Food expiration dates??

[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....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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.

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

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

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.

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.