Hello, it's Alaska Granny here. Today, we're addressing an important topic: is it safe to eat from a bulging can? The answer is absolutely not. This highlights the critical need for regular inspection and monitoring of your food storage, particularly your prepper pantry.
Inspecting Your Food Storage
Consistently checking your food supplies ensures they remain safe to eat. In this instance, I found a can of pears that was significantly bulging. Had this issue persisted, the can could have exploded, as I've experienced with other cans in the past. Fortunately, this one didn’t burst, but it’s certainly unsafe to consume.
Importance of Rotation
The can in question was about 1.5 years past its best-by date, indicating I should have rotated it. Despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss this crucial step. While I keep canned fruit for emergencies, it's not my favorite, and it's costly to replace.
Dehydrating Near-Expired Fruit
A new strategy I've adopted is dehydrating canned fruit as it nears its expiration date. My Magic Mill dehydrator has been a fantastic tool for this purpose. I've successfully dehydrated various fruits, both expired and nearly expired, and they've turned out great. If you're interested in dehydrating fruits, check out my video linked below for more details.
Evaluating Can Safety
Let's look at another can of pears purchased at the same time. This one appears fine—no bulging, though it has a dent due to the lower quality of modern cans. Upon opening, everything looks and smells normal, and the pears are a bit soft, which is typical for canned fruit. They passed inspection, and I enjoyed them without issue.
Safety First
If you ever doubt the safety of your food, throw it out. Your health isn’t worth risking over a dollar's worth of food. Ensure you buy foods you enjoy eating, rotate your stock, and replace items as needed for the best results in maintaining a functional prepper pantry. This way, you’ll always be prepared for the future, no matter what it holds.
Share Your Experiences
If you've encountered similar issues with food storage, please share your experiences in the comments. Let’s help each other by sharing tips and insights to ensure our food remains safe and lasts as long as possible.
No comments