Canned pineapple with "best by" date of Nov. 2008 tasted pretty good tonight...

[Nickelless]

I was over at my fiancee's apartment for dinner and grabbed a can of Kroger pineapple slices off of the top shelf in the kitchen and instinctively glanced at the "best by" date--November 2008. I was intrigued, because in my own pantry I don't have any high-acid canned goods that far past the date on the can. So I opened the can, sipped a little of the juice, followed by one of the pineapple rings, and I was intrigued by what seemed like negligible acidity in the pineapple. My fiancee tried it as well and said it tasted almost like it was candied, and once I thought about it I thought so as well. I'm intrigued by the lack of acidity. Could the fact that it was in an all-metal can without plastic lining have any effect on the acidity or lack thereof. Have any of you encountered the same thing with long-stored high-acid foods?

[elroy]

We've eaten a fair amount of somewhat old food.

3-5 years. Nothing factory canned has even showed signs of age.

We did have a boxed cake mix that was 2 or 3 years old and it didn't rise properly.

Almost forgot, ketchup in plastic bottles doesn't keep well. Changes color.

[Not Sure]

Most canned food is nutritious and safe for many years after it's Best By or "Expiration" date. It's a liability thing.

Even bottled water has a "Best By" date (two years from bottling), which is ridiculous. Keep it cool, dry, and out of the Sun, and it's fine.

I've seen cans well before the Best By date go bad, with bulging tops - that, and foul taste, are the only things you need to watch out for.

[goldie40]

We've eaten a fair amount of somewhat old food.

3-5 years. Nothing factory canned has even showed signs of age.

We did have a boxed cake mix that was 2 or 3 years old and it didn't rise properly.

No processed grain will store well unless it's in the freezer



Almost forgot, ketchup in plastic bottles doesn't keep well. Changes color.

all foods in the plactic bottles will store longer if stored in a dark cool place. we do re vac seal coffee in mason jars.

[horseman1]

I was over at my fiancee's apartment for dinner and grabbed a can of Kroger pineapple slices off of the top shelf in the kitchen and instinctively glanced at the "best by" date--November 2008. I was intrigued, because in my own pantry I don't have any high-acid canned goods that far past the date on the can. So I opened the can, sipped a little of the juice, followed by one of the pineapple rings, and I was intrigued by what seemed like negligible acidity in the pineapple. My fiancee tried it as well and said it tasted almost like it was candied, and once I thought about it I thought so as well. I'm intrigued by the lack of acidity. Could the fact that it was in an all-metal can without plastic lining have any effect on the acidity or lack thereof. Have any of you encountered the same thing with long-stored high-acid foods?

Hi Nickelless,

I have seen this same behavior in wine of course :). When it is young and first bottled, some wine can be very sharp with acid or bitter with tannin (mostly tannic acid). It's made that way to age properly. After years in the bottle, the acids slowly chain together and the wine becomes less tart and tannic. These acids are one of the things that protect the wine from oxidation.

[Argentium]

I think you'll find the same thing in any high-acid food, in metal cans, such as tomatoes, or canned citrus. The acid present in the food must react with the metal, eventually reducing the acidity and flavor over time.

[stAGgering]

I was over at my fiancee's apartment for dinner and grabbed a can of Kroger pineapple slices off of the top shelf in the kitchen and instinctively glanced at the "best by" date--November 2008. I was intrigued, because in my own pantry I don't have any high-acid canned goods that far past the date on the can. So I opened the can, sipped a little of the juice, followed by one of the pineapple rings, and I was intrigued by what seemed like negligible acidity in the pineapple. My fiancee tried it as well and said it tasted almost like it was candied, and once I thought about it I thought so as well. I'm intrigued by the lack of acidity. Could the fact that it was in an all-metal can without plastic lining have any effect on the acidity or lack thereof. Have any of you encountered the same thing with long-stored high-acid foods?

Pineapple is alkaline. Great for balancing the acidic intake promoted, and most are detrimentally addicted to. Only acidity present in said can would be sugar added. Avoid added sugar. Hannaford supermarkets, in New England, offer no sugar added canned fruit.
Drink or consume pineapple frequently.
The longer a food is in a can, the more BPA leaches from plastic coating into can content. A double edged sword when acquiring for storage. At least flavor seems unaffected.

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/ph-food-chart.html

[Nickelless]

Pineapple is alkaline. Great for balancing the acidic intake promoted, and most are detrimentally addicted to. Only acidity present in said can would be sugar added. Avoid added sugar. Hannaford supermarkets, in New England, offer no sugar added canned fruit.
Drink or consume pineapple frequently.
The longer a food is in a can, the more BPA leaches from plastic coating into can content. A double edged sword when acquiring for storage. At least flavor seems unaffected.

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/ph-food-chart.html

The Kroger pineapple didn't have any added sugar, and there was no plastic coating inside this can.

[Unclad Lad]

Canned pineapple is the only one I've ever had trouble with past the exp date--the cans seem to rust on the inside. No idea why.

[horseman1]

Pineapple is alkaline. Great for balancing the acidic intake promoted, and most are detrimentally addicted to. Only acidity present in said can would be sugar added. Avoid added sugar. Hannaford supermarkets, in New England, offer no sugar added canned fruit.
Drink or consume pineapple frequently.
The longer a food is in a can, the more BPA leaches from plastic coating into can content. A double edged sword when acquiring for storage. At least flavor seems unaffected.

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/ph-food-chart.html

You are referring to what it reportedly does to you after it enters the body. Pineapples are acidic as they sit in the can, just like the other fruits listed.

This is the quote from the chart:
"This chart shows the effects of various foods on the human body. As you may notice, the initial pH of the food is irrelevant."

[3glocks1stack]

Slightly off topic, but thought it may be noteworthy. Opened a jar of mayo a year past date and it was a no go. :(

[Nickelless]

Slightly off topic, but thought it may be noteworthy. Opened a jar of mayo a year past date and it was a no go. :(

Yeah, mayo has eggs and oil in it and doesn't store well long-term. What exactly did it smell or taste or look like?

[Juristic Person]

I was over at my fiancee's apartment for dinner and grabbed a can of Kroger pineapple slices off of the top shelf in the kitchen and instinctively glanced at the "best by" date--November 2008. I was intrigued, because in my own pantry I don't have any high-acid canned goods that far past the date on the can. So I opened the can, sipped a little of the juice, followed by one of the pineapple rings, and I was intrigued by what seemed like negligible acidity in the pineapple. My fiancee tried it as well and said it tasted almost like it was candied, and once I thought about it I thought so as well. I'm intrigued by the lack of acidity. Could the fact that it was in an all-metal can without plastic lining have any effect on the acidity or lack thereof. Have any of you encountered the same thing with long-stored high-acid foods?

Just about any canned food is "safe" to eat past the "best by" date some long as the can is not damaged.

It technically doesn't expire because the food will not spoil. Nutrients will break down over time but it will still be edible. You can can chicken or fish and eat it 10-15 years later (or longer) and it will be safe to eat as long as it was canned properly.

[DodgebyDave]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xMahwBWjJw4

For indigestional purposes only!

Pt2:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hIabIt_IdL4&feature=related

Note the ham and lima beans pooched out at the bottom. If you see that, don't open it! The beans have fermented and contents is under extreme pressure + the plethora of ambrosia aromatics.

[EMP]

Pineapple is alkaline. Great for balancing the acidic intake promoted, and most are detrimentally addicted to. Only acidity present in said can would be sugar added. Avoid added sugar.

http://healthwyze.org/index.php/ph-food-chart.html

I buy my pineapple from Aldi stores. I've heard from my hygienist that pineapple is actually very acidic. Now, I read what you said about it being alkaline unless it has sugar added and then I read the can. It doesn't say anything about whether sugar was added or not, but in the nutritional information, it says it has 17grams of sugar per serving. Is that added, or is it part of the natural sugars it has to begin with?

[horseman1]

I buy my pineapple from Aldi stores. I've heard from my hygienist that pineapple is actually very acidic. Now, I read what you said about it being alkaline unless it has sugar added and then I read the can. It doesn't say anything about whether sugar was added or not, but in the nutritional information, it says it has 17grams of sugar per serving. Is that added, or is it part of the natural sugars it has to begin with?

Please see my reply above to the PH of pineapples and the comments regarding this chart.. Added sugar has little to nothing to do with the PH of pineapples, they are acidic (low PH) and the research indicating that pineapples raising the PH of someones body after they eat them has a fairly large number of detractors, mostly from doctors and researchers. I have no opinion on the matter myself. I just know that the chart provided has nothing to do with the PH of foods as they exist outside of the human body and really doesnt belong in this discussion regarding the effects of time on the acidic properties of food in a can.. However, what goes on inside the body after you eat something is apparently up for some debate in the health and medical communities.

It would seem to me that if they added sugar to your can of pineapples, they would be obliged to tell you in the ingredients list. Again, any added sugar has little to do with the acidity of the product. If anything, adding sugar would dilute the product a bit and lower its acidic value by volume a small amount.

[techguy2]

Just about any canned food is "safe" to eat past the "best by" date some long as the can is not damaged.

It technically doesn't expire because the food will not spoil. Nutrients will break down over time but it will still be edible. You can can chicken or fish and eat it 10-15 years later (or longer) and it will be safe to eat as long as it was canned properly.

We have found 1 exception to that rule: Tomato products.

Anything with a high % of tomato products such as tomato sauce, spagetti sauce, tomato paste, raviolies, etc do NOT STORE WELL past the expiration date.

While I think they will not kill you, they taste and smell like the can, something about the acids in the tomato interacting with the can and liner is my guess. But they will not smell like food, and are inedible in my book.

All tomato products in our long term storage are now freeze dried varieties... nothing wet canned for this very reason.

[Nickelless]

We have found 1 exception to that rule: Tomato products.

Anything with a high % of tomato products such as tomato sauce, spagetti sauce, tomato paste, raviolies, etc do NOT STORE WELL past the expiration date.

While I think they will not kill you, they taste and smell like the can, something about the acids in the tomato interacting with the can and liner is my guess. But they will not smell like food, and are inedible in my book.

All tomato products in our long term storage are now freeze dried varieties... nothing wet canned for this very reason.

I don't disbelieve you, but do you have any links on tomato products in long-term storage? I've got hundreds of cans of tomato products that at the very least will be good flavor enhancers, even if the vitamin A and C content diminishes over time in storage.

[techguy2]

I don't disbelieve you, but do you have any links on tomato products in long-term storage? I've got hundreds of cans of tomato products that at the very least will be good flavor enhancers, even if the vitamin A and C content diminishes over time in storage.

This is personal experience. We decided that we should actually use our long term storage and rotate it out to see what works and what does not. We found the tomato issue just a few weeks ago when trying tomato products that were in the 2 year storage range.

I am not saying they are dangerous, just inedible due to taste. I am just convinced that high acid base products such as tomato products do not store well.

On the other hand, 3 year old Wolf brand chili no beans was just like it came off the supermarket shelf. No discernable change. 3 year old tuna is completely edible, but seems more 'fishy' than fresher tuna. Will try more cans in the next few weeks to see if it is a pattern.

For us: less tomato, more chili!

[Merlin]

For us: less tomato, more chili!

Or perhaps store only tomato products canned in glass jars? Or dehydrated, powdered tomatoes in #10 cans? I have some tomato sauce in cans that I'm trying to use up because I have the same concern that you do. I also have Ragu sauce in glass jars that is 6 months out-of-date, but just fine taste-wise.

[techguy2]

Or perhaps store only tomato products canned in glass jars? Or dehydrated, powdered tomatoes in #10 cans? I have some tomato sauce in cans that I'm trying to use up because I have the same concern that you do. I also have Ragu sauce in glass jars that is 6 months out-of-date, but just fine taste-wise.

Agreed, it has something to do with the interaction between the can/liner/tomato. We do store classico in glass, but it is rotated out fast because we like it. We are now starting to stock up on freeze dried or dehydrated dry pack instead.

[Nickelless]

This is personal experience. We decided that we should actually use our long term storage and rotate it out to see what works and what does not. We found the tomato issue just a few weeks ago when trying tomato products that were in the 2 year storage range.

I am not saying they are dangerous, just inedible due to taste. I am just convinced that high acid base products such as tomato products do not store well.

On the other hand, 3 year old Wolf brand chili no beans was just like it came off the supermarket shelf. No discernable change. 3 year old tuna is completely edible, but seems more 'fishy' than fresher tuna. Will try more cans in the next few weeks to see if it is a pattern.

For us: less tomato, more chili!


Or perhaps store only tomato products canned in glass jars? Or dehydrated, powdered tomatoes in #10 cans? I have some tomato sauce in cans that I'm trying to use up because I have the same concern that you do. I also have Ragu sauce in glass jars that is 6 months out-of-date, but just fine taste-wise.

OK, I have three different brands of canned tomato products in my food storage: Hunt's, and the generic brands from Kroger and Walmart. The Hunt's tomatoes come in a can without a plastic liner. I'll check out the other brands of tomatoes in the next couple days and will give you guys the scouting report. I don't have a loyalty to a particular brand, I just buy whatever is seriously marked down, usually at Kroger, where the local stores the past couple weeks have been selling some of their canned tomato products (14.5 ozs.) for 49 cents when buying 10 or more cans, with the Kroger discount card (which doesn't have my name attached to it--in fact, I have three different cards).