In your experience, how far passed expiry date have canned goods been edible?
Posted by bronihana@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 11 comments
I have some forgotten store purchased soups, veggies, tuna&chicken chunk, etc. I had for camping trips and just to have. I’ve heard most store bought canned goods are fine years passed their expiration date, but I’m curious what others on this sub have personally experienced with pushing the expiry date? Double points for feedback on home canned jellies, beans, pickles, etc.
Thanks!
Stunning-Ear-9219@reddit
I've been eating nine year old blackberry jam that was home canned and it seems fine. Blackberry preserves actually and they do taste a bit old but they're still good. I just happened to salvage these jars of canned blackberry jam labeled 2016 from a fire.
MrBlasterpants@reddit
I just opened a can of black olives that expired 12/2013, stored in pantry. I was worried but went ahead and tried them. No bad smell, they were still firm and not mushy or anything, taste fine so I’m going to throw them in my salad which is what I wanted them for. I have another can expired in 2018 that I’m sure will be fine too. Also a can of sliced beets expired 12/18 that I’m sure will be fine also. I’m guessing the smell test is the best decider.
JeffreyV7@reddit
*past
Ender-Cowboy@reddit
Everyone seems to have covered everything here, but I will toss out a suggestion you might want to add to your watch list: Eating History. It's a show where two guys eat old and expired food, usually out of tins and cans. Some of them have been like WWII rations. They always go over what is safe or not to eat with cans, with visuals. Plus it's just damn fascinating! :'D
Dru_27@reddit
Really too bad that "Eating History" only lasted 10 episodes.
Open-Classroom-8784@reddit
i ate a can of sardines that was 12 years after use by date-they were delicious
sendmeBTCgoodsir@reddit
I... accidentally ate a can of spam dated 2012 a few months ago and it was still delicious. Fried it up and had zero issues. Given that's like basically pork fat so I wouldn't suggest doing it if you can avoid it lol
Creative_Dragonfly_5@reddit
According to the USDA indefinitely as long as the can is intact and hasn't been in extreme temps. I just opened a can of corn with a "best by 7/2018" date in it and it is fine. If those dates are established as 2 or 3 yrs after production, that can of corn has moved twice with me.
As a kid, I had a can of soda that was around 10 years past its date, and it was gross. Bad enough tasting that decades later I remember the cocacola lost its cola taste! But that's a different type of can.
rayansb@reddit
I just made chili with canned beans that expired two years ago and they turned out fine.
Master-Combination94@reddit
I have to mention the Cheerios I did too. I pulled the bag out of the box, slit it about an inch, placed it in a vac bag with both O 2 and desicant pack and sucked them hard as a rock. In my testing I had a package I opened from 2016 this past winter 2024 and it taste like fresh opened box of cereal.
Master-Combination94@reddit
I have found re canned veggies that the canned green beans taste pretty bad after that date, perhaps 2 years after. I have had them taste REALLY tinny after that. But canned corn, carrots peas, beets and more are real good, in my opinion perhaps 3 to 4 years after that date. Those green beans though get real metal tasting.
Canned tuna, chicken breast and chili, spam and more are good tasting too after 3-4 years after that date in MY experience. However Campbells Chunky meals/soups not so very good a few years after the date. My experience.
Progresso Lentil soup...very good too after that date a few years. (3-4 maybe)
Corn is my number one for taste after the date. Canned spinach gets funny too like green beans.
Get yourself some O 2 absorbers and desicant packs and grab up some rice, dry beans, and the Knorr type rice/pasta sides...the Dollar General brand is only a dollar for a package. Aldi may have them too....
Use a food saver and seal & vac up rice with a bay leaf or two and the O2 and desicant and suck them tight. Do the same with the dry beans. The Knorr type sides and/or Ramin, - slit the packages just a tiny slit, stick 6 or so into a vacuum bag, add the O2 and desicant and suck em tight. This will last eons like that. They have for me.
Store them with newspaper or similar in between and place them in a box or tote and keep them room temp to cool.
The paper keeps them from rubbing together, sucked tight and hard they could get compromised if rubbing together.