How Long Does Canned Food Last? Survival Tip 

Being “ survivalist” is quite different from most “ prepping”. One never knows when weather or whatever, will affect the supply chain, and having enough food , medical supplies and other necessities put back for at least a week or two just makes good sense. Anything from a flood to a trucker strike and supplies just aren’t rolling.

It's not like a global pandemic & lockdowns caused a whole change in outlook for a lot of folks...

@@jonathantan2469 or woke them up to the reality they were NEVER safe to begin with. People are perfectly content to let others guide them, not once considering the guide could disappear. These are the same people that can’t change a flat tire because they have road service. Cant read a map because GPS, can’t defend themselves because police. Etc…

I used to feel the same way. Then I started paying attention to politics and started prepping.

They are still paranoid. Even more so. These folks think Red Dawn was a documentary.

Smart Grandma!!

No jokes about the fine vintage of the canned peaches? Disgusting.

What is up with all these ad Bots on here? It’s creepy

I got snowed in once at the family cabin and ate some cans of Van Camps that passed best by in 1993. This was in 2015, and aside from being closer to brown than red they were just fine.

@@josemarin255 you

Haaa yeah if you're hungry, you will find a way

i never even heard of electric can openers until i saw this vid. dont get why people chose a dependent tool instead of standalone...

Jeez don't you know how to open it with a knife SMH

I have come to realize that some conveniences are not really convenient. And they get to be too many items.

In basic training we got c rations that used to have a 4 pack of cigarettes they were dated and I smoked a cigarette that was made in 1949 . I was born in 1952 so it was older than I was .

Thank you for this info. Nowadays we are encouraged to pitch everything past the date on it.

@@mfdixon2265 I'm on the understanding that most dates on items like canned food is a ploy to get you to buy more. People have been taught to toss usable food out and buy more when it's not necessary! Corporate greed!

@@billybelk1831 I was in Boy Scouts during the Vietnam War, and my cousin was stationed at an armory. He would liberate cases of C-rations and they still had smokes. The smokes would be great bartering during longer camping trips away from home. Those are worth big money today with people who collect rations (it's a bigger market than you'd think).

Very good information !! Thank you for your service.

Were the cigarettes still good?

@@victoreous626 I didn’t smoke back then and still don’t but some of my friends that were with me did and said they were a bit stale but smokeable

@@victoreous626 i was so going to ask that but you beat me to it.

Let's get this out onto a tray.

The brownies are pretty good too.

What about the preservatives in the liquid?

@@nightnday6675 If your canned fruits has preservatives in them, you probably should look for different ones. I get mine from Aldi.

If you have any preservative fruit cans you're looking to give away I'll take them off your hands. The syrup can be used to make sweet tea and infuses fruit flavor in there.

@@timothysutton625 Sugar = energy a much needed resource in hard (SHTF) times.

Even better might be to start saving the liquid now. Freeze it and any bits of left over veggies. When the container is full, make vegetable soup or veggie broth to can or dehydrate. Great powdered for flavoring too!

God bless your dad

Aww that is so sweet✨

Sorry about your loss brother. My dad left us 18 months ago now. I still hold on to his wisdom and good advice. They get me through the tough times too.

Stock up on freeze dried food and Burkie industrial portable water purification manual pump. Covid 19 is at nearly 5% death rate not 1% or 2%. .... that’s a lie. Talk show hosts on radio keep saying the common flu is more dangerous, that’s another lie. This virus Covid 19 kills and it cannot be stopped. Everyone is lying lying so as to not start a panic. We have to wear masks, gloves and constantly wash our hands and wipe down things. Baseball season might be cancelled, one thousand Americans die everyday from Covid 19 right now and keep track of the death increase once our quarantine is over. Again this is not no flu .... 10 million Americans apply for unemployment? For the flu? Think about what I’m saying here compared to conservative talk show hosts. And I am very conservative. We are in deep deep trouble with this Covid 19 Virus cause again this is no flu.

@@debbieeckert5152 You are so wrong on every level. death rate coming in from the REAL world experience everyone else lives in, is 0.04 to 0.06. Elderly, obese, underlying health conditions are the ones compromised. The number of total infected can be as high as 6 to 10 times the total reported cases by the WHO. Please stop reporting doom and gloom and trying to create panic.

Great tip

That's y most won't c 90 I love that dumpster fresh food. Yum yum half eaten sandwich too 😋

I was taught as long as the can is not bulging or leaking it was still good to go.

don't forget to wipe after you eat it.

I always clean them off.

Always! Surprisingly not many people know this.

Why do you wipe off the can before you open it?

@@keiththomas3141: Because people cough on the cans and mice pee on them. Gross.

You need to rotate your water, so 32 cases is a lot. 70 days or even 35 is time to find an alternate source of food, get a garden going ect. You could also ration it to make it last much longer if required. You're going to want to make sure you're using your stores and replacing it with fresh regularly or you could end up very ill in a bad situation.

Where do you store it all?!

@@charlieosko4151 The food items are placed on industrial shelves in a room that is primarily used for storage. The toiletries are mostly in the bathroom. Only the toilet paper (100 rolls) is hidden in my bedroom.

I have dry canned beans, rice, oatmeal, sugar, flour etc. using the attachment on my vacuum sealer to remove oxygen and seal.

Do you live in a Costco? 😂😂😂

Tomatoes are acidic and will taste metallic pretty quickly. So best to use and replace those more often than non acidic foods.

Great tip. I never thought about that.

I've been doing this to cat food. It's really useful

@@MintyMiku lol, how many cats have you gone thru?

@@TerraFirmaX 😂😂😂😂All of them till the edge got dull!

I wonder how long those cans last with the pull Top lids. You’d think they would be able a break seal pretty easy.

Dobro my brother ! 🇦🇺

@Richard Dixon some diamonds are mined from the earth - others are caught by chance like yours. Cherish it my friend, and never, ever, ever, ever, ever.....EVER...erase it. Ever.

First confirmed time in history that a woman said that her husband was right.

LOL

It

was it in jars or cans?

Probably Mason Jars... . She really knew what She was doing, You have to with Home canned Food, if You don't do it right it can really make You sick.

I grew up canning and I continued as a adult home canning. As long as you follow safety it can last up too long years. I have eaten food canned at home 30 yrs old.

Brave. I couldn’t do it💕

Is it better to go hungry for a day..or die from food poisoning?

Compo food, tinned cheese, jam roly poly, Irish stew, even the chocolate and glucose sweets came in tins. Happy days, well almost.

@@sidneybowerman558 yes Sidney along with Bacon Grill, Steak and kidney Pudding, fruit Coctail, happy days mucka

And dry beans! Take them out of the bags that mice/rats can eat through and put them in Mason jars.

I told a lady in the store to grab a couple of extra cans " just in case" She says as she makes a funny face that she likes everything fresh! Ugh... Now I think she understands why I was warning her before all this took place!

@@rolloverriderpgr didn't think about that....thanks 👍

This happens way too much.

I have seen people eat tinned pemican from Korean war rations recently.

@@gordonlawrence1448 I heard story of them finding pemican from the 1800’s that was still edible. Pemican and honey the super power foods

I use can goods past the dates and never had a problem. I have a family member who will not go one day past the best by dates so I told her to give me the can goods she gave me a bunch about 100 dollars of food and I used it was very good and nice to have it.

My dad worked at a can manufacture in the UK. This is exactly what he said to me about long term storage. Great vid

pressphotog8854 😂

Terrific comment ! You gave me a great start to my day

@John Gohde That's because I am a lame dad. Both my kids will verify that!

😆🤣 so true 👍!

Hahahah

until the neighbors see you aren't getting skinny like their kids are!

Fantastic

@@joeespo177 I believe that giving to others can result in blessings. I had this experience so so many times in my life. The more I shared, more blessings came.

@@seekwisdom5102 good luck

@@seekwisdom5102 Maybe, you should give discretely. There are people that will bless you by taking what you have. Remember what Jesus said for the end time... lawlessness will abound.

Almost all the canned food sold here in Australia have no 'best by' date. And no 'date of manufacture' too.

Vienna's are fairly decent with pork and beans.

@@mountaintruth1deeds533 Never tried the two together but I will soon. Thanks for the heads up.

@@mountaintruth1deeds533 I tried them a couple of days ago, not bad at all, thanks. I have one for you, try mustard on a fried egg sandwich. If you are not sure just cut the sandwich in 4 pieces and try it on one piece. Good stuff.

You can't taste, smell, or see botulism. If the can is bulging, throw it out!! Botulism is deadly.

I used to reuse egg cartons. They would have the original purchase date stamped on the them. When I would buy a bulk flat of 5 dozen eggs, I would move them to the 1 doz cartons to make handling easier. Well, one time, my father was housesitting for us and when we got home all my eggs were gone. He had thrown them all out because of the old dates on the cartons. Lol

New Hampshire Joe, that's good to know! I bought 96 MRE's 10 years ago, so I'm sure they'll still be good. Honey never goes bad.

I ate K rations

Me too, Fort Sherman Panama Canal! OOHRAH!

Wow

Ham and beans was great!

That is the truth. The pull tops do not have the seal a regular can does. If I can pull it away with my 80 year old fingers, it isn't going to last 5, 10 years. Eat those sooner. I have been telling everyone about this for years. The can says "best by" "not eat before"..waste not, want not.

Yeah the fruit is s pain in the ass l could only get them to last for 4 years just about then they went flat. And we're mushy like crazy.

Drip wax on the pop top cans to seal them! Will last longer.

@@jellicledoc1126 genius

Thanks Kevin, good to know.

Thank you

As long as they're NOT PUFFED UP, INDENTED OR DENTED IN ANY WAY. IT CAN KILL YOU.

@@susieohanlon533 dented doesnt matter if still sealed! i worked for a cannery

@@yassine_El_mouchtari 👌 9m[

@Pagansdad "Swollen" cans indicate potentially spoiled contents and likely source of botulism.

Great idea

Good tip. To save a few weeks or months of can food for major emergency is a good idea...

Thats a good idea and I'm not knocking it but the dates are already on there. Also if you buy or make shelving that automatically rotates the canned goods for you you don't have to worry about it. Thrive life makes a good one. They are expensive but in my opinion worth every penny.

Change colors for each year

@Contract OperatorsZ.A. You're not the only one, I've always done that also. But you might still be crazy. 🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 I'll let myself out. 😞

I agree!

I think Truman said if you want a friend buy a dog - my wife left 32 yrs ago - I raised my sons from 4&5 - they did collage and have there family's - presently I only have 4 dogs and at 66 I have the same desire - I outlive my dogs - I'm healthy and as long as I don't get killed in an accident ill be around a long while - I fully agree the best friend you can have in this life are dogs -

When our elderly neighbor became ill he was quite concerned about his 11 year old dog "Jakey". It was obvious it was worrying him so I promised him I would take care of her if anything happened. He died two days later. Jakey is laying by my chair as I write this. She grieved for a couple of months but otherwise has adjusted well. I did not realize how lonely I was until I got her. I strongly suggest to everyone to have a plan for their dogs just in case.

I'm wishing you a extra time on top of our mother earth. Enjoy your longevity and eat well. A moment of Rest upon

David, my mother is almost 85 and lives minimally and she will long out live me. You can add another 25

I got my first P38 in a box of C's and 54 years later it works good as new.

Got mine.

lol, I still have mine from 77.

Where can I get one?

@@charlottedavid5153 A military surplus store is the best place. Those sold online stand a good chance of being Chinese knockoffs.

Same. Had some 5 year old pickles yesterday...

Absolutely, I’ve eating my two years past date tuna lately and it tastes fine!

@@0004612 Oddly, canned meats and fish seems to fare (heh, heh!) well with time.

Richard Maunder Good to know! Thanks!

So nobody blew chunky?

Thanks. For the info.

Ramen has oils that eventually go rancid. It will be edible but the flavor declines relatively quickly

Thanks for this. Was looking for some good canned chicken recipe ideas. lol. May have to drop in some canned chicken, Ramen noodles, and an egg.

Good tip !!

I remembered the gas station I worked at checking shelf food for dates to toss out, ramen noodles were over 5-7+ years old which no one really bought.

🎯🎯🎯!

respect, thanks for testing this.

Pop-Tops can leak easier, inside edge is dangerously sharp.

This BEST BEFORE is comparable to CLIMATE CHANGE another BIG LIE, I'm aghast that the G20whislt meeting in Paris for the PARIS ACCORD did not mention this also idiotic claim about B.B.D. Whatever did our forefathers do? The nose test and I'm old school and still trust my nose and I look and smell anything before eating. and I am now 80 and hanging in there.

If conscientiously rotated, there is little reason to allow canned food to get to 7 years out of date. I have to confess that I have done it on a few occasions. Being a bit squeamish about food, I have opened and thrown away 7 year old Campbell's Chicken Noodle soup just because I didn't like the change in the look of the chicken bits. However, I recently ate 7 yr old Bush's baked beans (maple syrup & brown sugar) that were indistinguishable from indate product. Ordinarily, I have far less reservation about canned items at and under a 3-5 yr out of date threshold.

How was the Tuna? I have a few tins that are about 5 years out but never have the confidence to eat them when I can get fresh cans.

Amen.

Same, been watching this dude since I was like 14.

I needed to hear this because I've had no heat for 11 years and all my cans have frozen and thawed sometimes many times, so I'm worried. I've been collecting styrofoam boxes from garbage day to store cans in, but it's freezing now so I can only put in new cans, not frozen ones. I need to use up the frozen cans as I'm able. And I collect insulation of all kinds too, and straw.

@@rcat32 where do you live? How do you survive with no heat?

@@wkinne1 Pittsburgh PA. Not surviving too well. Electric blanket helps most but heater doesn't make room warm. Keep busy on feet warms one. If electric goes out I'll need to warmers for day and hand warmers. Gotta get out to buy more as the mission only gave me one days worth and I was low on gas to get back . Plus I forgot. Am 70. Disabled vet. Thank you Wayne.

@@rcat32 I played Santa at the Mills Mall there the first year it was open. You have no one that can help you out? It sounds like your not homeless at least. A local Church maybe? I'm in Michigan and it below zero here at night.

Don't be concerned about your health. Be concerned about your freedom.

Get some low carb tortillas, put them in a freezer bag and throw in the freezer. If you have a cast iron pan, that's a poor man's burrito right there with those three ingredients you mentioned. Shot of Tequila and you're good to go!

Those were great. I bought some recently and they, unfortunately are no longer the same. Memories...

Hell I'm a "middle class" adult and I still consider them a treat 😆

I remember the tamales. I loved eating canned tamales

Understand though that is because after the Sell by date the product's appearance (& even it's taste) may begin to change and if your making dinner close to the day you buy it your either going to take it back or spread the word that 'So-so' retailer is selling 'tainted' canned goods. Typically 'canned goods' are good for 18 months, which is probably what the Best by date is based on. Probably just 'short' it a couple of months giving you a couple of months to think it was good past it's date. Don't get it twisted, we all know canned goods can last a VERY LONG time but let's not throw away our logic or common sense, getting sick in a SHTF situation could endanger your family as well as yourself or any member of it. Remember what he said to look for and in the end 'Keep your own counsel'.

My understanding is that the "best by" date is the date at which a panel of tasters might first sense some difference between the fresh and "expired" product. I found 6 cans of corn in my pantry that were 8 years past... they were all just fine. Age Your Canned Goods "Why I now think of best-by dates as maybe-getting-interesting-by dates." By HAROLD MCGEE MARCH 04, 2013 slate.com/human-interest/2013/03/aging-canned-goods-why-time-and-heat-can-make-your-canned-tuna-and-spam-even-more-delicious.html

We've been preppers since the 70's and this has always been a big question, so in the 90's I called Del Monte Foods and just asked them what the deal was. She said they used to have an EXPIRATION date on cans, but they found that people were throwing away perfectly good food and wasting a lot of money. She said the food itself had NOT EXPIRED and was fine, but what had happened at that time is if the food was stored in poor conditions, and they always error on the side of the end user storing food in a worse case condition, then the food inside the can NO LONGER MEETS THE FOOD NUTRITIONAL VALUE ON THE LABEL. If it is not within....I believe she said 2%, of what the label says, the FDA no longer considers it accurate and within their standards....so really the food is still fine, but the labeling has expired and needs to be updated so to speak. She said if continually kept in those poor conditions, the food will lose about 2% food value for each year past the date on the can, and that 2% is not from 100%, but what the current food value is. So if we're at 98%, we take 2% off of 98%, not 100%, so we're at 96.04% and so on down the line. This is why they changed from EXPIRATION DATE, to a BEST BY DATE, because it is BEST at the date on the can, should you store it in poor conditions, but if you store it in a cool place, the value of the food remains the same for many many years to come, but we might see some minor changes in color or texture and you probably won't even notice, unless you're doing a side by side comparison. Now here's what we do....we have TONS of canned goods, waaaay more than we'll ever eat by ourselves and in normal times, so what I do is when I have cans that are getting close to the BEST BY DATE, I take them over to the local homeless shelter, and donate them, and get a receipt for the value of the food, and use it as a tax write off, and I go buy more brand new cans of food. Now I can have a ton of food, without the fear of worrying about eating it all before the dates on the cans come due, and the homeless shelter will use those cans within a week or two and be very grateful. There's another bennie to being a regular donator to the shelters....they get all kinds of things donated to them and a lot of it they can not use, but if you're in good with them, they will call you and ask if you want it. I remember right after Y2K, they called me up for a year or more asking if I wanted...literally 1,000's of cans of Mountain House Freeze Dried food. They are not allowed to use things like that, and they need regular canned food. I forgot how many truck loads I hauled out of there, but they take care of those who take care of them. Just keep that in mind.

when I was a kid they didn't even have a "sell by" or "best by" dates on cans

@@Ms.Byrd68 Better yet ...GROW A GARDEN! 😉😄😆

This is what I've heard too. Better to get a hand can opener and buy REGULAR cans for long-term storage.

Or rotate through your supply, so things get used by the expiration of your freshness date.

Agree! Where the seam, to pull it apart, is so thin, it allows any type of corrosion to break through that point more quickly. Also, that seam area cannot take the stress that the surrounding metal will absorb without damage. Stacking cans, dropping them, flex due to temperature, etc. changes causes metal fatigue in the seam. The thinner the metal the more quickly it can happen with less actual stress compared, again, to the surrounding metal. Yes, there's a cost for the convenience of that pull tab.

interesting, thank you for the tip!

In my experience it depends on the quality of the can, some cheap non pull tab cans burst with a lot higher frequency than my Hormel Stag chilli beef cans. But I think in general I agree with you.

Theat is lucky. Canned goods from that time usually don't last. They didn't put the layer on the inside of the can so the food touched the metal and generally those cans tend to rust and decay.

@Fart Zilla water contains oxygen, salt in the food can be corrosive as well.

@Fart Zilla they will rust on the inside out if they contain tomatoes. I learned that from personal experience

@@jungleno. Actually, it is not rust. It is caustic corrosion caused by the acids in the tomatoes. Over time the acid eats through the liner and then attacks the metal causing it to corrode. Learned that as part of my training in culinary arts at a vocational high school.

@@lastfirst78 I wonder if there is lead poisoning affecting Governments worldwide? Or something else?

😲😲😲😲 thats amazing

Human nature in a panic & trapped by ice caused the Franklin downfall

As long as it's properly stored is the key point.

6yr sounds right. You can eat them or donate them every 5yr or so to be +.

ACFAU viewer? The profile picture. Yep. Jesus Christ is King, and he's coming back soon. Boy, I can't wait tol we're home. But let's pave the way for the King. Oh, looking forward to the day and that hour.

@@ShepardCD-wu7fw Yes Sir, good eye on my profile pic...the bible is alive right now in these end times. We are the last generation without a doubt. Jesus Christ loves you...every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and every knee will bow.

@@jesuschristmyking8644 Amen. God bless brother. Walk with Lord Jesus and endure until the end. In Jesus name.

I'm eating tomato products canned IN GLASS and it's perfectly fine, despite 'expiring' in 2017. The high acid in tomatoes doesn't effect glass.

Save your canned tomatoes when nearing or over the expiration date and recan them. Now your recanned sauce is great for many years to come.

I think it must be the high acid content in those foods. They can eat through the inner metal layer. Hmm, I have a couple of cans of orange concentrate in my larder from early 2020. Better check on them & use them up ASAP...

Glass jars keeps years longer. It is the canned tomato 🍅 products you need to watch. Spaghetti sauce in a can will turn and tastes tinny.

Pineapples have very high acidity so they will not last as long as other items that are canned.

myantispambox that’s a great point 😂

You eat it and then lose half of your life....

That IS funny! BUT...Spam is GOOD!!! Okay, not as good as real ham, but anyone who likes bacon should like Spam as well. We eat at least once a month throughout the year-it’s delicious with fried potatoes and a side salad. Since I know Spam sells millions of cans a year, I am surprised at how many people make fun of and denigrate it. I certainly want it in MY stored supplies, and my youngest daughter loves it too. (Age 23). My oldest daughter (age 39) is a food snob, and my middle one is a vegetarian, but half my family thinks it is good eating. The secret is to not have it day in, day out. If you only have it a couple times a month, it is downright enjoyable!

SPAM IS AT ITS BEST WHEN FRIED.

Spam is eternal my friend

@Martin Riley Probably not much, if they're fresh, but if they're canned, that's pertinent.

Well get rid of your democrat governers and town mayors then and there will be no more BLM and Antifa riots OR election fraud!

@@pootle5095 totally agree, need to vote out the demos and Governor Walz.

We actually had some Ramen noodles go bad on us. I was shocked.

Good video

My boyfriend had a can of Campbells Cream of Mushroom soup that was 16 years old. I tease him that it was old enough to get it’s drivers permit.

When we were kids in the 90s we found a pudding from 1970 in grandma's carbord. It tasted pretty good

I was Army 71-75 and ate C-Rats dated 1945 and they were still good if you considered C-Rats good! But really they were just as good as the newly dated cans. Now They come in bags so I cant wait to see a longevity report on them as C-Rats are getting hard to find!

rolloverriderpgr å

@@rolloverriderpgr In the Civil Air Patrol in 1975 and later in my Navy Daze in the early 1980s, we ate old Korean War era C-rats. They seemed okay. The "Beans & M'effers" were as bad as the Army troops in the day described. Nothing changed. MREs aren't much better, tastewise. I periodically but cases of MRE entrees, for camping and hurricane rats. The only one I hate is the "Beef in Jamaica Sauce". Nasty!

@@rolloverriderpgr Yeah those C's, not bad.... except for the Ham & Lima Beans.

@@rolloverriderpgr MRE’s in plastic wrappers don’t last forever, I have MRE’s from 1982 and usually the main entree is spoiled. The crackers are kinda stale.

Or about inducing folks to toss it out early? Canned food can last a century I understand.

the best buy date is there to move products and get people to toss it and come buy new-

The best by date is to get people to throw their food out before it goes bad, and then go buy fresh food.

and manufacturers wanting you to use it or throw it away so you buy more.

@@pootle5095 Is there a parrot in here?

Can you imagine the chemicals in these food to preserve them that long no wonder people have so many ailments in their body these food are in cans that can’t be that healthy but if y’all live to be older time will tell the meds y’all going to be on.

Spam from back of jeep after 4 years... 🤣

@@LivingMyBestAlways actually canned and frozen vegetables are healthier than "fresh" because they are processed straight from the field and canning and freezing do not destroy the vitamins and minerals

@@LivingMyBestAlways WRONG

Agreed. I opened a can of white Albacore Tuna I bought in 2002 the other day. It was as good as if I bought it yesterday. No problems.

Is that BHP lining?

Any brands you know of?

That whiteBPA lining will kill you.

@@r.r.hughes9808 no food in a SHTF will kill ya faster Nancy.

@@johngault2439 I have lots of animals around my house if needed.

Ate Spam from 2014 just a few days ago. Salty as all get out but still edible.

With a little bit of hot sauce it's all good!🥫🥫🥫🥫🥫🥫🥫🥫

Campbells has a wonderful product line, love me some Chunky soup. There's a History Channel show called "The Food That Built America", one episode is all about how canned food came to be.