I came across some old, unopened canned food in
my basement (originally from the grocery store) and
I don't know if it's still good. Advice, please?

About 9-10 years old:
canned tuna
canned salmon
canned pineapple
canned beans

About 4 years old:
canned sweetened condensed milk

Thanks,

Steve

Steven Zwanger wrote:

About 9-10 years old:
canned tuna
canned salmon
canned pineapple
canned beans

About 4 years old:
canned sweetened condensed milk


If you have a dog or cat they would probably enjoy the
tuna and salmon. I would pitch the pineapple and
beans.

For the sweetened condensed milk, it should still be
quite safe. My personal favourite is Iris Cream.
Combine the SCM with a pint of cream, 4 eggs, 10-12 oz
of Irish whiskey and a spoonful of chocolate syrup in a
blender and whizz it together.

On 20 Dec 2003 15:51:06 -0800, (Steven Zwanger)
wrote:

I came across some old, unopened canned food in
my basement (originally from the grocery store) and
I don't know if it's still good. Advice, please?

About 9-10 years old:
canned tuna
canned salmon
canned pineapple
canned beans

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

-sw

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.


Do they have to bulge before they are inedible. Last year I grabbed a can
of tomato past out f my pantry to use in a dish I was cooking. It was
Top's brand, and I had not been to Top's in 5 or 6 years. I slapped the
can opener on it, squeezed the handles together and sprayed my ceiling
with tomato paste. Maybe I was a little hasty in judgement, but I pitched
the rest of the can.

On Sat, 20 Dec 2003 21:49:25 -0500, Dave Smith
wrote:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.


Do they have to bulge before they are inedible. Last year I grabbed a can
of tomato past out f my pantry to use in a dish I was cooking. It was
Top's brand, and I had not been to Top's in 5 or 6 years. I slapped the
can opener on it, squeezed the handles together and sprayed my ceiling
with tomato paste. Maybe I was a little hasty in judgement, but I pitched
the rest of the can.

"Tomato past" is exactly what you opened. I don't think you were being
hasty is tossing the rest of the stuff after you washed it off the
rafters.

Boron

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

You could donate it to a shelter or food pantry -- whatever
they call them where you live. It's perfectly safe and
nutritional, just doesn't taste so well or have as nice a
texture as more recent stuff.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 03:35:11 GMT, Mark Thorson
wrote:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

You could donate it to a shelter or food pantry -- whatever
they call them where you live. It's perfectly safe and
nutritional, just doesn't taste so well or have as nice a
texture as more recent stuff.

I wouldn't feel excatly generous donating stuff like that. I've tried
to use stuff that was 8+ years old and have ruined a meal or two.

Most recently was using an old can of coconut milk to make curry.
Wasted two lbs of chicken because I had to throw it all away.

-sw

Mark Thorson wrote:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

You could donate it to a shelter or food pantry -- whatever
they call them where you live. It's perfectly safe and
nutritional, just doesn't taste so well or have as nice a
texture as more recent stuff.

No offense, but it sounds like 'this doesn't look good, give it to
the dog' ... I think throw it out and buy fresh stuff for the food
pantry. Or the soup kitchen. Whatever. Ten year old food needs
to hit the landfill, if someone isn't willing to eat it, then don't
foist it on some people down on their luck already. Geez, get a
case of canned vegetables for them.

nancy

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 03:35:11 GMT, Mark Thorson
wrote:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

You could donate it to a shelter or food pantry -- whatever
they call them where you live. It's perfectly safe and
nutritional, just doesn't taste so well or have as nice a
texture as more recent stuff.



Why would anyone want to give away anything that old to unsuspecting
recipients. Puncture a hole in each can and toss them out.

In article ,
Steve Wertz wrote:
Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

Don't be silly. Canned stuff practically last forever. People have eaten
(and enjoyed) canned items recovered from shipwrecks back when canning
was still new (and needed to be opened with hammers and chisels - no
cordless electric canopeners then).

Enjoy them if the cans are intact and not bulging.

-r

Nancy Young wrote:
Mark Thorson wrote:

Steve Wertz wrote:

Aa long as they're not bulging, indicating contamination, they're
still OK to eat. Quality ad taste usually suffers after a couple of
years, though. After 9-10 years I'd pitch everything.

You could donate it to a shelter or food pantry -- whatever
they call them where you live. It's perfectly safe and
nutritional, just doesn't taste so well or have as nice a
texture as more recent stuff.

No offense, but it sounds like 'this doesn't look good, give it to
the dog' ... I think throw it out and buy fresh stuff for the food
pantry. Or the soup kitchen. Whatever. Ten year old food needs
to hit the landfill, if someone isn't willing to eat it, then don't
foist it on some people down on their luck already. Geez, get a
case of canned vegetables for them.

nancy

Yeah, seriously! If you have to ask, then don't eat it. While it might be
perfectly safe, it's not a good idea to foist it off on your pets or the
underprivileged. I never give either anything I'm not willing to eat
myself.

Jill

On 20 Dec 2003 15:51:06 -0800, (Steven Zwanger)
wrote:

I came across some old, unopened canned food in
my basement (originally from the grocery store) and
I don't know if it's still good. Advice, please?

Discard any bulging or dented cans. Also any rusted ones. An intact
can in a dry environment is a sort of time-warp. I'm sure cans from
ancient Egyptian tombs have been found to contain perfectly safe food.
^_^ (joke!)

About 9-10 years old:
canned tuna
canned salmon
canned pineapple
canned beans

About 4 years old:
canned sweetened condensed milk

Hmmm. 33 cents plus 99 cents plus 79 cents (? haven't bought canned
pineapple recently) plus 50 cents plus (unknown) for one 'set' of
these? The oft-quoted rule is "if in doubt, throw it out." If you have
to ask the question, you're going to be unhappy/unsure about using
these products. Toss 'em. (Do *not* donate to a food bank.). The idea
of 10-yr-old tuna makes *my* stomach roll.

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 10:47:05 GMT, Ricky
wrote:


Don't be silly. Canned stuff practically last forever. People have eaten
(and enjoyed) canned items recovered from shipwrecks back when canning
was still new (and needed to be opened with hammers and chisels - no
cordless electric canopeners then).

Enjoy them if the cans are intact and not bulging.

I can guarentee you that the taste has deteriorted on most canned
items after 10 years. I know, because I've tried it.

-sw

On Sun, 21 Dec 2003 12:52:18 GMT, Frogleg wrote:

Discard any bulging or dented cans. Also any rusted ones. An intact
can in a dry environment is a sort of time-warp. I'm sure cans from
ancient Egyptian tombs have been found to contain perfectly safe food.
^_^ (joke!)

I mentioned the bulging cans, too, but food can still be spoiled and
not visibly bulging to get out of the can. Small cracks can release
the built up pressure in the cans. I had one of these once. It was
only a year old, but inside was a huge glob of mold (creamed corn).

-sw

I just can't understand how anyone would risk their health or the health of
anyone else(by donating the 10 year old food) to perhaps save a few cents or
feel generous by giving the food away. If you get sick the cost of medical help
will far outweigh the value of the food. That goes for chicken left in the car
for a few hours as well. I always feel that when in doubt, throw it out. if
you have to question the food that should be the answer. Jan