Post by kelabar on Jul 26, 2022 5:20:26 GMT -6
Found some notes I jotted down about long term storage food.
This was back in the 90s when plastic packaging wasn't as prevalent as it is now so most was in tins. I also favored tins for their strength. The enpty tins are also useful after the contents have been eaten. Few tins had a plastic lining on the inside of the tin back then.
Storage conditions were room temp. Temperatures would have been between 50F minimum in winter to 95 maximum in summer with no sudden changes, just gradual increases and decreases during the day/night cycle. Very low humidity.
Packed in 1988/89 and checked in 1996.
Small ring-pull tins of fruit were nearly all corroded. The few that were still intact were darkened/blackened on the interior surface except for where the air bubble was. Fruit in these tins looked OK but smelled and tasted tinny/metallic. Significantly, the leakage from the corroded tins (and jam, see later) spoiled a fair bit of the other nearby foods.
About 1 in 20 of the small tinned meals corroded. More usual was the contents condensing into a lump inside the tin which could be shaken from end to end. The contents tasted and smelled OK but I didn't eat any. A few tins also showed the darkening on the inside of the tin.
Packets of Fruit Gums candy ranged from dry and brittle to mushy. They normally have a firm texture. The mushiness may have been due to leakage from corroded tins and these were not eaten. The dry/brittle and normal ones were eaten with no adverse effects.
Stock cubes appeared to leak into the wrapping but otherwise looked fine except for a damp texture. This dampness may have been due to corroded tin leakage. I have since had stock cubes go putrid in storage so do not recommend them for long term storage.
Tubes of jam, butter concentrate and sweetened condensed milk were also stored. These were the same as the Aus Army used in their ration packs. They were aluminum tubes with a plastic screw top (like a toothpaste tube). The jam all leaked but the butter concentrate and milk were fine.
Aus Army ration pack biscuits were fine. These were packed in a foil/plastic/paper packet and were 'survival biscuits' which did fill you up but tasted very ordinary and also shortbread or jam biscuits. You guys probably call them cookies.
Individual soup packets (cup-a-soups), dark chocolate in block form, muesli bars, packets of dried vegetables and noodles, and plastic sachets of sugar were all fine.
The general notes I made for these:
Only store tins for 4 years max. I have since reduced this to 3 years. Others in different climates have successfully store tinned food for much longer so 5 to 10 years may be possible in your climate.
There was surface rust under the paper labels on a lot of tins even with the very low humidity and several layers of plastic packaging. Some of this could have been due to the leakage mentioned above but I consider it wise to pack individual tins in ziplock bags for long term storage.
These items were part of one man ration packs so everything went into one plastic bag. I now package wet and dry items separately into plastic bags and then put them all together in one larger plastic bag.
Suction on opening a tin is a good indicator of the contents being in edible condition. The contetns may have condensed into a lump (tinned meals) or be pale or mushy (fruit or vegetables) but will generally be OK to eat. That said, if the tin is darkened or corroded on the inside or has an different smell than expected I wouldn't eat it.
I also prefer non ring-pull tins. In my experience they sometimes corrode more easily than standard tins. But it is difficult to find anything that isn't in a ring-pull tin these days so get what you can.
------------------
I also packed some two man ration packs at the same time, 1988/89.
These contained similar contents to the above.
I checked one in 1996 and it appeared fine but had a bit of deterioration in some foods.
The pineapple had surface rusting on the outside of the tin and the interior was darkened except for the air bubble. The pineapple looked OK but did not smell as strong as usual and had a funny taste.
The tin of Spam had excess free liquid and a white residue on the outside of the meat. It looked OK and smelled OK. I cut the outside off and ate the centre with no adverse effects.
The dark chocolate had oil leakage onto the paper packaging. The surface of the chocolate had whitened and had white dots on it. This is expected in chocolate in hot conditions and it tasted and smelled OK.
A tin of corn and bacon spread had a white residue concentrated in the air bubble space. The interior of the tin also had markings on it which were not corrosion. Not sure what caused that. It looked OK and possibly smelled OK but I did not eat it.
Everything else was fine.
I checked the rest in 1999.
All of the pineapple tins had burst or were bulging under pressure. It was a big mess. This caused corrosion in the other tins.
A tinned meal, pineapple and pork, corroded more than other meals. I suspect all would have been corroded without the pineapple leakage but cannot confirm this.
Packets of 5-minute dried rice smelled old when opened and I considered them to be unusable.
Cup-a-soups containing noodles smelled old when opened. They looked OK and were probably OK to drink but I didn't try them. Cup-a-soups which did not have noodles in them, ie soup powder only, were OK.
Since this I only store tins containing pineapple for two years. Even with multiple plastic bags separating components the mess is not worth it.
---------------
Tins stored for varying lengths of time:
Savoury mince tinned meal, stored 1989, opened 2000
Exterior OK, no pressure on opening, contents had condensed and could be shaken from end to end in the tin, the interior had darkened on the seam and had some dark patches on the side. Contents smelled OK. Not eaten.
The contents of another tin of the same stored in 1988 had little smell. Not eaten.
Beef and vegetables tinned meal, stored 1988, opened 2000
The tin was bulging and the top seam was darkened and corroded (a white powder was present). There was only a small amount of pressure on piercing the tin and the rim separated from the tin on opening. The contents looked and smelled OK on opening but had slightly condensed into the center of the tin and some free liquid was present. Not eaten.
Another tin had corrosion on the inside and outside at the side seam. The contents were slightly condensed and were discolored where it touched the corroded side seam. There was no suction on opening but the contents smelled OK. Not eaten.
Tins of green beans, tins of corn, tins of carrots and tins of peas, stored 1989 to 1991 and opened 1999.
Most tins were OK with no corrosion, Good suction was evident on opening. All contents looked and smelled OK. The contents can go soft and mushy or pale but can still usually be eaten although the taste may fade.
A few tins had discoloration/darkening on the inside of the tin but were eaten with no adverse effects.
The exceptions were a tin of carrots which had lightening of most of the inside of the tin except the air bubble which darkened (the opposite of what normally happens) and a tin of peas which was discolored on the inside and had a funny taste.
Sardines in vegetable oil, stored 1989, opened 1999.
Tin and contents in perfect condition. Eaten.
Tins of peach slices and tins of apricot halves in either syrup or fruit juice, stored 1989 to 1991, opened 1999.
Tin and contents in perfect condition. Eaten.
Tins of meat: Spam, luncheon beef, deli beef, camp pie, deli chicken, corned beef, stored 1988 to 1990, opened 1999.
Most OK.
One tin of deli beef was discolored on the inside and outside of the seam and had minor discoloration on all of the inside of the tin. The contents were slimy and discolored near the seam and had stuck to the seam. Not eaten. I suspect this was a one-off bad seal in the seam.
One tin of deli chicken was discolored black on one section of the top rim. It looked like mold but the contents smelled and looked OK. Not eaten.
One tin of camp pie had a jelly like goo condensed at one end of the tin and smelled like detergent. It looked OK but was not eaten.
Tins of paste/spread, stored 1988 to 1994, opened 1999.
Most were OK and all but one were eaten.
The exception was a tin which showed some lifting of the inside lining of the tin. The contents looked and smelled OK but tasted funny.
Some other tins showed lifting of the inside lining but were OK to eat. There was reduced suction in these tins and some settling of the contents.
I also stored plastic packets, possibly mylar, of tomato paste, These were all fine after 5 years of storage.
Packets of freeze dried camping food were fine after 4, 5, 6 and 10 years although some smelled stale or tasted of plastic. All were at least 4 years past the use by date with the longest at 8 years past.
I have found that muesli bars last for 10 years. I recommend storing some of the basic flavors. Very convenient and tasty but bulky.
Hope that helps.
This was back in the 90s when plastic packaging wasn't as prevalent as it is now so most was in tins. I also favored tins for their strength. The enpty tins are also useful after the contents have been eaten. Few tins had a plastic lining on the inside of the tin back then.
Storage conditions were room temp. Temperatures would have been between 50F minimum in winter to 95 maximum in summer with no sudden changes, just gradual increases and decreases during the day/night cycle. Very low humidity.
Packed in 1988/89 and checked in 1996.
Small ring-pull tins of fruit were nearly all corroded. The few that were still intact were darkened/blackened on the interior surface except for where the air bubble was. Fruit in these tins looked OK but smelled and tasted tinny/metallic. Significantly, the leakage from the corroded tins (and jam, see later) spoiled a fair bit of the other nearby foods.
About 1 in 20 of the small tinned meals corroded. More usual was the contents condensing into a lump inside the tin which could be shaken from end to end. The contents tasted and smelled OK but I didn't eat any. A few tins also showed the darkening on the inside of the tin.
Packets of Fruit Gums candy ranged from dry and brittle to mushy. They normally have a firm texture. The mushiness may have been due to leakage from corroded tins and these were not eaten. The dry/brittle and normal ones were eaten with no adverse effects.
Stock cubes appeared to leak into the wrapping but otherwise looked fine except for a damp texture. This dampness may have been due to corroded tin leakage. I have since had stock cubes go putrid in storage so do not recommend them for long term storage.
Tubes of jam, butter concentrate and sweetened condensed milk were also stored. These were the same as the Aus Army used in their ration packs. They were aluminum tubes with a plastic screw top (like a toothpaste tube). The jam all leaked but the butter concentrate and milk were fine.
Aus Army ration pack biscuits were fine. These were packed in a foil/plastic/paper packet and were 'survival biscuits' which did fill you up but tasted very ordinary and also shortbread or jam biscuits. You guys probably call them cookies.
Individual soup packets (cup-a-soups), dark chocolate in block form, muesli bars, packets of dried vegetables and noodles, and plastic sachets of sugar were all fine.
The general notes I made for these:
Only store tins for 4 years max. I have since reduced this to 3 years. Others in different climates have successfully store tinned food for much longer so 5 to 10 years may be possible in your climate.
There was surface rust under the paper labels on a lot of tins even with the very low humidity and several layers of plastic packaging. Some of this could have been due to the leakage mentioned above but I consider it wise to pack individual tins in ziplock bags for long term storage.
These items were part of one man ration packs so everything went into one plastic bag. I now package wet and dry items separately into plastic bags and then put them all together in one larger plastic bag.
Suction on opening a tin is a good indicator of the contents being in edible condition. The contetns may have condensed into a lump (tinned meals) or be pale or mushy (fruit or vegetables) but will generally be OK to eat. That said, if the tin is darkened or corroded on the inside or has an different smell than expected I wouldn't eat it.
I also prefer non ring-pull tins. In my experience they sometimes corrode more easily than standard tins. But it is difficult to find anything that isn't in a ring-pull tin these days so get what you can.
------------------
I also packed some two man ration packs at the same time, 1988/89.
These contained similar contents to the above.
I checked one in 1996 and it appeared fine but had a bit of deterioration in some foods.
The pineapple had surface rusting on the outside of the tin and the interior was darkened except for the air bubble. The pineapple looked OK but did not smell as strong as usual and had a funny taste.
The tin of Spam had excess free liquid and a white residue on the outside of the meat. It looked OK and smelled OK. I cut the outside off and ate the centre with no adverse effects.
The dark chocolate had oil leakage onto the paper packaging. The surface of the chocolate had whitened and had white dots on it. This is expected in chocolate in hot conditions and it tasted and smelled OK.
A tin of corn and bacon spread had a white residue concentrated in the air bubble space. The interior of the tin also had markings on it which were not corrosion. Not sure what caused that. It looked OK and possibly smelled OK but I did not eat it.
Everything else was fine.
I checked the rest in 1999.
All of the pineapple tins had burst or were bulging under pressure. It was a big mess. This caused corrosion in the other tins.
A tinned meal, pineapple and pork, corroded more than other meals. I suspect all would have been corroded without the pineapple leakage but cannot confirm this.
Packets of 5-minute dried rice smelled old when opened and I considered them to be unusable.
Cup-a-soups containing noodles smelled old when opened. They looked OK and were probably OK to drink but I didn't try them. Cup-a-soups which did not have noodles in them, ie soup powder only, were OK.
Since this I only store tins containing pineapple for two years. Even with multiple plastic bags separating components the mess is not worth it.
---------------
Tins stored for varying lengths of time:
Savoury mince tinned meal, stored 1989, opened 2000
Exterior OK, no pressure on opening, contents had condensed and could be shaken from end to end in the tin, the interior had darkened on the seam and had some dark patches on the side. Contents smelled OK. Not eaten.
The contents of another tin of the same stored in 1988 had little smell. Not eaten.
Beef and vegetables tinned meal, stored 1988, opened 2000
The tin was bulging and the top seam was darkened and corroded (a white powder was present). There was only a small amount of pressure on piercing the tin and the rim separated from the tin on opening. The contents looked and smelled OK on opening but had slightly condensed into the center of the tin and some free liquid was present. Not eaten.
Another tin had corrosion on the inside and outside at the side seam. The contents were slightly condensed and were discolored where it touched the corroded side seam. There was no suction on opening but the contents smelled OK. Not eaten.
Tins of green beans, tins of corn, tins of carrots and tins of peas, stored 1989 to 1991 and opened 1999.
Most tins were OK with no corrosion, Good suction was evident on opening. All contents looked and smelled OK. The contents can go soft and mushy or pale but can still usually be eaten although the taste may fade.
A few tins had discoloration/darkening on the inside of the tin but were eaten with no adverse effects.
The exceptions were a tin of carrots which had lightening of most of the inside of the tin except the air bubble which darkened (the opposite of what normally happens) and a tin of peas which was discolored on the inside and had a funny taste.
Sardines in vegetable oil, stored 1989, opened 1999.
Tin and contents in perfect condition. Eaten.
Tins of peach slices and tins of apricot halves in either syrup or fruit juice, stored 1989 to 1991, opened 1999.
Tin and contents in perfect condition. Eaten.
Tins of meat: Spam, luncheon beef, deli beef, camp pie, deli chicken, corned beef, stored 1988 to 1990, opened 1999.
Most OK.
One tin of deli beef was discolored on the inside and outside of the seam and had minor discoloration on all of the inside of the tin. The contents were slimy and discolored near the seam and had stuck to the seam. Not eaten. I suspect this was a one-off bad seal in the seam.
One tin of deli chicken was discolored black on one section of the top rim. It looked like mold but the contents smelled and looked OK. Not eaten.
One tin of camp pie had a jelly like goo condensed at one end of the tin and smelled like detergent. It looked OK but was not eaten.
Tins of paste/spread, stored 1988 to 1994, opened 1999.
Most were OK and all but one were eaten.
The exception was a tin which showed some lifting of the inside lining of the tin. The contents looked and smelled OK but tasted funny.
Some other tins showed lifting of the inside lining but were OK to eat. There was reduced suction in these tins and some settling of the contents.
I also stored plastic packets, possibly mylar, of tomato paste, These were all fine after 5 years of storage.
Packets of freeze dried camping food were fine after 4, 5, 6 and 10 years although some smelled stale or tasted of plastic. All were at least 4 years past the use by date with the longest at 8 years past.
I have found that muesli bars last for 10 years. I recommend storing some of the basic flavors. Very convenient and tasty but bulky.
Hope that helps.