How long can you keep canned food?

[Doogie]

The last few weeks I have been helping my parents with cleaning out their place. They are starting to get to that stage where they are becoming pack rats. And part of their pack rat ways is their pantry room. In there they have some canned goods I know they had since I was a young lad. Some of their stuff goes back to the early 1990's...they are jumbo sized containers of whole potatoes, yams and the like.

The question I ask is how long can you keep canned goods if they show no signs of wear on the outside?? Should it be a couple weeks, months, years?? Some of the labels look old too, like that style you would see from the 70's and 80's. (I know in my place their is nothing over a few months old.)

[razorboy]

Is this some sort of a challenge?

[Fallon]

http://www.foodreference.com/html/tcannedfoodshelflife.html

[Doogie]

Is this some sort of a challenge?

Nahhh...I am being serious. I am trying to convince them to get rid of some of their stuff and they will open up some space in their pantry area. But I am curious if anyone knows how long you can keep canned goods.

[lleeder]

donate everything. then you'll be helping kill off unwanted hobos

[A.J.]

Apparently since the Vietnam War. (http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g4n70MjmunWntLHxR680AU5WpuVQD99LGQJG0)

[lleeder]

anyone see that episode of no reservations where they have expensive canned seafood? very strange but looked delicious

[razorboy]

anyone see that episode of no reservations where they have expensive canned seafood? very strange but looked delicious

Need an introduction to caviar?

[underdog]

anyone see that episode of no reservations where they have expensive canned seafood? very strange but looked delicious

It was somewhere in Spain.

[lleeder]

Need an introduction to caviar?

it was more than that

It was somewhere in Spain.

yes thats it

you watch as many food shows as i

[STC-Dub]

If the stuff has been sitting there for years why would they suddenly decide to use it? I suppose using logic won't work?

[lleeder]

ask jezo he's a can expert (http://ronfez.net/forums/showthread.php?p=2345363&highlight=shoprite#post2345363)

[underdog]

yes thats it

you watch as many food shows as i

Yeah, I do. But I also studied that episode right before I went to Spain this year to find places to go to. I went to none of them.

[SatCam]

2 years from packaging for canned foods

[lleeder]

2 years from packaging for canned foods

is the m a typo?

[OGC]

If it was me, I wouldn't take the chance. For the price of a few cans of potatoes, you can avoid the risk of food poisoning.

If your parents are anything like mine they won't listen to anything you tell them.

[razorboy]

More importantly, how long can you keep Canned Heat?

[Chigworthy]

I ate fifteen year old black olives a few years back. Tasted like new.

[razorboy]

I ate fifteen year old black olives a few years back. Tasted like new.

It's hard to tell when something that already tasted like shit has gone bad.

[razorboy]

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[SatCam]

Seriously though, canned stuff you buy in the store is generally accepted to be good for 2 - 3 years after manufacture. Who wants 15 year old potatoes? Throw it all out and cut your losses, your parents have probably written them off already. If they need potatoes do they go into the pantry and crack open a can, or do they go to the store and buy a fresh bag?

[Stuft]

Hook up w/ LordJezo, he's fanatical about the Can-Can sale. Get rid of all that is in their pantry currently and just replace it once Jezo gives you the green light for savings. :dry:

[Gvac]

I opened up a can of olives today that I had purchased very recently (within the past 2 weeks or so) and they were covered in a white slime.

Pretty gross.

[Fallon]

I opened up a can of olives today that I had purchased very recently (within the past 2 weeks or so) and they were covered in a white slime.

Pretty gross.

How'd they taste?

[Gvac]

How'd they taste?

Delicious!