How long will canned good last?

[alphabrace]

How long will canned goods last? LIke canned pork?

 

[littletommy]

A guy I work with is a total cheapskate. Back around Christmas, he brought in a can of Campbells cream of mushroom soup for lunch, no big deal, right? Well, that can of Campbells cream of mushroom soup expired in 1995! He heated it in the microwave, and ate it, and is still with us today. As long as the can is sealed, I would think the stuff inside would be, at least, edible. Always best to rotate stuff, but it's good to know you can go at least 18 years beyond the expiration date, and not even heave a little when eating it.

Cheapskate guys daughter was cleaning out his cabinets, and threw away a garbage can full of old canned goods, and he went out after she left and dug it all out of the trash.

 

[HeadlessRoland]

A five-year-long run for the Classifieds? Man, this is entertaining.

As for the original question, so long as the seal remains intact and was properly processed, shelf life is indefinite.
To be on the safe side, I try to consume all non-acidic/non-sugary foods within two years of processing since I don't trust modern sealing compound that is put on modern lids. Tattler makes reuseable rubberized plastic lids, and while they work fine, I still try to stick to two years or under. But to tell the truth, they'd most likely be edible for quite some time beyond that. All-metal canned goods, such as canned meat, if properly processed, is indefinite, 25+ years.

 

[spencer rifle]

A friend of our owns Grabill Country Meats, and he says that as long as the can is intact, it will be good. That could be 20 or 30 years, or more.

 

[Trigger Time]

I think the biggest concern is not if it will be safely edible but how much nutrition is lost over the time past the expiration date. There are some fancy calculations available online that help you figure this formula out as best as you can.
When I buy my canned goods I always ensure there are no dents in the can. Microscopic cracks can form in the metal and allow air and bacteria in.
another good rule is to plan on losing 1/3 of your stock to contamination. Not that it WILL happen but just in case, you've already planned ahead and stocked extra.

im a firm believer in eating what you store. FIFO (first in first out). I mark all of my goods with a permanent marker with the month/year it entered my stock. Easy to keep track of.

also look for the dates on items at the store. They also use FIFO and stock newer dated product at the back. I shop from the back but always check dates.

 

[groovatron]

Till you eat it

 

[BigBoxaJunk]

I talked to a guy who was an engineer for a company that produced metal lids for glass jars and bottles. He told me that recently his company had changed materials for the plastic/rubber lining of the jar lids to a material that was BPA free. He said that many food can manufacturers were doing the same thing. He also said that the new material would not last nearly as long as the old material and that food in jars with metal lids and in cans probably would not have near the shelf life in the future.

 

[bwframe]

I talked to a guy who was an engineer for a company that produced metal lids for glass jars and bottles. He told me that recently his company had changed materials for the plastic/rubber lining of the jar lids to a material that was BPA free. He said that many food can manufacturers were doing the same thing. He also said that the new material would not last nearly as long as the old material and that food in jars with metal lids and in cans probably would not have near the shelf life in the future.

Wow. It'd be good to get some further details on this.

 

[BogWalker]

Hormell has stated that their canned goods, though they have a listed expiration date, will last indefinitely if the cans are properly stored. This includes SPAM.

 

[littletommy]

Hormell has stated that their canned goods, though they have a listed expiration date, will last indefinitely if the cans are properly stored. This includes SPAM.

Which is why I keep a good supply of Spam. There's enough fat and calories in a can to feed my entire family for a day.

 

[oldnovice]

YMMV, but this site as articles/info regarding shelf life, how to read expiration dates, etc.

StillTasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment

 

[Lex Concord]

How long will canned good last?

Twice as long as bottled evil but only half as long as liquid sunshine

 

[chef larry]

YMMV, but this site as articles/info regarding shelf life, how to read expiration dates, etc.

StillTasty: Your Ultimate Shelf Life Guide - Save Money, Eat Better, Help The Environment

This.^^^ Glad to see I'm not the only one to know about this.

 

[Cozy439]

A friend of our owns Grabill Country Meats, and he says that as long as the can is intact, it will be good. That could be 20 or 30 years, or more.

I just bought 3 cases from there Friday, Talked to the owner, he never gave an exact length, but implied it was plenty long. He aslo stated his products had more sales ($ amount) in Northern INDIANA Walmarts then Pepsi or Coke, I can't remember which but either is impressive. BTW, the chicken amd beef products are very good.

 

[Meyer]

Some of this depends on what it is, how acidic it is, etc. Canned pineapple or tomato sauce doesn't last nearly as long

 

[Mgderf]

I was in the Marine Corps. in 1977. We were given canned food in the form of C-Rations, now replaced by MRE's.
September of 1977 I was eating C-Rations canned in 1945.
Not a thing wrong with any of it, other than the fact that most of it was questionable as edible in the first place!

If properly canned, and the food was fresh when canned, I've seen 50 year old canned food that was still viable.

BTW- Did you know honey will NEVER go bad?
Archeologists have found honey in earthen jars that is viable after more than 2000 years!
Honey is also a natural antiseptic! Bacteria can not survive in honey.
Got a cut? Wash it off and slather it in honey. No infections.

 

[reno]

If the can is swelling, I would not open it. And certainly not eat it. What ever is growing in the can is gassing and when you open it the seal is broken. All the spores of whatever is growing is released. Generally not good.
If the can is not swollen, probably edible. If it smells bad, tastes bad, I would not go further though.

 

[actaeon277]

I think the biggest concern is not if it will be safely edible but how much nutrition is lost over the time past the expiration date. There are some fancy calculations available online that help you figure this formula out as best as you can.
When I buy my canned goods I always ensure there are no dents in the can. Microscopic cracks can form in the metal and allow air and bacteria in.
another good rule is to plan on losing 1/3 of your stock to contamination. Not that it WILL happen but just in case, you've already planned ahead and stocked extra.

im a firm believer in eating what you store. FIFO (first in first out). I mark all of my goods with a permanent marker with the month/year it entered my stock. Easy to keep track of.

also look for the dates on items at the store. They also use FIFO and stock newer dated product at the back. I shop from the back but always check dates.

This . Edible does not mean something has retained nutritional value. Canned items do not stop nutritional loss, only slow it to a crawl.

 

[bwframe]

Is it a given that my canned venison is good as long as sealed?

 

[Icarry2]

How you store anything is key to it's long term viability. Cool, dry, dark, etc..

Cleaning the can before opening and opening it with a clean can opener is also a good idea.. How many of you wipe off the lids before you open the can? How many of you wash your can opener after using it?