[Malecook]

Hi all,
Today a neighbor gave me a lot of can good's. Well she was going to toss them in the trash. I told her that i would take them and look at them before i use them. Ok here's my question. The expireation date on the can's, does that meen that you have to use them before, or can you keep them a while after? Now some are caned vegies, green bean's, pumkin for pie's, gravy both chicken and beef, chicken and beef broth, cranberry sauce. Do these have a shelf life after the expiration date, or should i toss them as she was going to do. Some date's are the sell by date's. Does that also make a difference?

Thank's for your help. I love this site.

Malecook.

[Suzanne]

FIRST AND MOST IMPORTANT: IF ANY OF THE CANS ARE BULGING, THROW THEM OUT IMMEDIATELY!!!!! THAT MEANS THEY ARE SERIOUSLY SPOILED AND COULD KILL YOU. Don't even open them -- just put them right into the trash. Also, if a can is leaking, throw it out; if the food inside can get out of the can, then bad stuff can get in.

On some packaged foods, the date really, REALLY matters -- such as anything fresh like dairy or bagged salads or meats. After the printed date (and sometimes even before, if the food hasn't been stored properly in its travels from creation to you ) the food will most likely be spoiled and definitely should be discarded.

But the date on most canned goods is (at least to me) an indication less of whether the food is good in the sense of "not spoiled" and more in the sense that the flavor and appearance will not be as good as when it was first canned. I have kept cans of cranberry sauce for years after their date, and they were just fine. Gravy, broths, and so on can probably also stay on the shelf a long, long time after the date and still be edible. Not as good to eat as earlier, but still edible.

That said: if the stuff in the can has a lot of acid in it (such as tomatoes), you don't want to use it if the date is a long time ago. This is because the acid in the food will eventually eat through the can lining and cause damage. And, as I said above, if the can is damaged -- leaking, rusty, or deeply dented -- you don't want to take a chance that the food inside is still good.

Hope this helps! (and glad you find the site useful!!)

[panini]

The sell-by dates are really for grocers. The product will usually last a reasonable time after purchase.
Experation dates really mean that the product should be tossed if after the date. The experation dates are usually for ideal storage also. Cool dry place. If the cans are stored in a warm enviornment(over 70 deg.) then they are usually shot in half the amount of time of experation.
So I think.
For me, I wouldn't chance any small money item over the experation date.
but that's just me

[justadreamer]

I second Panini. Just ask yourself this one Question.

How much does a trip to the emergency room cost if you happen to get a bad case of food poisoning?

[Marzoli]

This is a useful thread. I am glad they started putting dates on things, but sometimes I do wonder if something is safe a few days after the date.