot more useful than "best by" dates.

I also do the thing with a sharpie when I bring things home from the store, works for me and better than the printed dates and such.
Barry

[rockshooter]

I notice nobody mentioned Twinkies. I've always heard that they never expire.
Loren
I also liked c-rat pound cake!

[Thumbcocker]

1 secret is put meat/chicken/fish in a cardboard 1/2 gallon milk jug, add water and freeze. Ice keeps air away....


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One of my earliest memories is looking in my Granny's International Harvester freezer at 1/2 gallon milk cartons with bones sticking out of the ice in them. Whole skinned and gutted rabbits frozen in blocks of ice. Long time ago.

[Mal Paso]

Reminds me of John Malcovich in the movie Red 2, when questioned about the 50 year old Moon Pie he was eating replied. "It was before sell by dates"

[SSGOldfart]

Wow, Only one reply about the MRE's!? Must not be many former military or survivalists here. :razz:

I'm still working on C-Rations from the 50's-60's, I don't care much for MRE's

[gwpercle]

I notice nobody mentioned Twinkies. I've always heard that they never expire.
Loren
I also liked c-rat pound cake!

Warning .... Twinkies ... You aren't going to believe this ... they now make them so danged small , I almost cried
When I unwrapped the first one ... I knew something was wrong ... they are so small ... I had to eat 3 to fill my mouth ... and the package doesn't say "new mini-twinkies" ! Say's 10 individually wrapped cakes , net wt. 13.58 ozs. ... product of England ! ... What ! England !!!
I never knew they wern't a USA company .

No More Twinkies ... Little Debbie Snack cakes are a USA co. made in Collegedale Tennessee , and they make nice big snack cakes .

I don't like tiny twinkies ... they can keep them .
Gary

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I was just down in the cellar and seen some cans of Oysters dated '02
are they a go? or a throw?

[Kylongrifle32]

I always wondered about MRE's. I know C-rats lasted a long time, well some of them. we had some dated from WWII in Vietnam. And they tasted like it. But the thing was that the newest ones tasted exactly the same! And the younger generation of soldiers complains about MRE's!!! I have a case of them but they are expired so I don't know whether they are good or not since they are not dried food.

I had C rations from WW2 dated 1943 while in the field during basic training in 1983. I'm still amazed at all the surplus left over from WW2.

[ACC]

Warning .... Twinkies ... You aren't going to believe this ... they now make them so danged small , I almost cried
When I unwrapped the first one ... I knew something was wrong ... they are so small ... I had to eat 3 to fill my mouth ... and the package doesn't say "new mini-twinkies" ! Say's 10 individually wrapped cakes , net wt. 13.58 ozs. ... product of England ! ... What ! England !!!
I never knew they wern't a USA company .

No More Twinkies ... Little Debbie Snack cakes are a USA co. made in Collegedale Tennessee , and they make nice big snack cakes .

I don't like tiny twinkies ... they can keep them .
Gary

Actually Hostess is owned by a company in Mexico. They get the cakes from all over the world. The lowest bidder. Hostess used to be a pretty big US company until the union put them out of business by their continuing strikes.

ACC

[ulav8r]

I was just down in the cellar and seen some cans of Oysters dated '02
are they a go? or a throw?

They were a "throw" the moment you picked them up.

[jimlj]

I'm eating food from my pantry that is 20+ years past "best by" or "use before" date. If it passes the sniff test I taste it. If it passes the taste test I eat it. I won't eat anything from a bulged can, but other than that I have had very little I wouldn't eat.

[brassrat]

I got lucky on a search in my pics. Found one of a pack of Bellgioso Romano cheese that sat unopened for 2 1/2 yrs. I think I wrote them and got some coupons. The cheese stayed perfectly and I got one in now, resting

[armoredman]

We had some pork and beans tonight that was well past the Best By date, tasted just fine.

[Beaverhunter2]

I had C rations from WW2 dated 1943 while in the field during basic training in 1983. I'm still amazed at all the surplus left over from WW2.

That's because they only fed them to Basic Trainees! LOL I had pretty much the same in 1982 (mine were 1942-45) at Ft. Jackson. About 1/2 way through they started collecting all the cigarettes. That sucked for those of us that smoked (most of us back then). I think the drills were keeping the ones they liked for themselves.

[gwpercle]

Actually Hostess is owned by a company in Mexico. They get the cakes from all over the world. The lowest bidder. Hostess used to be a pretty big US company until the union put them out of business by their continuing strikes.

ACC

Thanks for the info ACC :drinks:

Seems like a common reoccuring happening with American business ...kinda sad .
Gary

[alamogunr]

My better half is one of those that won't use bread one day past the date on the loaf for toast. I've tried for 55 years to convince her that it just doesn't have to sit in the toaster quite as long as just bought.

She sent me to the grocery(she hasn't set foot in a grocery in at least 10-15 years) last week for, among other things, canned blueberries for a congealed salad to take to a church dinner. The grocery didn't have any on the shelf but did have several rows of canned blackberries. Had to get down on my knees to examine and found several cans of blueberries way in the back(probably pushed there by a high-schooler stocking shelves) and never discovered because of computerized inventory. The most recent date was November 2021. I pointed it out to the checker and she didn't ring them up, just put them in the bag. Obviously, I didn't point out the date to the wife. The salad tasted great.

[lksmith]

Some things keep better than others, and things change.

My first job out of college was as an Asst Mgr at walgreens, and we had a tool where we could look up codes to make sure product was in date. My boss and I were talking about it one day and I made the comment about twinkies, he said "Twinkies are only good for 2years, however any canned meat from Hormel doesn't expire" I thought he was pulling my leg and checked and the tool said "no known expiration" and there was none on the can either. (or best by) That was in 2000's fast forward to today in in the 2020's and now spam has an expiration date of 2-3 years.

I had a can of chicken and dumpling soup at my office that I ate one day that just didn't taste right and the texture was off, checked the expiration date was 3 months prior. Didn't make me sick but sure didn't taste worth a darn and it had been kept at room temp the whole time, no temperature swings to accelerate the decline of the product

[Gewehr-Guy]

Ate a can of Cambells chunky soup yesterday, expired 2015, and tasted good. Tonight I had a can of sardines expired 2016, with spicy mustard on crackers, tasted really good, if I don't log in tomorrow call the ambulance for me.

[gwpercle]

Ate a can of Cambells chunky soup yesterday, expired 2015, and tasted good. Tonight I had a can of sardines expired 2016, with spicy mustard on crackers, tasted really good, if I don't log in tomorrow call the ambulance for me.

My kind of guy :drinks:

Never let some numbers on the side of a can deter your eating enjoyment !
Gary

[Geezer in NH]

Wow, Only one reply about the MRE's!? Must not be many former military or survivalists here. :razz:

Most MRE's I have had sucked new, How do you tell now? MRE and taste????

I liked the c-rats myself

[MaryB]

Most MRE's I have had sucked new, How do you tell now? MRE and taste????

I liked the c-rats myself

MRE = Meals rejected by everyone!

Mountain House is 100% better and I am not above grabbing one for supper if my back is out or knee is flaring making standing and cooking to painful.

[MaryB]

Maybe it's time to get rid of the habit of making endless food supplies. What is the reason you buy so much food? I understand is annoying to go daily shopping, but food waste is completely driving me nuts.

I just went thru a winter storm. 5 days of roads almost impassable... summer winds can down power lines and trees across a wide area making travel impossible for a week or more... so I have a good supply of food I rotate stock on to keep it fresh.

Having food on hand isn't wasting it! I only cook what I need.

[10x]

Generally the taste starts to degrade.

Texture of some products degrade.
I have Canadian MREs from 20 years ago that have buns in them that feel and taste as fresh as the day after they were baked.
Other parts of the MRE have dissolved into mush.

[MaryB]

Texture of some products degrade.
I have Canadian MREs from 20 years ago that have buns in them that feel and taste as fresh as the day after they were baked.
Other parts of the MRE have dissolved into mush.

I think I have a grand total of 24 Mountain House meals on hand(MRE's suck!)... I have the raw ingredients to make endless menu items so I don't really need them. I keep 6 in the car in case I get stuck in a snow storm(water is vac bagged and frozen, break it up and put in a kettle over a small cooker that uses candles, it will boil in 15-20 minutes for the small amount needed for a meal). 2 full chest freezers of meat and veggies, all kinds of dried staples(rice, beans, wheat berries to grind my own flour etc etc etc). And an overflowing spice cabinet that gets the herbs/spices swapped out once a year so it stays fresh. I am pretty good at ordering what I use up in a year so very little waste there.

[jonp]

Frozen meat vacuumed packed tastes fine after a year.

There are several sights online that give the real dates that food is good to eat and most can be extended out beyond that. Remember C Rat's?

As for freeze dried, we have 2yrs on hand and keep a supply at our camp in case we show up on the spur of the moment. Spaghetti with dried sauce in a pouch, fish from the pond, dried beans and so on will go a long way.

As for food on hand, always can the garden and collect food on sale. Just had a turkey bought for $6 on sale. Ate dinner, carved off the rest for freezing then boiled the carcass and canned for soup. Always thought everyone did that. Usually at least a year in stock but growing up poor as grandchildren of people that lived through the depression will cause you to have food anxiety if there is not several months in the pantry. Funny thing is that both the wife and I always seem to really start buying every fall without thinking. Food for the winter.

We are always perplexed when there is a storm or power outage for a day or two and people start complaining about government needing to set up food distribution sites. We just look at each other and go "really"???

[Gewehr-Guy]

All the people here reading this today, had an ancestor that stocked enough food to make it through some particular rough time. Those who didn't have a have a large chunk of mammoth meat in the back of their cave, starved out along the way through history. It's prudent to posses sufficient food, stores, and tools{weapons} to make it through a troubled time and have your lineage continue on. Don't be the woke , purple hair type that freezes to death walking to the Dollar General to get a bite to eat.

[William Yanda]

We finished yesterday a jar of mustard that my wife and I both enjoyed. I checked the date-Nov. 2021. We noticed no decrease in flavor or quality. I would not be afraid to use outdated canned food for safety reasons.

[PuppetZ]

My family has always been about having extras, especially when it comes to canned goods and frozen items. It's like a tradition or something, ingrained in our way of living. Growing up, we'd often go on spontaneous camping trips, and having some dried food in stock was a lifesaver. The whole idea of being prepared for a rainy day, or a snowy one, has been a constant theme in my life, and I find comfort in knowing there's always something good to eat, no matter the situation.

I'm with you on the reaction to storms and outages – I'm always surprised when people don't have at least a little something tucked away. The anxiety some folks get over not having enough food for a day or two has always perplexed me. I guess it's just how some of us were raised.

Speaking of being prepared, I always use frozen meat for my Italian spaghetti with meatballs. Specifically, I turn to Kirkland's Italian meatballs from the Costco frozen food (https://costcofdb.com/top-30-best-frozen-foods-at-costco-costco-guides) section, and I've got a fridge full of them in the basement. Having them on hand has made many a last-minute dinner situation much easier, and they always taste fantastic.

[Good Cheer]

I started writing the purchase date with a sharpie on all food I buy anymore.
A lot more useful than "best by" dates.

Yes sir, that's the way for us. Also, when rechecking what's on hand I apply markings that will indicate "use me first".

[ddeck22]

It is amazing since we just went through a period where grocery stores were bare in 2020. I always had enough for 1 week, but now I have 1-2 months set aside.

[Handloader109]

Old conversation, but I just fussed at my wife Friday. She pulled out a package of flour that was 3 or 4 years old. Was in a zip lock bag inside her metal pepper paint can. Had about 3 or 4 weevils (deceased probably 3 years ago) on top. She was going to toss. I sifted them out, gee whiz. Why waste $3 or 4 of flour? Besides, you need extra protein

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[Shawlerbrook]

There were more bug parts than those in it.

[trebor44]

So, I do look at the "best buy date" but make eating decisions on the integrity of the 'package'. As for freeze dried, check the package for bug holes. Most bug carcases will float to the top when "cooking" the food.

[MaryB]

Old conversation, but I just fussed at my wife Friday. She pulled out a package of flour that was 3 or 4 years old. Was in a zip lock bag inside her metal pepper paint can. Had about 3 or 4 weevils (deceased probably 3 years ago) on top. She was going to toss. I sifted them out, gee whiz. Why waste $3 or 4 of flour? Besides, you need extra protein

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You had filler but not much nutrition...

[kevin c]

I believe there are food industry regulations on such stomach turning ideas as allowable insect parts per unit weight, including flour. Just because the critters got ground up in the milling to the point where you can’t see them without a microscope doesn’t mean they’re not there.

ETA: But, yeah, my wife is a bit squeamish too. She fusses at me when I toast bread that I’ve trimmed the mold off of. I already told her that I’m not allergic to penicillin.

[armoredman]

I found foods that will expire after I do.

https://i.imgur.com/tWgj5KA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/5RS2Bas.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/KFc5nSj.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/T4xZ9cA.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/WX5WLua.jpg

Etc, etc, I have a complete thread on a nother website where i try and review many of Ready Hour's food offerings. Some good, some meh, some great.

Speaking of great, their Black Bean Burger mix really is awesome.

[MrWolf]

Canned foods last much longer than the expiration dates if stored properly. As far as pre-made "survival " foods, many can be made yourself. I take a more simple approach with having canned vegetables and such plus mylar bag sealed flour (50lbs), sugar (50lbs), rice (25lbs), and beans (25lbs). There are only two of us so with our small garden and our "girls" (8 chickens) plus about 500 lbs combined of beef, venison, and chicken in our freezers, that is the extent of our prep. We are going to try our hands at jarring apples in a week or so.
Ron

[MaryB]

Canned foods last much longer than the expiration dates if stored properly. As far as pre-made "survival " foods, many can be made yourself. I take a more simple approach with having canned vegetables and such plus mylar bag sealed flour (50lbs), sugar (50lbs), rice (25lbs), and beans (25lbs). There are only two of us so with our small garden and our "girls" (8 chickens) plus about 500 lbs combined of beef, venison, and chicken in our freezers, that is the extent of our prep. We are going to try our hands at jarring apples in a week or so.
Ron

Canned apples are a go to for me. Eat them as is from the jar or use to make pie/cobbler/crisp/cookies... also apple sauce from the damaged ones, cut out the worm spots(skim the ones you miss, what's a little extra protein!), cook down with just enough sugar so it has a hint of sweetness. A little cinnamon in some, some plain... Apple sauce shakes are tasty stuff!