
I don't know how many of you guys prep. Hurricane season is here.
I usually keep 6 months of commercial canned foods on hand, To be honest I don't
rotate my stock as quick as I should.
This year I discovered two new canned goods that won't go very many years.
Fruit cocktail - I lost a case of in-date cans.
Campbell's chicken noodle soup - still in date.
It looks like the new style cans with the pop tops fail from the inside out, unlike
the old style cans which lasted for many, may years.
Of course anything with Tomatoes in a can is to be avoided.
I'm sure there are others to avoid, but I haven't read of any lists.
Comments?
Technology and economics have significantly changed the world of prepping, IMO.
Canned goods have become more and more subpar in terms of longevity. While the contents MAY be safe to eat long after the expiration (or "Best By") date, the taste and/or texture could make it seem as if it has gone bad. So, while you might believe "It's okay to eat," psychologically you might not want to eat it because it "tastes like it might be spoiled."
In short, I'm less and less trusting that canned goods are the best option for long term storage. I've had Carnation Evaporated Milk go past the expiration after about a year of storing, and upon opening it, I was pretty sure it was no longer usable. It kind of tasted like buttermilk, and it had a grittiness.
Damaged cans are a known problem in most cases. So, even if the stockpile is only for a month or less during hurricane season, make sure all the cans are undamaged. Dented cans have been known to be a sign of botulism.
After a botulism outbreak following a church potluck in Ohio left a woman dead and
sickened up to 28 others, health officials say canned food could be to blame.
Officials are looking into canned fruits and vegetables as well as pasta and potatoes
salads and other menu items, according to Ohio Department of Health spokeswoman
Shannon Libby.
: : :
The bacteria Clostridium botulinum releases the toxin that causes botulism as part of its
natural anaerobic process, meaning it multiplies in an oxygen-free environment, like a
sealed can, Schaffner said.
"Back in the day when there was a lot of home-canning, people didn't always meticulously
follow protocols," Schaffner said. "The spores were not killed and given that this was now
an environment in a sealed container, the bacteria could multiply and produce the toxin."
With the advent of commercial canning and better understanding of botulism to put food
safety procedures in place, he said it's now rare to have a canned good-related botulism
outbreak.
: : :
Unless the Ohio potluck investigators find that the food that caused the illness was commercially
canned, Schaffner said people have nothing to worry about. But if they see a can that is puffy
or dented, discard it.
https://abcnews.go.com/Health/botulism-found-canned-foods-pantry-safe/story?id=30565079Now we have dehydrated and freeze-dried foods that last many years on the shelf. Also, there are many foods that can be stored long term with very little to no preparation. Notice what category is in last place ....
Here are 23 Foods for Long-Term Food Storage
#1 – White Rice
#2 – Dried Beans
#3 – Honey
#4 – Peanut Butter
#5 – Powdered Milk
#6 – Ramen
#7 – Rolled Oats
#8 – Wheat Berries
#9 – Dried Pasta
#10 – Freeze Dried Everything
#11 – Dehydrated
#12 – Coconut and Olive Oil
#13 – Ghee
#14 – Sugar
#15 – Salt
#16 – Vinegar
#17 – Baking Soda
#18 – Long-Term Coffee
#19 – Alcohol
#20 – Pemmican
#21 – Hardtack
#22 – Potato Flakes/Powdered
#23 – Canned Foods
https://www.shtfblog.com/what-are-the-best-foods-for-long-term-storage/The article mentions mylar bags and oxygen absorbers to increase storage duration. A little work and research can ensure a better long term supply versus a bunch of cans that might only be good another month or two after you find you need them. If you wait until stuff is expired to buy new, you're not planning ahead. For stuff that lasts a year or less, you need to implement a rotation schedule. Buy a few new cans/packages every month or so, and try to eat the oldest before they expire.
