Thanks for sharing :)

Consider this exerpt from FDA Consumer:

"The steamboat Bertrand was heavily laden with provisions when it set out on the Missouri River in 1865, destined for the gold mining camps in Fort Benton, Mont. The boat snagged and swamped under the weight, sinking to the bottom of the river. It was found a century later, under 30 feet of silt a little north of Omaha, Neb.

Among the canned food items retrieved from the Bertrand in 1968 were brandied peaches, oysters, plum tomatoes, honey, and mixed vegetables. In 1974, chemists at the National Food Processors Association (NFPA) analyzed the products for bacterial contamination and nutrient value. Although the food had lost its fresh smell and appearance, the NFPA chemists detected no microbial growth and determined that the foods were as safe to eat as they had been when canned more than 100 years earlier.

The nutrient values varied depending upon the product and nutrient. NFPA chemists Janet Dudek and Edgar Elkins report that significant amounts of vitamins C and A were lost. But protein levels remained high, and all calcium values "were comparable to today's products."

NFPA chemists also analyzed a 40-year-old can of corn found in the basement of a home in California. Again, the canning process had kept the corn safe from contaminants and from much nutrient loss. In addition, Dudek says, the kernels looked and smelled like recently canned corn.

So basically if something canned in 1865 is still safely edible, anything you have on your shelves is going to be fine at least for your lifetime.

Now whether you want to eat something old is different matter. I just discarded quite a number of jars of older product in my big clear-out. It was something I canned that we didn't like, the color had changed to an unappealing brown, it was soft and had lost texture or the flavor had faded.

In other words, if it looks good, smells good and tastes good, consume it. If not, discard.

Carol

When the kids were young we weren't nearly as well organized but seldom tossed anything no matter how many years old it was. When done correctly in the first place there are no safety issues as it ages.

Dave

We had a period a few years back with multiple serious family health issues followed by grueling estate responsibilities and my husband's VA disability claim. (Speaking of grueling.) In the process all kinds of stored items got shoved to the back or intermingled. It was like discovering new territory to find some of the foods I had stashed, including a world-class collection of condiments.

I gave to friends a number of items I'd tried that we just didn't care for. My husband doesn't like chipotle in any way, shape or form, so chipotle salsa was a loser from the get-go.

It feels really good to look at the shelves now and know exactly what I have. I'd planned to can lots of applesauce as it was a great apple year here, until I realized we had a couple of cases of it I'd lost track of.

Carol

If you know anyone who baits for bear hunting- old jams make great bear bait.

Thanks again!

Oh no. Hope you didn't throw those away. That would be a terrible waste of work and food.

Honestly many garden and can on 3-4 year cycles. Grow and can extra tomatoes one year and then use that garden space and canning work for extra beans the next year and potatoes the following year and so on. Even most commercial canned foods have a multiple year shelf life.

Of course length of shelf life depends a great deal on the methods of storage - cool, dry, and dark - but 5 years is an actively used average.

Dave