Is canning and jarring supposed to preserve it forever? Or does it have a shelf life that's not indicated anywhere on the can/jar? I have some old cans of Chunky Clam Chowder soup, I'm guessing it's about 5 years old. Also some jarred spaghetti sauce around the same age. They don't look any worse for wear. In my bachelor days I likely would have eaten them without any afterthought. I'm not as young as I used to be anymore though...
2007-08-10 23:04:06 · 6 answers · asked by Mister Sarcastic 4 in Food & Drink ➔ Other - Food & Drink
I guess I wasn't clear when I said "not indicated anywhere on the can/jar", but I don't see any dates on them.
2007-08-10 23:44:56 · update #1
As long as the seal is intact you can eat it. Canned vegetables that were over 40 yrs old, leftover from civil defense rations, were opened and tested. The nutritional value ( vitamins etc. ) were found to be comparable to recently canned foods. The sauce in a glass jar may lose more nutrients because of light exposure but it won't hurt you.
As for expiration dates, they are not really there for your safety, they help protect companies from liability
2007-08-14 14:09:12 · answer #1 · answered by Charles C 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Jarred Foods
2016-12-12 11:32:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
All commercially prepared canned food sold in the US is required to have an expiration date. Sometimes it is on the label in very small print, but far more often you will find it imprinted on one or the other ends of the can, usually in code. Those codes are supposed to be clear & transparent to the consumer, but they are not always.
I would not eat canned food that is five years old unless I were starving. Even then, you want to be extremely careful to examine the food very carefully for off smells or the presence of mold or odd growth. Then boil it.
Make sure that you do not ever even think of eating canned food where the can is bulging or miss-shapen, or where the can has become dented on the edge where the top/bottom and sides come together. That dent can weaken the seam enough to allow bacteria to grow. Deadly poison.
2007-08-11 00:24:57 · answer #3 · answered by livsgrandma 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
This may seem simple, but sometimes people forget. First thing, check the labels for dates. If they don't have any (which would be quite odd) then check the company's website and see if they have something about it.
2007-08-10 23:10:13 · answer #4 · answered by asphatasawhale 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
500 to 1000 years
2007-08-10 23:11:24 · answer #5 · answered by virgil 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
most have an expiration date on them
2007-08-10 23:23:07 · answer #6 · answered by marmar 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋