What about cereal? I tend to buy a lot of it when it's on sale and often don't get to it until months after it's expiration. I know it won't hurt me, but keeping it fresh long term? Have you ever tried sealing it in mylar w/oxygen obsorbers? If it worked I would be willing to try it. Cold cereal is a favorite in our house and I 'm the one that ends up eating the stale cereal.
I have 20+ boxes of special K in mylar. Have maybe 10 more that I'm thinking of putting in LTS because we slowed the consumption.
It depends on the cereal. A lot of them have quite a bit of hidden fat. Fat is the enemy of long term storage, even with O2 absorbers. Although they'll extend the lifespan. For example, the long term food storage companies pack granola. So, some types will last quite well.
The problem is that some people just refuse to get it. I don't even remember how many arguements have come up over the lifespan of canned food, despite the fact that there is proof out there like those links. One test conducted by the FDA and the other by the US Army.
I still have K rations from WW2. Except anything with tomato's in them they are still eatable. But they taste like cardboard. Funny my friends even tried the cigarettes and said they were fine. Still have like 8 more cases to sell off though. They go well on ebay.
but some of the "old timers" said it was about the same back in WWII. So I figured as long as they are stored properly. Most canned items can last many decades.
Thank you O.P. for this thread. This is very important information that people need to know.:thumb:
Yes brother, had my share via AF during recon. When your hungry and its still good, its a feast.:thumb:I can remember finding some old c and d rations when I was in the AF back in 92 and a group of us trying them... granted they had a texture of saw dust and didn't taste the greatest, actually about like saw dust
If you really want your cereal then try storing oatmeal and cream of wheat. If you want you can also store corn flakes, cheerios, and special K. The rest have too much oil, sugar and preservatives that break down over time. That's what makes them stale so fast. Stick to plain cereals and they will last much longer.
I was that way with oatmeal too. The problem is that they steam it and roll it too thin. That's to make it cook quick. But it makes it turn slimey. Try steel cut oats. They're basically just whole oats sliced on the bias. Takes a little longer to simmer them tender, but they maintain their texture and flavor and are absolutely fantastic! I like wheat as a hot cereal too.
Not necessarily... you aren't going to smell or taste botulism. Canned food *should* be good for years and years, but that doesn't take into consideration an innumerable amount of unique factors - was it stored properly, was it damaged, did it get too hot, etc etc. 99.9% of the time it's going to be fine. But it only takes one time
