Sometimes we just aren't sure whether a can is starting to bulge. We
found a bulging can of stewed tomatoes a few days ago, and now every can
of stewed tomatoes is under suspicion. Perhaps one can in the case
bulged, so there may be more. "When in doubt, throw it out" works well
enough when there is plenty of money and food to go around. However, in
challenging times, like it or not, people start to take risks.
If you think your can has a suspicious bulge, here's how to test it:
Four steps to take to reduce the risks of bulging cans and spoiled food:
Botulism
Best-By Dates: What Those Numbers Really Mean
Tomatoes--Home Canned Tomato Sauce
Canning Pineapple
Dehydrating Pineapple
Storing Canned Goods for the Long Term in Humid Areas
References:
[1]Larry Bush, et al., “Botulism,” MSD Manual: Consumer Version, https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/infections/bacterial-infections-anaerobic-bacteria/botulism (accessed 1 May 2020).
[2]Ibid.
- Clean the lid
- Put a few drops of water on the lid in the spot to be punctured
- Puncture the lid through the water
- If the water is sucked into the can, the food is good
- If the escaping gas bubbles through the water or the water is forced away from the puncture, the food is bad[1]
Four steps to take to reduce the risks of bulging cans and spoiled food:
- Rotate your canned goods. Develop a rotation system that works for your family and your situation.
- Become aware of what the dates stamped on cans really mean. Keep in mind that just because an arbitrary date is reached or passed, it does not mean the food has gone bad. Also, remember that canned meats and dairy last longer than vegetables which last longer than fruits.
- If you have foods that you know are at risk of spoiling soon, say some tomatoes or pineapple, dehydrate them.
- Avoid metal cans altogether when possible. Tomatoes and pineapple are especially acidic and eat through the lining in cans pretty quickly. That's why people say they go bad quickly. However, home-canned tomatoes and pineapple have a much longer shelf life because they are in glass.
- Remove labels
- Dip the ends or the entire can in paraffin or oil. Paraffin is cleaner and doesn't attract dirt.
- Do not store canned goods in cardboard boxes.
Botulism
Best-By Dates: What Those Numbers Really Mean
Tomatoes--Home Canned Tomato Sauce
Canning Pineapple
Dehydrating Pineapple
Storing Canned Goods for the Long Term in Humid Areas
References:
[1]Larry Bush, et al., “Botulism,” MSD Manual: Consumer Version, https://www.msdmanuals.com/home/infections/bacterial-infections-anaerobic-bacteria/botulism (accessed 1 May 2020).
[2]Ibid.
6 august 2020
take an extra step with rust proofing your canned goods - I coat my cans with spray veggie oil - organize the cans in the corrugated flats with the opening end down and the labels showing out - throw some Scotch tape around the can bundle - then poly wrap the whole thing using a $7 hand roll - drop in a small sachet of desiccant as an additive
ReplyDeleteInteresting thoughts. Though I still think I would avoid storing cans on cardboard if I lived in a humid area. I've seen how well cardboard absorbs moisture and then rusts the cans. I'm not confident a thin coating of spray on veggie oil would protect the cans from rusting due to moisture in the cardboard. And such a set-up would make it really cumbersome to rotate food. But to each his own.
Deletepoly wrap "cocoons" the whole thing - the corrugated actually protects the opening lid end from damage when you do stacking - there's no cheap alternative to organizing cans into ready packs ....
DeleteJennifer, thanks for the nice, concinct advice. I have told people for years not to let "Best If Used By" dates be controlling. I have applied your suggestions about how to evaluate the contents of a can and I have never found myself in an ER afterward. Two weeks ago, I ate a can of New England Clam Chowder that was four years beyond its "Best By" date. As Billy Joel would say, "I'm still standin'.:
ReplyDeleteI take these "risks" because I believe that, if I am going to "talk the talk" with others, I should "walk the walk."
For the average person, what you say, "When in doubt, throw it out" works well enough in normal times, but many people refuse to believe that it is safe to use a can's contents when the contents are even a week beyond its "Best By" date. Post-TEOTWAWKI, however, there will be a serious attitude shift by necessity as food becomes even more precious, so your advice will be very useful to them then.
Your point about
Last week I taught a class on using powdered milk, and I used my friend's 55-year-old-stored-in-a-hot-garage-without-Mylar powdered milk for most of the recipes we tried. Everything was really good and all of us are still alive.
Delete