# Your canned goods have reached their expiration date, now what?



## cast iron (Oct 4, 2004)

Lets say you have some canned (commercial) goods that have reached their expiration date. Like baked beans, corn, green beans. What do you do?

- Throw them out without a second thought.

- Keep them and use them when you get around to it assuming they smell ok.

- Keep them and use them asap, despite you being sick of the particular item.


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## Just Cliff (Nov 27, 2008)

I would think about what conditions they have been stored under. The expiration dates on canned food is for average to poor storage conditions. If they have been kept cool and out of the light and are not too far out of date, they should be fine. the nose is the best judge for most people.
If it were me. I would open some test cans a meal time and check the condition. If I found them to be ok , Vegatable soup would be made with it and I would can the vegatable soup.
My 2 cents.


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## Ohio dreamer (Apr 6, 2006)

If they aren't bulging, I just keep them in their rotation line and use them when their "number comes up".


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## Saffron (May 24, 2006)

ditto to Ohio Dreamer

the only canned goods that cause me any real concern are the ones containing milk - like the "cream of " soup varieties


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## stranger (Feb 24, 2008)

Just Cliff said:


> I would think about what conditions they have been stored under. The expiration dates on canned food is for average to poor storage conditions. If they have been kept cool and out of the light and are not too far out of date, they should be fine. the nose is the best judge for most people.
> If it were me. I would open some test cans a meal time and check the condition. If I found them to be ok , Vegatable soup would be made with it and I would can the vegatable soup.
> My 2 cents.


 I'd use them within five yrs of the date, it just won't be as fresh, just keep them where it is cool and dry.
Unless the cans are dented or damaged
the date is really so if you don't use the food within the use by date, you can't call up the company and say the food tasted a little stale and want a new can.


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## Terri (May 10, 2002)

My parents donate them BEFORE they expire to the food pantry and replace them.


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## belladulcinea (Jun 21, 2006)

Since the dates are a fairly new phenomenon, I don't go by them too often.:hrm: If it's something I'm tired of I will donate before the date because we have been conditioned to think we need to dispose of it so we can buy more product.

But I do rotate my canned goods.


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## dezingg (Feb 25, 2010)

Wayne02 said:


> - Keep them and use them when you get around to it assuming they smell ok.
> - Keep them and use them asap, despite you being sick of the particular item.


It sounds like you've already eaten as much as you can stand. I've had pretty good luck with cans, even with worse than average storage conditions. Still, it is up to you to determine if the product is safe to eat.

If I were you, I'd pick a middle ground between using asap and using them as needed.


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Miracle Whip---expired in 2006
(unopened)

Used it last week for potato salad.
Tasted fine.
Everyone survived.
No belly aches.


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

I recently ate a can of 4 years expired tuna fish... no problems.


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## skyraven (Jul 4, 2010)

We live remotely and way overbought on canned peas and green beans the first year. Four years later, we're finally getting to the last cans now *deep sigh of relief* Hasn't made us sick or killed us.


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## bee (May 12, 2002)

bought a gallon jar of dill pickles for Y2K( seemed like a good idea at the time); still in the basement..I'll let you all know how they were if I ever open them. They are not as old yet as the 15 year old jar of home canned applebutter..it was nearly black because of the spices but still tasted wonderful! I obviously survived.


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## manygoatsnmore (Feb 12, 2005)

I'd just eat them whenever I was no longer sick of the canned item. As long as the seal is good on the can, the food is still good, too.


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## GREENCOUNTYPETE (Jul 25, 2006)

use them as soon as you can i guess but i have eaten plenty that was a year or more over , what is it maybe you just need more recipies , different ways to use the same thing.

i am still eating 2007 home canned pickles and apple sauce


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

GREENCOUNTYPETE said:


> i am still eating 2007 home canned pickles and apple sauce


2007!
Thats down right FRESH!


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

tallpines said:


> Miracle Whip---expired in 2006
> (unopened)
> 
> Used it last week for potato salad.
> ...


That wasnt what you fed us, was it?


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

No, Ernie..........
I served you the pickled beets, fresh strawberries and brownies.......

Why? 
Did you get sick?

I served the potato salad to my own children, grandchildren and DH earlier that same week.


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## pattycake (May 16, 2010)

tallpines said:


> Miracle Whip---expired in 2006
> (unopened)
> 
> Used it last week for potato salad.
> ...


Thanks for this post tallpines! I have 3 jars of Hellmans Mayo in my pantry that says best by 7/10. I was kinda feeling like I would have to toss them.


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## AR Transplant (Mar 20, 2004)

If it's three years past the date I pitch it. 
My thinking is this. We are not in a food shortage yet. My dh and I had food poisoning once and I never ever want it again. I was so sick that I hallucinated.
A .49 can of corn just is not worth it to me.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

tallpines said:


> No, Ernie..........
> I served you the pickled beets, fresh strawberries and brownies.......
> 
> Why?
> ...


No, I got FULL!


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## texican (Oct 4, 2003)

If it's bulging, or leaking, it's tossed.

If it's way old, the food will have the taste of metal... probably still edible, just not tasty. Then it goes to chickens or dogs. Nothing that won't kill us gets really tossed, just processed differently than normal.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

I see that I was not the only household to use "expired - best by July 2007" mayonaise/ miracle whip to make potato salad this weekend. No one keeled over, or got food poisoning up here on the hilltop!! 

I did find a medium sized bulging can of pineapple slices, that made a wonderful target during the 4th of July shooting. It did not stand up very well, when shot with a couple of .38 special 158 grained lead projectiles. So it was still a useful item, even after loosing it's food value!

I have up in front of the food rotation some canned goods with expiration dates of 2007, and MRE's with 2008 dates on them. They taste just fine, and no signs of digestive problems from eating them - so far..


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I don't see why y'all would take the chance. Food is cheap (so far). We're not in a crisis yet.

A case of botulism will seriously limit your future survival strategies.


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

Ernie said:


> I don't see why y'all would take the chance. Food is cheap (so far). We're not in a crisis yet.
> 
> A case of botulism will seriously limit your future survival strategies.


Raised by depression era parents combined with too many years of Catholic education---------doncha know? 
It would be a SIN to toss out good food!

And then there is always the thought that expiration dates are used more so for the seller to sell more of his product----rather than to protect the public.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

tallpines said:


> Raised by depression era parents combined with too many years of Catholic education---------doncha know?
> It would be a SIN to toss out good food!
> 
> And then there is always the thought that expiration dates are used more so for the seller to sell more of his product----rather than to protect the public.


I would think that's generally true but I don't feel bad about "wasting" food by feeding it to the chickens who are going to then provide me with fresh food. 

I've lost count of how many times I've gotten food poisoning in the last five years alone, and that's from eating in restaurants. I just don't hardly trust anything I didn't see butchered or harvested myself. 

Is it pretty universal that if a can isn't bulging it's safe to eat?


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## tallpines (Apr 9, 2003)

I've gotten sick from restaurant food, too but never from my home provisions.

If I know the food has been stored in an average non-fluctuating environment in my own home I'd tend to trust it----barring obvious problems.

Now one time, at my daughter's place I went to open a can and she warned me it had moved with them a couple of times and may not be "right".
Can looked fine----no bulging.

But the contents was definately NOT the right color----it got tossed.


Just to verify----that old jar of Miracle Whip was an oddity----most of our food stuffs are current--------other than some rice that's stored in glass jars.


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## Ernie (Jul 22, 2007)

I try to rotate stuff so we don't end up with anything at or near the expiration date. There are times though when I screw up and miss something in the nightmare of a pit that is my basement. And then the kids get to eat SPAM for a week straight, or we serve black beans every night for a month. That makes everyone real happy, but like yourself I hate to waste food.

When I open a can I follow three principles:

1. Is the can intact? No bulging, split seams, or leaking?
2. Does it smell like it ought to? I'm not eating a can of pork and beans that smells like tuna fish.
3. Does it look like it ought to? Canned peaches do not normally have blue fur and Wolf Brand Chili is not gray.


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## radiofish (Mar 30, 2007)

tallpines said:


> Raised by depression era parents combined with too many years of Catholic education---------doncha know?
> It would be a SIN to toss out good food!
> 
> And then there is always the thought that expiration dates are used more so for the seller to sell more of his product----rather than to protect the public.


You forgot our parents telling us, "There are starving kids in Europe/ China/ Africa/ etc..."

Being raised Polish Catholic from Depression Era parents, I heard that a lot while growing up!

The only times I have had food poisoning was from eating in restaurants also!!

I also use common sense when opening up food that is past it's "best by dates", and if in doubt I will dispose of it as I have done in the past. The can of pineapple was hidden way back in the cabinets, by where I store the hooch and other not used so often items.


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## ACountryMomma (Aug 10, 2008)

texican said:


> If it's bulging, or leaking, it's tossed.
> 
> If it's way old, the food will have the taste of metal... probably still edible, just not tasty. Then it goes to chickens or dogs. Nothing that won't kill us gets really tossed, just processed differently than normal.


Ditto. I do exactly the same thing here. Everybody ends up happy & healthy & we're not wasting.


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## Spinner (Jul 19, 2003)

We use them. We're still alive. If they are swelled any at all or if they have rust that won't wash off, then they get tossed, but if the can is still in good condition, chances are that the food inside is still in good condition too. I toss anything with tomatoes, they go bad pretty quick in metal, but last a very long time in glass. 

Read an article a while back about a can of beans found that was about 100 years old. The scientists opened it and ATE it. They said it was fine. Of course they had thicker cans back then, but newer cans are still pretty safe. 

Not long ago I read about a can of something (green beans?) found in a basement in CA. They tested it and found it to be fine for consumption. It had lost some vitamin content, and a slight amount of taste, but was perfectly healthy. I think it was somewhere between 25 to 55 years old. (does anyone remember this story?)


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## Win07_351 (Dec 7, 2008)

I knew there was a reason I don't go to restaurants often.


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## chickenslayer (Apr 20, 2010)

In the Army in the 70's we ate C-rations left over from the Korean war, we all survived. Unless the can is bulging I'll eat it.


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