Comments on: Food Storage Battle: Cans vs. Buckets

By: Chris Ruiz

Chris Ruiz — Fri, 15 Jan 2016 07:32:05 +0000

In reply to Michael.

Michael,
Thanks for the information and specific details, this is awesome knowledge, thank you for sharing.

Chris

By: Michael

Michael — Thu, 14 Jan 2016 18:37:09 +0000

One major piece of misinformation above: “Most of the canned goods have 3 years shelf-life. However, if exposed to water or a humid temperature, it is reduced to 2 years or less depending on the amount of rust.”

Modern commercial canning techniques keep canned food edible basically forever. If the food was commercially canned (home canned is a different animal) and canned properly at the point of manufacture and if the seal on the can has not been compromised, the food will be OK to eat long after you are worm food. And if it was improperly canned or the seal has been compromised, you will get sick (and possibly die) from eating it regardless of if it was canned 3 years ago or 3 weeks ago.

On April 1st, 1865, the steamship Bertrand sank in the Missouri River in Nebraska, where it remained submerged for 104 years. In 1969 it’s cargo was salvaged, including a variety of canned foods, such as peaches, oysters, honey, tomatoes and mixed vegetables. These canned foods were opened and subjected to chemical analysis. While it is true that the nutritional content and appearance of the food had degraded somewhat, there was no trace of bacterial growth found in any of the food. It was perfectly safe to eat after 100 years underwater.

There is a simple 4 step method to determine if canned food is safe to eat:

1. Examine the outside of the can for rust. Rust is a sign of oxidation and bacteria need oxygen to grow. If there is any visible rust, don’t eat it.

2. Examine the can for bulges. Dents and dings are not important. If there is a bulge anywhere in the can, that is an indication of gas formation due to bacterial growth. Don’t eat it.

3. Place the can between your hands with your palms on the top and bottom of the can. Press inward on the can. It should be rock solid. If there is any “give” to the can that is an indication of gas formation due to bacterial growth. Don’t eat it.

4. When you pierce the lid of the can with a can opener, look for any contents of the can that shoot up or forcefully bubble up. This is a sign of gas formation due to bacterial growth. Don’t eat it.

If the can passes these 4 tests then the food inside is safe to eat even if it’s 100 years old.

By: Chris Ruiz

Chris Ruiz — Fri, 15 May 2015 22:52:38 +0000

In reply to Flo.

Hey Flo,
Awesome suggestions, thanks so much! We really appreciate real-world knowledge like this and those are some great tips.

Chris

By: Flo

Flo — Fri, 15 May 2015 14:56:14 +0000

One more thought here for those trying to decide between buckets of food versus canned foods for their storage. If a family is on a strict budget, or with very limited storage space, then canned foods might be a better choice. Canned foods can be bought during the buy one/get one free sales. One of those cans automatically goes in the food storage, and supplies add up quicker than most people realize. I did this for years raising kids as a single parent and now my grown kids do the same with their families. Canned foods can also be easier/quicker to get table ready. That isn’t to say that we should avoid all buckets of food such as grains, cereals, and beans. Oh, and liquids from the canned foods go great in stews or soups so don’t waste the liquids.

By: Chris Ruiz

Chris Ruiz — Fri, 20 Mar 2015 04:36:26 +0000

Best of luck Ella!