I’ll admit to you here but don’t tell anybody else, the date on those cans was 2013. The end of it though! So about six years old. They were fine. I think it’s crazy that some of the FDA rules say it lasts no longer than one year.
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The guidance for commercially canned is that its safe to eat, just not as tasty or maybe nutritious. So ignoring the use by date is usually ok. Except, I find that liquid milk products are too sub par to use very shortly after the use by date-so I don’t stock those anymore—never used them much.
If I need a canned milk product I use the powdered milk to make the recipe substitute in my eating off the grid cookbook.
The newer jars are advertising 18 months now. As long as you watch the seals and contents, there is not reason not to use them later—if you cook it long enough and hot enough before using it, should make it ok anyway.
Straight from the jar without cooking, I like to be a little fresher, but if SHTF, I’d eat some, and if no ill effects, I’d give to the rest of the family.
I’m currently using up chicken from 2014, and meats from 2015. My main project right now is making bone broth to drink with meals twice per day. It is supposed to help with joints, osteoporosis, nails, hair, skin.
That’s great to know, that the food would still be safe. Make sense that it may not remain as tasty or nutritious. Just like anything else. Those jars were my oldest and they somehow escaped my attention. So I put them in a sauce where I boiled the heck out of them. Figured they would be OK that way plus they were covered up with other flavors.
Right now I just have all my jars sitting out on top of super pails. Not in any order. I plan to rearrange the food storage room one day, put in some shelves and actually have a rotation system. And be able to see and touch everything! That’ll be especially good with the tattler lids that sometimes come unsealed.