The Advantage of the Can
We hear a lot about stockpiling freeze-dried and dehydrated foods. Personally, I think it’s a great idea to make them a significant percentage of your one-year survival food supply. But with the economy continuing to be sluggish at best and with a lot of people having very little “extra” money to designate for a potential crisis situation, there is a more economical alternative.
A surprising number of foods that you probably eat on a regular basis are available in canned form. Nutritious and rich in protein, they include vegetables, soups, meats, fish, stews, beans, pasta and a lot more. If the time comes when you need to rely on the canned food that you have wisely stored, you’ll be glad if you provided your family and yourself with a nice variety.
Take a look at this article about canned food versus freeze-dried and dehydrated foods (see link below). Seems to me that the advantages certainly outweigh the disadvantages, especially if you’re working on a tight budget. But let me know what you think. Meet you on the other side.
http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2008/12/canned-food-items-vs-dehydrated-or.html
OK, let’s take a closer look at seven reasons why canned food is good:
- Price. If bought in bulk, you can save 75 percent by acquiring most canned foods instead of freeze-dried or dehydrated foods.
- Long lasting. A lot of canned foods have a shelf life of between one and several years.
- Variety. If you’re starving, you’ll eat anything, even if it’s the same thing over and over again. But if you’ve stored plenty of canned foods, you won’t be starving, and you and your family will really appreciate the variety.
- Calories. When you’re surviving, the last thing you should be worried about is watching your weight. You’ll need plenty of calories and that’s what canned food has.
- Water. There’s very little water in freeze-dried and dehydrated foods, but most canned foods contain the water that will make preparation easier.
- Familiarity. Your family probably already eats chicken, beef, ham, fish, vegetables, stews, beans and pastas, right? They’re all available in canned form, as are many other foods.
- Safe storage. Bugs and rodents can sometimes infiltrate boxes and bags, but seldom do they break through a can.
What other advantages to canned foods can you think of? What about some disadvantages? Let me know how you feel about having canned foods in your stockpile.
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I agree with this article that there are many reason to have canned food. One of my favorite ones is how affordable it is! Something else is that it’s so convenient. Everything is already safe to eat. I wonder if it’s the angelus seamer that seals the can that allows the food to be edible after sitting for so long?
Does anyone use used plastic 55 gal chemical drums for collecting h2o or for gardening? Some say only food grade but find that hard to believe.
What is the best place to purchase can food, can water, and having electrical power when we lose our electricity for a very long time. I’m looking for the wholesaler that can help me retain these particular items. My name is Paul Hemingway, my email is [email protected] Looking forward to hearing from someone who has the knowledge and the goods.
To be prepared for if your power goes out, I am recommending you check out the website from a company in IL called Solutions From Science. We have bought one of their solar battery generators (model is called 1800). The battery weighs about 65 lbs. and comes with a large solar panel that can be set up on your deck, porch, attached to roof etc. The cost wasn’t bad, about $1300. The reason I am recommending it is because it is almost the only solar battery out there that can power a full-sized family refrigerator. It can’t power a window unit A/C nor a real space heater in winter (draws too much juice); but it can take care of just about any other thing you’d really need to keep going.
Msg and “natural flavoring” in canned food. Natural flavoring is a code word for msg. Pba in the plastic lining of the cans acts as hormone disrupter. I would limit my storage of food in cans. It is a shame because all of your points are a plus.
I am not so sure, if it comes down to starving or not if a person is going to be really careful about “eating healthy”. Since the grocery shelves in the stores sell out on a consistent basis, I am thinking many people are not so concerned even now in non-emergency times.
And when you are diagnosed with cancer it will sustain your family for the months you are out of work in treatment. It’s not just for national disasters.
Regarding canned food, when I was in the Marine Corps in the late 1950’s, I regularly ate C rations which were canned during WWII. They tasted great and were not spoiled. I also smoked C ration cigarettes that were packed back in the 40’s. Very strong taste, but better than nothing!
Wild Rice! I can’t say enough about it! I was cleaning out my cupboard the other day and I found 1/3 of a box of wild rice in a flimsy plastic bag dated 2007. I cooked it according to the package directions, added some mushrooms and peppers, and it tasted fine. From what I have read on the internet, wild rice lasts indefinitely if it is stored in a cool, dry place. You can buy wild rice in bulk at warehouse stores.
I wonder about these easy open cans with the pop up
ring. Are they safe for long term storage?
Tuna and salmon have very long shelf lives. I bought both on 12/21/14 and the Best -By date was 9/26/17! The individual serving 6 oz and 2.5 oz foil packages are great for quick deployment in bug-out-bags. I keep a inexpensive backpack in all my vehicles with homemade MRE’s containing tuna/salmon packs, some MRE crackers, water, chicken / beef bullion, a Power Bar or two an esbit stove with stainless steel cooking cup , heater tablets and 32oz water. Along with two emergency foil blankets and a wool blanket my wife and I could easily survive 24+ hours stranded in any of our vehicles. It’s not difficult or expensive to make one of these travel backpacks & throw it in the trunk. All items except for the Esbit stove can be found at WalMart . Esbit stoves are inexpensive portable stoves that work with chemical fire tablets and can be found in Sportsman’s Guide or Cheaper Than Dirt catalog / website. Easy to be prepared, foolish to not.
We have been storing food for several years. We have a variety of freeze dried, frozen and canned. I always rotate the canned goods, and purchase more of the items that I use a lot of, for recipes. Canned beans and sardines, canned chicken and tuna are good to keep. Sardines last a long time. I purchased a Food Saver machine, and use it to vacuum pack dry beans, pasta, soup mixes, flours, sugar, salt. We have a chest freezer and the use of the Food Saver vacuum keeps the frozen items longer than using a zip lock type freezer bag.
Thanks to those who posted some good ideas to share.
I do some of my own canning. We garden every spring/summer and fall harvesting. Nothing like fresh vegetables,and freezing for the winter.
From Jan’s — Being in my 70′s and raised in a small town, I am well adept at “country-living”. — You must have been next door, thats same way I came up. As for canned stuff, older cans were made to last long time if not dented as a poster said – plastic lining inside — but need to test cans made now for some seals have been found to be very thin and not lasting. Its all about how much a canning company can make by not spending for quality. So wife and I can in jars with names made of glass on jar not jar sold at store with other stuff in them, reusing jars not good,
Being in my 70’s and raised in a small town, I am well adept at “country-living”. We had enough land to support ourselves. Even a small lot can accommodate much if one is interested in doing it. We had cows, pigs, chickens, rabbits, goats, and even horses but not for EATING. LOL We had fruit trees on the property and grafted them for good and plentiful fruits. We had berry patches we planted with many kinds of berries. Grew a garden every year. Potatoes,corn, lettuce, carrots, radishes, and anything else one wants to grow. Got milk from cows and goats. Eggs from chickens. Fresh meat ie. pork, beef, chicken, etc. Lots of hunting and fishing providing deer, elk, pheasant, quail, and other birds, along with trout, salmon, and other delicious fish. Went to beach for clams, oysters, lobster,etc. Bought flour, sugar, salt, pepper, and other spices etc. for variety of dishes prepared. Oh yes, even made our own ice-cream. Yummy! Also grew our own hay for feeding animals. Did buy molasses and oats and chicken feed for the animals. No need to buy food for pigs as they had plenty of fallen fruit, over-ripe veggies, potato and carrot peels and much more. We were VERY HEALTHY WITH LOTS OF ENERGY, QUICK THINKING AND NOT OVERWEIGHT! BTW …. when I left home and had to eat store bought food because I lived in a small (bed-out-of-wall) apartment with no yard. I could not understand why the “bought” food tasted so terrible and had such horrible texture. Our store bought food has been altered so much through the years since that we are dying from it. Cancer anyone? Weak immune systems? Not enough energy? Depression? Stomach problems? I’m sure you know these and many other problems with our health has a LOT to do with the “fake” food we eat along with all the toxic poisons. Yes, the FDA says they are safe. Sorry but from what I’ve seen throughout my many days, good wholesome fresh food WITHOUT growth hormones, being caged without room to move, fed no “natural” foods and grains etc., fish farms with no natural environment to be healthy and many more ways our food sources are destroying the good foods from NATURE.
My question: Do you want to buy the cheaper, non-healthy foods and end up spending your life savings on serious health problems? OR … Do you want to spend a little bit more on your food buying ORGANIC foods that are much safer and less health problems to pay oodles for? Better yet…. are you ready to find ways to grow your own foods and enjoy the delicious freshness and NATURAL nutrients and taste of the foods? Try it… If you have never experienced these foods in your lifetime …. you will be OVER-JOYED with the exciting treats to your taste buds. You will be very happy with your results and feel good about doing it yourself and or with family and friends. It calls for celebration! :-)
HOUSE FIRES: we lost all of two years of building our storage pantry food in a house fire. If possible think about the possibility of a house fire when choosing a place to store food. Yes, we also thought that we would never have a house fire but we did and lost everything.
Do you do something different now, Alice?
Been stockpiling canned food especially soup for 8 years now. All will last perfectly long past the exp. date on the can. When the cans get over 4 years old, I eat them (taste and nutrition is still fine) and replace them with new cans.
One caution though. If cans have tomatoes in them, the acid in the tomato will make the contents taste like the can after 3 years. I try to avoid tomatoes in cans.
One little piece of advice…it has nothing to do with food storage, but is good for anyone planning on staying in there home as long as possible. Wood ashes can be placed in the corners of your home, it will keep out mice and roaches. Cedar chips can be placed in or around books and clothing, it will keep out moths and silverfish. Cedar chests or anything made out of cedar is also good to have around. Another good thing, for when it gets cold is lots of blankets. Of course, this is only good if you plan on staying put. Learning to do things manually-no electric required-is probably also a good idea. I can start a wood fire with nothing but newspaper and a match and have learned and do use a reel mower.
Thanks for all the advice! I was going to put in a grape harbor this spring, plant some fruit trees and put in a veggie/fruit garden this spring, but the ice storm we got back in feb/march changed my plans. I’m still cleaning up.
I’m learning how to do all these things while my dad is still around. He grew up working on a farm back in the late 40’s-50s and knows a lot about a lot.
I grew up in an old farmhouse that had a smoke house, summer kitchen. I wish we still had it, as they would come in handy when there’s no electricity.
How about some more info on well water filter systems ? Also I buy drinking water in 1gallon jugs then I fill them back up with tap water and 5-6 drops of bleach to store. I also buy big jars of pickles & banana peppers and use the jars for beans, rice,& pasta etc: Thanks for all the info keep up the good work and prepare to meet your Maker.
I’m turning in circles trying to figure out if I should buy canned goods at Costco. If I buy survival what is a trusted company? Give me some options or help here because I’m ready to stock up. Have the Katadyn on order. Water storage I have researched and the Auqua Tainer looks good…answers?
Obviously, I’m going to direct you to: http://www.food4patriots.com and http://www.water4patriots.com.
When canned food is tainted the top or bottom will expand. All this is assuming that we will be able to stay at home. It will be hard to carry canned food when things get crazy.
Actually, that’s only true for some kinds of infestations and only if it’s far gone. You can get pretty sick from an intact can. But it is *super* rare – especially with commercially canned items.
I used to be a sales person for a company that sells dehydrated canned food in large #10 cans in the 1980’s.
One year I bought one of their 1 yr packages using my tax return money. That was 36 years ago. I did not pamper keep these in a cooler controlled environment only because of lack of space where I was living. So they were exposed to 100 degree temps as well as -20 degree temps. A few years ago I opened a can of fruit cocktail to see how it was after all these years. It smelled wonderful and looked great, in fact so much so my kids got ahold of it and ate the whole can !! Which now I have to replace at a greater increase of cost. I opened a can of peaches next only to smell that wonderful aroma coming out of the can. But in opening it further I found a lot of brownish- black peaches, since I guess they were cooked more inside the can when exposed to the elements of 100 degree plus. That is the only can I can say I lost in all this time. So, there is something to say for the extreme amount of time these can be stored. One other thing to point out is that some of these products IE: mashed potatoes and Peanut Butter are so concentrated a teaspoon will rehydrate into a cup or more of product !! I also store grocery store cans, dehydrate, and can my own concoctions and garden extras. Hopefully this may be helpful to those newbies on storing food and supplies.
Thank you so much. Good info for newbies like myself.
storing canned foods and other stuff is very good for being prepared for anything. Maybe these foods need to be rotated some how. If holding enough canned foods to last 3 months then why not use and replace at same time those cans which were first stored. If buying 3 cans of peas today then use 3 cans from storage and put those 3 cans bought today in their place. seems like that would work.
we have very little canned for storage from store, ours are in jars, enough for 3 yrs and yes we rotate those jars as well
Ninety percent of my food storage program is in canned food. And even though I was raised to believe that canned food is not as healthy as fresh it is my best option. I try to make up for this lack by sprouting seeds which I suspect is even more healthy than fresh vegetables.
I have soups from 2003/2/4 Tried some recently and they were fine. Actually could not tell the difference from newer stuff. Campbells Chunky Meal type
Good to know. Thanks
Canned food is meant for rotating – not long term storage. A close friend of mine worked for a company that made cans for food companies and he informed anyone that asked, that cans are lined with a layer of thin plastic to protect the food from the metal of the can. But over time, the liner does deteriorate and the food interacts with the metal of the can, especially acid based foods, such as tomato sauce, etc. Hence the “expiration” date on the can. He also cautioned everyone not to purchase dented cans, as they can never be assured that the inside liner has not been compromised. Thank goodness it is easy to set up a simple “rotation” system with can goods to assure continuous usage and freshness.
We buy both dented and undamaged cans of food. The dented cans are purchased for immediate use or short term storage and the undamaged cans are used for long term storage. When one purchases a dented can you should always pay attention to where the damage is. If the damage is on the end with the rolled seam then avoid it or use it at once. If the damage is on the side of the can or on the bottom of an extruded can then you only need be concerned with the lining being damaged and it should be good for short term storage (I would define short term as up to a month for this purpose).
Growing up, I would help my mom cut out coupons to go to the stores in town. We would take several hours to complete shopping. I carried that on through my married years and my daughter does the same. Buy one, get two free, and yes, I have a huge pantry and it’s full.
One other good thing about canned meats and veggies is that you can eat them right out of can at room temperature, without having to have a way to boil water first.
I have purchased and stored matches. Great for sterilizing water sources, cooking, keeping warm. You can boil water and keep warm with a campfire. I also store seeds for planting food to eat if all else fails. Keep matches and seeds dry in glass jars. I also have a fire strike starter in case I run out of matches. I have
pans for sterilizing and cooking.
Please tell me how to make tap water safe to drink, and should I put in a well? Will the well water be safe if we get nuked? Can I store water to drink in gallon milk jugs, how long will it last? Also, can it be stores.in the attic, it does get VERY warm in the summer down South.
Don’t use milk jugs inless they are the heavy yellow plastic ones. And then only for a short time. Milk jugs are now made to break down. Thick juice jugs are good for storing water in. I have some that have had water in them for 5years with no plastic breakdown. I check them often. And try to keep them in a cool dark place. If on concrete make sure it is lifted off the floor. Hope this helps!
To secure the life of a commercially canned food I dipped the ends of the cans in melted wax to prevent air leakage. The fold of melt around the rim is what deteriots first allowing air inside, but with the can waxed, it prevents the deteriotation of the metal and stops leakage, thus adding life to the canned goods. Set out all your canned goods, melt wax, dip one end let air dry, then go back and dip the other end. I dipped twice both ends to ensure a good coverage of wax and seal.
I do store water in milk containers since we seldom buy soda. I think I can use a drop or two of bleach to purify the water. In anycase, we can use that water for other needs. I also use bleach bottles for dinking water storage.
Dont use bottles with fragance & if plastic container doenst have “triangle” for food grade, i wouldnt use. Calcium hyproclorite is a cheap powder used in pools that can be used to make a “bleach” to purify water & it has a 10yr shelf life where as bleach only last a year to 15months.
I’m planning a garden this year with non gmo seeds and will can the harvest. The nutrients will be much better for a crisis than the frankenfood we get at wal-mart. I add 2 cans of canned meets each trip and some nuts, it really adds up and the 10 for 10 on spaghetti sauces and pasta are good.
For those looking to detox toxins, go to toolsforfreedom.com for the zeolite and other things I sware by it. Good stuff for the end times medical bag to remove radiation. Ammo isn’t east=y to get where i’m at. The same couple show up the days of shipment and buy all 6 boxes of ammo, ya, wal-mart was getting 6 boxes of 9mm’s for months, probably still is. I love the posts! God bless.
I just watched a show called American eats. It was all about the history of canned food. Recently a can of meat that was over 100 years old was opened . they thought it was good, but feed it to rats and got no ill effects
I love my canned sausage, but I don’t think I’d trust it in 100 years!
Love and be leave everything you say it,s the time for the mark of the beast Obama is get everything ready being a more control gov were not free any more the bible tells us about the last days.
Note that most cans say, “Best by”. It’s not an outdate. These cans are good for many years beyond that. Studies have shown that. If the food is bad, the can should be swollen. I just finished off several cans of beans with Best By dates of 2012. They were fine.
I always hoped I would never see the day that I needed to be prepared for such an emergency. Now that I have found this site I am better informed and have already started saving. I like the idea of the canned goods. I wish there was a way to keep water for a longer time, though. I was thinking I could stock up on bottled water but I am guessing that won’t work. I did purchase some of the survival food from this site, too. Plus some great seeds. Thanks for all the advice and care.
To store water, Steve Harris reccomends filling 2 liter diet soda bottles from the tap. There are no nutrients to support bacterial growth and the plastic is virtually indestructable. Do NOT use regular soda because of the sugar or milk cartons because they can never be thoroughly cleaned, and will eventually leak. It’s easy to store dozens of bottles. You can use 1 bottle per person per day for drinking, cooking, brushing teeth, etc.
I catch rain water and you can always boil it later- We have a pool we don’t use anymore and the h2o from there is very useful.
Thanks for collecting these ideas and share. They are priceless. I am like a sponge trying to absorb every ideas to put into practice. Continue the good work, countless are benefitted.
At least for us, finding canned foods which fit our dietary needs is almost impossible-low, preferably no sodium, no sugar in any form, no preservatives, additives, dyes or hidden ingredients. Another problem with canned foods is inflation, hidden in the form of decreasing weights and steadily increasing prices. Therefore, my solution is to find seasonal produce and organic meats, and home can as much as possible. Even fish can be canned. Anyone can learn to do this, as there are plenty of resources for those who wish to learn.
I have been storing flour and sugar in large plastic containers for years. Therefore, rice, cereal, pretzels for snacking, etc. can go into those containers very well for some time. Keeps out all the bugs and even mice don’t get into them. Glass is even better if you can afford it.
I am eating from some cans with 2010 date, now. Recently rotated my stash. It is just as fresh and tasty as if I just bought it.
How long after the end date on the can of food can you eat it. I have some from 2010.
I noticed anything with milk in it is not good with that year on it, but what about others?
When you are hungry..you will eat anything..so you stated.
Being as no one has replied to your question yet, I’ll toss out there that I’ve eaten canned foods that were three or four years old. Probably even older! I know they say you can’t judge by smell if something is too old, but I use smell and taste if I’m not sure about something. I’ve been cleaning out our ancient pantry and working on keeping things up to date for the past two or three years. I have a pretty good nose, but I’ve been making a point of using things up since I had a kidney transplant five years ago and don’t really want to take the chance any more. I used to have a killer immune system. Not quite sure what would happen with a SHTF event when insurance won’t let me refill my meds until I have only 5-7 days of pills remaining…
If you have a very small apartment with little cupboard space store non perishable items under your bed. Pull the sofa out a few inches and store things behind it.
I DO GROCERY SHOPPING EVERY FRIDAY FOR THE WEEK I HAVE A 34 DAY SUPPLY OF FREEZE DRIED FOOD. THE SAMPLE BAG WAS AL GRATIN POTATOS. 2 SERVINGS IN THE BAG. I WAS SURPRISED HOW GOOD IT TASTED FOR BEING FREEZE DRIED. 24 YEAR SHELF LIFE I ALWAYS BUY A FEW CANS OF VEGGIES, OR MIXED FRUIT. SPAM. MY APARTMENT IS REALLY SMALL. NOT MUCH ROOM IN THE KITCHEN CABINETS. I DON’T THINK I COULD FIT MORE THAN 3 MONTHS OF CANNED GOODS IN MY SMALL CUPBOARD’S.
CANNED CHICKEN IS EXSPENSIVE, BUT THE SHELF LIFE IS ONLY A YEAR. THERE THE 1 SERVING LIL CANS. GOOD FOR ME, SINCE I LIVE ALONE. WHAT ABOUT CONDIMNETS, MAYO, KETCUP. IF THERES NO POWER, NO FRIG. ANY IDEAS ON HOW TO KEEP THEM FROM GOING BAD . A DARK COOL PLACE IN MY CUPBOARD? ANY IDEAS? THANKS FRANK!
Paul: If you ever go to a fast food joint, ask them for mayo,mustard, ect the works,the packets will last a long time. The mayo does need to stay cooled. I would just go with the mustard and ketchup, BBQ sauce and so on, pepper ,salt and even napkins.
Thanks for the idea. I never thought about that. Thanks
Frank – Thanks for your insights. Another significant consideration concerning canned goods is that for individuals who have special dietary needs, canned goods offer a much greater ability to address those needs than most freeze dried foods. I have asked my website suppliers to consider higher complex carbohydrate foods or other special dietary menus, but they believe that the market won’t support it. Canned fruits that are packed in water, vegetables canned in their own juices, and even meats with no additives are available with just a little careful shopping. Therefore, special dietary needs can be met with canned goods far more readily.
Good day I love most of your and the other the guys who email me with there from your outfit.
I liked the thing on drilling a well.
I live in an area with lots of homes and the people here are obsesed with weeding ang feeding there lawns so they look good,I have talked to some of them asked them if they new what they were doing to the ground water and they did not know or care.I know poisions the watyer table here and I live real close to a spring fed pond with fish or at least there was some. I would not drink any of the well water from here.If you have an idea of how to get rid of toxions in the water let me know.
I will get some canned goods for my family and hide them I have freeze dried goods.
Thank you and your team for the ideas
God Bless
You can get a filter system for your well water, there are many ways to make it safe. Having your own well is a must when the SHTF for drinking livestock and growing crops!
This is a very valuable article, most valuable in a great forthcoming time of need. Those who have unknowing objections should refrain from using canned goods and go their own way: Positive comments by Larry M Aden and Don are exceptionally valuable, although people have to go their own way regardless of the article’s claims.
The oldest respondent /S/
Re stockpiling canned foods:there is a problem:
I’ve found that, over time, various canned food items can go bad inside the can, such that bacteria-induced degradation takes place, generating gases that expand and sometimes burst through the flat-ends of the cans, with liquid stuff seeping out, etcetera.
But perhaps worse than that issue, according to some studies, are the reported HEALTH-DANGERS of eating canned foods.
For example, as I’ve read, the types of food-cans that are currently the most commonly used — but with some exceptions — leech either BPA or plastics directly into the food-contents; and these particular chemicals can cause cancers and other horrible health-damaging effects to anyone eating those canned-food contents. (Does keeping the cans cool prevent “significant amounts” (= ?) of BPA from leeching into the food, as another poster’s comment here implies? I leave that to you, the reader, to research.)
Also, say some studies, the longer that the foods stay in those cans, the more that those health-harmful chemicals can leech into those foods. (Note: A fairly informative article about these points — “Canned Food Carries a Hidden Health Risk” — is at this URL: http://www.rodale.com/plastic-chemicals-and-canned-products).
First, this article makes some excellent points, but should have dealt with all of the points of misinformation that people brought up in the comments.
I wish people who think they know it all actually did, so stop spreading lies, and listen up.
Canned food is not “dead”. It is perfectly nutritious food, already cooked and ready to eat upon opening. Canning is an excellent and relatively inexpensive low-tech way to preserve the nutrition in most foods, but much of that nutrition is in the water that most people pour out. Do not do that! Everything that went into that can is still in there. Use it! If you do, it is just as nutritious as cooking fresh, but neither is as nutritious as eating raw.
If you consume the packing water, you can live for just as long on canned food as on fresh-cooked food, but get a garden started, again, as soon as it is possible, after any calamity, because there is no substitute for raw vegetables, period!
Cans must be kept from freezing or from being re-heated to remain sealed, if so, they are legal to sell for 3 years after packing, if it is a seamed can, and five years, if it is a seamless can, but both can be stored in a cool, dark, dry environment for well over 100 years and still have every bit of the nutrition that was packed in them, before they went into the retort.
Many cans are not coated on the inside with BPA, only those with white plastic lining, and no significant amount of BPA is released into the food, unless subjected to direct sunlight or when the can is heated to well above the temperature of pasteurization, but no can should be heated to cook the contents inside, unless in an emergency, if you have no other container to heat in.
But, remember, adding more heat can only lose more nutrition, slow you down, and draw more attention, so it is better to eat it cold, if you don’t mind.
Of course, canning in clean glass jars or bottles is always best, but they are no good for a bug-out, and the cans can be re-used or re-purposed for many things. Keep a supply of new lids, and use the type of opener that slices thru the outer edge of the lid. This avoids a lot of unnecessary accidents with ragged steel edges, also.
Bottom line, properly canning and storing any commodity is just like stacking money on the shelf, but money won’t save your life, cans will.
What if I am allergic to ALL chemicals and to gluten, dairy products, eggs, and soy?
Here’s another thought. It’s an article from Organic Gardening entitled, “The Grossest Bugs You Don’t Even Know You’re Eating” Check it out. Makes one want to can or dehydrate everything, or as much as possible, yourself.
http://www.organicgardening.com/living/grossest-bugs-you-don-t-know-you-re-eating
The biggest advantage canned foods have is they nearly all contain enough water to sustain life without additional water supplies.
we bought a case of our favorite kraut and had it in a cool dry place. expiration date was far into the future but we went out to get some about 3 months after buying and found 2 of the cans had literally exploded or leaked. this was low sodium stuff and shouldn’t have done that but—. as far as the rest of it, yes would be a good idea. old timers used to make ground meat into balls and cook them and then immerse them into warm hog lard. sausage was done the same way. to use get a slotted spoon and get what you needed and allow to sit in a collander over the crock to drain. once finished just throw into what ever you were cooking. dried foods is great also as long as they don’t require refrigeration. jerky if used in the space of 3 months or so is fine but after that can get moldy. pemmican made of berries, ground up meat ie jerky or dried ground meat and a little lard or peanut butter and wrapped with saran wrap will keep for a while as well. canned stuff does tend to go bad if not used in proper sequence of older stuff first and rotate the stock when you replenish. if you have a spare room or large closet it is easy enough to store a good bit in there. we store up ramen noodles or another type of dried soup to go along with anything we have canned. my favorite is to take some kind of canned meat–usually pork in our case, add water, onions, ramen, corn or peas and small cut potatoe. love it camping!!! glass jars are the best for storing stuff like pickles or what ever you can buy in jars, just make sure it isn’t exposed to much light.
lol can food is so bad for you. welcome to the 21st century, where there are way better alternatives out there..
I have been trying to locate info on whether or not canned foods can be frozen (unopened in the can). Not that I would freeze them on purpose but there are places where I could store them where they would probably freeze in the winter months. So far it looks like the answer is ‘not’. Thanks.
i used to can my own grown fruits and vegetables. canned the lamb, pork (crumbled sausage), meat balls, italian sausages, cubed the beef and made stews. made hamburgers and canned them too. . jams and preserves are really quite versatile. anyway 20 years later i am still eating them. as for the anti can can goods i doubt if all that poison is in the liinings. after all we do have an fda and things that kill are not allowed in the food chain in america for humans or animals. in third world countrries or asian countries no regulations. so i am not turned off by buying case lots. BY ONLY MADE IN AMERICA!! SOLVES THAT PROBLEM. use yer head folks. as for dehydrated foods no nutritional value whatsoever. when you suck out the water.juice etc out comes the nutrients. fact! jack! freeze dried is the way to go instead unless you want to fill up on jerky and die of starvation. as for the dude below writing that canned food is dead food…..duh……..you eat live food? yer burgers are still kicking? LOL veggies are dead when they come off the vine. sheesh. boil anything and it is dead. a lot of mass hysteria starts from letters like his and the dieing from can foods. sheesh. get a grip folks. do you really think mr. bates would ask us, or advise us, or suggest to us, to do something that will ultimately kill you? duh. not in this life. thank mr b. for all yer tips. now go to sav-a-lot where it is all case lots and everything i buy is fresh dated made in america and about 35%-50% cheaper then sams, walmart or costco!
Actually, lj, most nutrient value is preserved with dried food. Both dehydrated and freeze dried food is dried,they just differ on the method of drying. http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-drying-affects-foods-nutritional-value.html
lj, you are so naive if you think the FDA was created to protect your safety rather than large food and drug manufacturers and suppliers.
You are so wrong about “things that kill are not allowed in the food chain in America.” You must research GMO’s (Genetically modified Organisms) they are rampant in our food chain. Toxic and harmful to our bodies. Also chemtrails pollute our gardens with many metals and now other chemicals.
Everybody mentions the advantages of canned food but amongst the disadvantages I miss the main disadvantage.: Canned food is dead food and if consumed for a long time it is very unhealthy for humans. You don’t have to buy freeze dried food, I know that stuff is rather expensive. Just get one of those very inexpensive electric dehydrators and dry your food yourself. Having solar panels you can dry your food without cost for electricity. Or, even better, dry it in the sun, as people did in previous times. Dried food is much healthier than canned food. It still has most of the essential enzymes and even some of the vitamins. A certain part of the vitamins such as vitamin C of course is reduced by the drying but can be substituted by growing fresh sprouts which have all necessary vitamins, enzymes and minerals. I’d eat canned food only in absolute emergency conditions and ONLY for a very limited period of time. If you carefully study reports in the internet you very quickly find out that most of civilization deseases such as diabetes, high bloodpressure, aththrosis, high cholesterol and partly overweight etc. partly come from the consuming of prefabricated foodstuff, chemicals and preservatives in the food. All of this causes your body to become acid which is said to be responsible for these deseases. My advice therefore: Not too much of canned food.
Canned foods are great but you need to carefully read the labels and expiration dates.Many canned foods have a lot of salt and sugar in them. Try to buy the ones that will not add to weight gain problems.Wheat products are not very good for humans, so pasta in a can is questionable.
Corn does not digest properly unless it is ground up, so canned corn is questionable.Make sure to research the foods that you store for nutritional value.You don’t want to be starving your body or adding unhealthy weight that will limit your survival chances or cause health problems like diabetes etc.Take the time to find out what the best canned foods are, before deciding what you are going to stockpile. MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU.
My brother works for a Major Canery here in Modesto, they have a employee store that you can buy all kinds of fruits a veggies from, ranging from small cans to #10 cans, at a great price, as of right now I keep rotating year to year, at this point I have 65 cases of varities. I have been doing this practice for about 10 years now. I am glad that you put this on your site just to inform other people about prepping for an event man made or mother nature. Mark
If you want fresh meat get a lot of dogs, and cats, several million North Koreans all can’t be wrong. If wRobert is so worried about the plastic lining in cans, what does he do about bottled water, and don’t tell me it’s different.
Another thought. If you want a great supply of iron learn how to eat nails, and for vitamin D and C go to the above comment. I’ve actually eaten Fido, back when I was station in South Korea in 1973. And for the uninformed public, no the war was not going on at this time.
I always grow a big garden and then dehydrate or can my harvest. Lehman’s Catalog has big quantities of regular and wide-mouth jar lids which do NOT have BPA. My new order of them just arrived, 360 lids of both sizes, all in perfect condition. I use a steam canner, water bath canner, and a pressure canner, and a large food dehydrator. All my lids always seal perfectly and from my tomatoes I have juice, salsa, spaghetti sauce, stewed tomatoes and soup all year long. I keep chickens for eggs and have a very tame herd of Mule deer…if I need to, I can sit on my porch with my knitting basket and my rifle…make socks and shoot dinner! Now if I could just find a great guy with a tractor and a good sense of humor who can shoot!
REAL men should be beating a path to your door after reading your post.
Canned goods would be great if not for the toxic plastic liners they use inside the cans.
If you do go that route better stockup on PECTASOL from Advanced Bionutritionals.
BPA and BPB are really toxic.
Learning how to home preserve fresh foods — veggies, soups, stews, pasta sauces, chili, jellies, jams, etc., etc., etc. may be time consuming and expensive to begin with (start up), BUT the end result is better than canned foods from the grocery store. You WILL NOT have all the preservatives, artifical coloring agents, fillers, etc. that are in the commercial products.
I learned how to can when I was a pre-teen and have continued to do this since that time. Believe me I have an extremely well stocked pantry.
One thing I wonder about is the life of the “pull off” lids on commercially canned foods in comparison to a normally sealed can. I wonder what sort of testing has been done on their viability?
I put back a couple of cases of canned food from Costco each time I go. Keep in a climate controlled place. You should rotate them into your regular menu, but I think that if kept in a cool place most canned food with stay good for a number of years past the listed expiration date. I remember being in the military in the late ’60s and eating c-rations in cans dated from the Korean war in the early ’50s and they were still edible although the cake was a little dry.
Problem with canned would be for some storage space and the weight if needed to move quickly or to a place with no storage. The one serious problem will be the chemicals released into the food from linining of the cans, but that’s better than starving.
Our modern life is out of sync with nature and though i am not a doomsday person I do believe that if you abuse the earth she will eventually show you whose boss. Off the grid what grid? You need basic skills to protect yourself and if there is a crisis you will either step up and do whats necessary for your own preservation or die You really think you can prepare for Armageddon without it knocking at your door.? I like the prepared info but don’t ever think that at some point if the shit hits the fan it every man for himself.
Being prepared with the president we are stuck with is an absolute must i am stocking up now !
When I bought the DVD I didn’t think I was going to get another whole bunch of stuff not related to solar power or get sent a bunch of so-called survival tip newsletters. That’s not what I bargained for. There are books off the internet that explain survival tips. I haven’t tried making the solar panels, but it seems they’re not powerful enough to be of much use to someone trying to convert to solar power. I see one comment about this already. As to canned foods, if they are canned in a pressure cooker you can expect they will be good about 3 years. Not everything is best canned in a pressure cooker. Fruit is not. Anything beyond that is risky. One year only is recommended. Yes, and Eden foods is th eonly one who has the cans without the poisonous lining in them. I get some things I don’t know out of this, but for the most part, the original deal on the DVD is a rip-off.
I date everything when I bring it home with a felt marker using the best used date. Doing this allows me to use up things before they become outdated. I also can easily see the date on the can or jar.
Saw one report that claimed canned foods have been found that were, literally, DECADES old, but were still edible and safe (remember, if the can is ‘puffy’, throw it out!). Supposedly the ‘best by’ date is government required, but probably an overstatement. I would still recommend you ‘rotate your stock.’
Oh, and the 1/2 Gallon Ball jars are REALLY cheap if you order them from a True Value and have them shipped to the store…like $13 for 6 jars…
I am buying loads of WHOLE grains…like Oat Groats, Millet, (Spelt, Flax, Amaranth, Quinoa which are all a complete protein so if you’re out of meat??), etc. I saw a great idea the other day while watching a video…They were using 1/2 Gallon Ball Jars in their pantry for storage. I didn’t know that you could buy them in that size. But, what a great way to store your grains for future use.
I have stored canned goods for a long time, but never use up all the the stuff before it goes out of date. While the freeze-dried stuff is more expensive (by today’s prices at least) they do maintain there taste (I think they taste better than canned) and their nutrition for 20 to 30 years. And you don’t have to replace them every year or two and what ever prices go to. Many people now just won’t eat canned food that is passed it’s “Best By” date. And charities are not allowed to take it either. Not long ago we had no dates on any cans, and folks just didn’t eat canned food if it swelled, leaked, or smelled”off” when it was opened. I don’t remember getting sick from any of it… and would certainly use that standard if food was really hard to obtain. I question the long term economic advantage of keeping all or mostly regular canned food, unless you are just keeping a month (or less) supply and can eat the stuff by rotation before it gets too old (to me that is 1 to 3 years beyond the “best By” date). I would advise though buying a small amount of anything you will buy in quantity and try it a few times before buying a bunch.
Got your disc a couple of months ago. Looks good and reasonable as home DIY projects.However, both are only capable of minor power production. What is needed is info on larger panels and turbines and/or the capability to hook the smaller devices up in multiples and to link them into a housing circuit. Since that is very basic to building the type of system you are proposing, I assume that info is in the promised manuals. But where are those manuals? I have not yet received them? A disc loaded with all the manuals would be a good way to create and distribute them.
As far as the canned goods, I have stored enough for much more than a year already. This was not done as any sort of survival pantry, but rather as an economic method of saving money. I live in an area surounded by chain grocery stores, I check the sales circulars each week and make a shopping trip at least once a week (also good exercise). Anything on sale that I normally eat gets bought in bunches and pantried, saving hundreds of dollars a year.
I admit that there are questionable additives in the canned foods (BPA?), but if they were really dangerous at the micro levels, the food manufacturing lawyers would ban them for liability reasons. Profit rarely trumps these corporate liability lawyers. However, for us olde fogeys (Green Beret captain with 3 tours in Vietnam 67, 8 & 9), the salt (700 to 800 Mg per serving) in canned food is a major problem and you have to start watching your daily salt intake. Anything near the reccomended 2,200 Mg per day can cause lymphedema (swelling of the lower leg) problems.
But the food manufactuers never give up the profit motive. They love obese people. The chubbier Americans get, the more money they make. The latest gimmick used by the canned food manufacturers is to play with the serving/can size. They have all gone to a 15 to 18 ounce can size and the label reads ‘about two’ servings. Hormel, Chilli Man, Chef Boyardee, Progresso. Campbell’s Chunky, and even the small Campbel’s Soup cans are 10 3/4,ouce and 21 1/2 when you add the extra can of water … serving size – about 2.5..Some translation is needed. The smaller Campbell’s Soup serving is 8.6 ounces whille that for the larger cans is about 10.3 ounces. This is fine for a family of two or more as the canned item becomes just part of a meal or extra cans can be added depending on the number of seats at the dinner table. But what is the single person going to do? Store the leftover; which in all cases except the small Campbell’s will be less than a full serving; or, you can finish the leftover. I think I know what the food manufacturers want you to do, but your doctor will not like your new belt line addition. You can get away with this once a day, but do it a second time and you are consuming roughly three meals a day in two and that doesn’t count breakfast. Welcome to the ranks of the obese.
Ta
Dear Frank, the reasons you mentioned to store canned food are valid but there is a down side to canned food. All canned food except the Eden brand are lined with BPA, Bisphenol-A. The CDC estimates at least 93% of all Americans have detectable level in there bodies. BPA is an endocrine disrupting chemical (plastic) linked to cardiovascular disease, diabetes, reproductive problems, breast and prostate cancer. altered brain development in children, lowered sperm count and obesity. I guess it’s OK in a pinch but it’s best to consume little or no canned food. Thank you for reading my input. Have a nice day, Janet
Can foods are great to have around in all cases. The first thing I do when I get back from the store is.. I get out my sharpie and write down the date on the top of the cans and rotate the stock using the oldest first in my day to day cooking. This is the case with all of my foods.
Thanks Frank and crew for all you do.
Been stocking up on canned foods for two years now. Also I agree with post that explains a can of corn or peas or green beans are filled with water, which you can also drink if no water is available. Remember, too, that your hot water heater holds some 40 to 50 gallons on average of CLEAN, drinkable water.
Very interesting article. One thing I have learned in food storage, is that you should eat what you store. In other words, rotate. Use the oldest food, and replace it. This will keep food from getting too old. Also, the more acidic the foods, the shorter the shelf life. I have seen some very good points about canned goods, such as the water in most of them, which adds to the water storage. Start your “preparedness” with a 72-hour supply, and expand by adding one or two months at a time. Don’t forget about clothing, emergency items, and water. Think about the situation where you might have to leave your home for a time, and take only what you can carry to survive. Hence, the 72-hour emergency kit. Include first aid items. You could use one large bucket or container per person, that anyone can carry, and leave it all in one place, easily accessed. pack what you know you would need in that kind of emergency, and base your storage on that. Add to and build up from there, and work toward a one year supply . Don’t forget to rotate. Also, include medicines and prescriptions that household members might use on a regular basis.
Charlie, 812/29/12
I contacted the manufacture of tuna fish in the can. I was told if the can is never been opened and the can has not been damaged the shelf life is endless.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT. THE CANNED FOOD STUFF ALREADY HAS ENOUGH WATER AND WE NEED NOT HAVE TO TRANSPORT WATER CONTRARY TO WHAT IS PREACHED. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW IMPORTANT THINGS TO PACK. (1) HAVE CANDLES ( HEAT-LITE-BOTTLE /CAN FOOD WARMER ) (2) BICYCLE WITH PUMP AND 2 SPARE TUBES. CARS NO GOOD CAUSE GAS PUMPS WON’T WORK. IN TIME OF DISASTER THE GOV’T. WILL COMMANDEER ALL HORSES FOR TRANSPORTATION. AGAIN I STRESS ALL HORSES. WE ALSO HAVE C-RATIONS LEFT-OVER FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD SUMMER EXERCISES. STILL GOOD. I JUST FED MY GRANDCHILDREN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. OF COURSE DON’T FORGET YOUR MEDS……………………GET SOME PT’S.
YOU ARE SO RIGHT. THE CANNED FOOD STUFF ALREADY HAS ENOUGH WATER AND WE NEED NOT HAVE TO TRANSPORT WATER CONTRARY TO WHAT IS PREACHED. THERE ARE ONLY A FEW IMPORTANT THINGS TO PACK. (1) HAVE CANDLES ( HEAT-LITE-BOTTLE /CAN FOOD WARMER ) (2) BICYCLE WITH PUMP AND 2 SPARE TUBES. CARS NO GOOD CAUSE GAS PUMPS WON’T WORK. IN TIME OF DISASTER THE GOV’T. WILL COMMANDEER ALL HORSES FOR TRANSPORTATION. AGAIN I STRESS ALL HORSES. WE ALSO HAVE C-RATIONS LEFT-OVER FROM THE NATIONAL GUARD SUMMER EXERCISES. STILL GOOD. I JUST FED MY GRANDCHILDREN A COUPLE WEEKS AGO. OF COURSE DON’T FORGET YOUR MEDS……………………
Great info…I also put flour and pasta in qt jars as flour has bugs in it when you buy it,,put new lids on and place them in the oven at 200 deg.until hot..Retighten the rings and they are vacuum packed when they cool…( the bugs can’t take the heat and die ) I also stock briquetts to cook on if need be…( after the generator run out of gas and the propane tank is empty ..)
Keep up the good work Frank
I find that storing canned food in the wall works for me. When we built our home in 86 we had a pantry built and in the wall between the studs channels made from hardboard the width of different sized cans such as tuna or soup. These have a slot at the top and bottom and you can drop the cans in from the top and take the oldest ones out of the bottom. A channel about 30 inches tall will hold about 8 cans. Any deeper than that and the cans can get bent when dropped in. As you can see one wall could hold a lot of cans and they don’t take up space. I just wish I could come up with a way that is as efficient to store bottled food as most of mine in homegrown and homecanned!
We have been rotating and storing canned foods as well as dried foods for over two years now. One thing we realized after our storage became sizable is, none of it mattered if you could not hide it or protect it! So, we started stock piling ammo for our weapons as well. What good is it to have food if it’s just going to be taken away from you by Looters? Course we are ALL thinking the worse case scenarios and IF they came true, then Looters ARE going to be a very REAL threat. Another problem we came up with is water. If power goes down who has enough water? We are fortunate that we have access to a well and solar power enough to operate the pump, but many do not. Water could become as precious as gold and silver!
Through research I found a great idea of perserving canned foods and even boxed and bags of food such as powdered milk, instant potatoes, spagetti, noodles, rice, etc. ALL can be dipped in wax and sealed to last longer !
A coating of wax keeps the cans from rusting, preventing erosion, also wax sealed keeps containers air tight from growing bugs and germs.
I found wax at craft stores is far more expensive even though in larger quantities than the wax in pound boxes in the canning department at the local grocery.
Dip can or box into the melted hot wax half way. Once dipped, and holding the food container up out of the wax, it almost instantly is air cooled and sealed. Then simply turn it over and dip the other half of the food container into the melted wax.
The life of wax sealed containers holding food is extended years. I don’t recall where I saw the instructions, but perhaps Google can help if this isn’t clear enough. I was amazed at the longevity of the wax sealed food containers.
So when filling up your grocery cart, go down the canning aisle and pick up a pound or two of canning wax. Before long you will have the amount you need to seal and store your groceries.
The main thing against canned food is unless the cans have a white waxed surface inside the can the cans leech lead from the can- very toxic.
Now foods that we can in a jar is another thing all together.
I have been storing for many years. I believe in storing what I eat and eating what I store.
If you have small children and suddenly try to change their diet it food theyare not familiar
with you are going to have some sick children and that is not what you need in anemergency
situation
Its kinda a no brainer isn’t it?
Great idea on the canned foods, but remember your hand can opener…. you need one for some cans !!!!!!! .. I have 2 on hand, never know when the electric is going out.
Thanks for all comments !
Canned foods have a tremendous shelf life. When I was in Army Basic Training in the early ’80s, we were served WWII C-rations all summer long because they were trying to use them up. The food we ate was 35-40 years old, and no one got sick from it. I know this because I spoke with a man who assisted with the autopsies of the two basic trainees who died that summer. Both casualties were dieting and had nothing but salad in their guts, plus they were dehydrated. So they actually died because they DIDN’T eat the C-rats! Food pantries in my state are authorized to distribute canned food that is 1.5 years past the expiration date (which is actually a “best by” date), except for highly acidic products such as tomatoes, which are given out up to 1 year past the date. I also took courses to become a Subsistence Supply Specialist in the Army, which included food storage and safety. Army tests on properly sealed jars of food from a shipwreck noted that there was still nutritional value in them after 200 years! Of course, jars are safer than cans because of the metals and interior coating inside the cans.
Frank, in addition or expanding your very fine points about canned foods: a big portion of canned foods already contain the water you need to prepare these -per the label- and in addition the water/fluids contained in most vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots, etc.) can be used to prepare other foods or supplement the required “water” needed to prepare other foods, canned or not, thus “adding” to your standard supply of water (H2O) you are preciously conserving. (Soups, stews, etc. are good candidates for using these pre-flavored water.
Ed Ng
Think Green before printing this email
The 37 Food items website has many attached viruses. Cannot make a purchase with this website. Someone or some hackers have attached viruses to this site. The Website admin needs to check on this.
The problem with canned foods is that when you open a can, you start a spoling process. What you can not use right away will be wasted. in a survival situation you need single serving cans. When I look for canned foods for emergency prep, I see single serving cans… for an Army company.
Why cant we have single serving cans?
I prefer to stockpile dry foods that will not require refrigeration: rice, beans, etc. Canned salmon, tuna, and sardines are good, but not as good as my own smoked salmon jerky (recipe available upon request).
Canned foods, like the rest come available on sale on a regular cycle. I am not a huge fan of most canned foods, BUT……….they are usually of good nutritional quality, can be spiced or sprinkled with a little parmesan cheese, or other condiments. A big plus that I rarely see mentioned is that most of these canned foods can be safely eaten straight from the can, so if fuel is in short supply or non-existent, you can still eat!. chicken, ham, shrimp, tuna, crab, clams, all readily available in cans. ditto numerous kinds of beans, baked, spiced, sauced or plain. There’s your protein. I store my rice & grains in plastic jars or glass containers, which aren’t completely fool-proof, but close. My personal favorite canned veggie list is very short: tomatoes, corn, & artichokes. Beyond that, we are talking about what is tolerable, & that list could get longer in a real crisis situation. I am learning (slowly….) that sauerkraut can be tasty.
I recommend getting a marker & dating the top of any canned food boldly, so that you can rotate the oldest stuff easily & use it before its time is short. Also, there are sources out there that sell low cost spices. Think about this! What would pain you most if you could never get it again? I don’t like thinking about our world this way, but that said, I am buying extra peppercorns, red pepper flakes, curry powder, paprika, etc. Some things can be grown locally, but many spices come only from distant parts of the world. I would rather have stale spices than none! The sorriest canned foods can be made better with a few spices!
Great tip we’ve that for about a year now its easy and inexpensive just pick up two cans instead of one. Put one away and use the other before long you have six to eight months of food saved.