Shelf Life of Canned Foods

[pimentoLoaf]

My thinking is, that if the top of the can presses down a bit and then springs back up, then it's safe.

Or have I just poisoned myself cooking and eating a 2006 can of vegetable soup?

 

[robbieduncan]

Most canned food will last a lot longer than 3-4 years. I'd really not worry too much about it.

 

[theDUB]

Information

 

[Wiska]

Canned foods contain way too much sodium, and chemicals. Yeech.

In this day and age, unless one is really lazy or living in a forest, it's better to learn how to cook your own vegetable soup. It's tastier and much more nutritious.

Anyway, I say typically two years for most canned soups, although some canned foods, like corn can keep a lot longer.

 

[RITZFit]

yup...your screwed bud (post back if your still alive)

haha, seriously tho, canned food seems to last forever! its weird like that i guess

 

[iJohnHenry]

If the can has not "bulged", then bacteria is not present. Eat away.

Although this does not consider the palatability of the contents, over time.

 

[Frisco]

One time I bought real canned crab meat for around $20. Opened 2 months later everything was black and smelled worse than death. For everything else though 2 years seems reasonable.

 

[theDUB]

One time I bought real canned crab meat...

That's where you went wrong.

 

[Tomorrow]

Canned foods contain way too much sodium, and chemicals. Yeech.

In this day and age, unless one is really lazy or living in a forest, it's better to learn how to cook your own vegetable soup. It's tastier and much more nutritious.

Anyway, I say typically two years for most canned soups, although some canned foods, like corn can keep a lot longer.

Yeah, yeah, we know. I read can/box/bag labels, too.

But then reality sets in - I can't come home at 6:45 at night and start chopping vegetables and cutting up chicken to make stock, then expect to get my evening routine (bathe the kid, clean the house, get things ready for work tomorrow, etc.) and get to bed at a reasonable time. Life happens. So we buy pre-packaged stuff.

I was a cook during my college years, I know very well how to do it. It has nothing to do with lack of knowledge or laziness. It has to do with convenience.

 

[pimentoLoaf]

Still here.

Everything in the bowl tasted alright save for the green beans, which had a distinctly odd metallic tinge.

 

[geekgirl]

Did you check the "best by" date? That's usually a good indication if the food is still usable. If the "best by" date was 2006, I would have tossed it rather than gamble on it being still good...

 

[Signal-11]

Depends on how it was stored. Cool or cold dry place, out of sunlight, (the dry and the sunlight shouldn't matter so much) and canned food can be good for years past their expiration date.