Great purchase?

[franksgirl]

My DH and I stopped at a yard sale yesterday and they were selling out their preps! I bet they had at least a year's supply of #10 cans. They were selling them for $2 a piece. We purchased all that the budget would allow. Now my question is, they are all from 2004. How long can I expect them to stay usable? We have emailed them (got acquainted as we were shopping) and said we would make them an offer on any that are left. They are moving and will start over, they said. But are these a great purchase since they are already 4 years old?

[Ambergris]

If they were kept in a shed or in a garage, don't rely on them as your main source of food and open them OUTSIDE. Especially the potatoes with onions. The just-add-water meals are also likely to have gone rancid. But you'll be able to tell immediately what went bad.

 

If they are rust-specked or bent--frowny face.

 

If they were kept under the bed or in the closet of an occupied house, and are not dinged or rusted--you made a fantastic buy!

[Tracie]

I agree on all counts. Pick a can and open it (outside) to test it. That will give you some indication of whether the rest might be okay or not.

 

*fingers crossed*

[dogmom4]

Here's to hoping you made a great buy! And your avatar is precious!

[cootie]

If they are o.k., then they should last you about 7 years from the date the original owners bought them, maybe even more. But that's if they weren't stored in the heat or anything.

[franksgirl]

Opened one - excellent condition! Thanks for the comment on my avatar - that's my Granddaughter, Aubrey - nearly 2 - and looks so much like her mother in this picture . . . the hair, the eyes and especially the finger up her nose!

[ATHagan]

Give us some idea of what you bought and how the previous owners stored them and we can give you some idea of what to expect.

 

Wheat berries, whole corn, white rice, and white flour pasta will probably all be OK even if stored outside in a shed since 2004. Other foods are more sensitive.

 

.....Alan.

 

 

[franksgirl]

We are negotiating a deal with seller for all he has left. We will be wanting to keep some of it . . . but would want to sell what we are already stocked up on. All items stored in back bedroom of his house. #10 cans - we will probably sell surplus for $4 each plus shipping - that would offset our cost, plus pay for our time and effort in transporting it.

Sound right?

[Darlene]

FG, if you're going to be offering some of this to the membership here, then you need to make a post down in the 2 Bits, 4 Bits, 6 Bits, a Dollar forum.

 

Personally I wouldn't sell any of it.

[CrabGrassAcres]

If you have storage space, you ought to keep it for yourselves!

[HannaLee]

I agree, keep it! You could barter with it if you have an overstock when TSHTF.

[Cat]

Just to clarify... these *are* dehydrated foods, not the whole canned foods, right?

 

 

 

[Stephanie]

If I ever came across a deal like that I'd keep it all!

 

Then I'd start using it and making it a part of our regular lifestyle, testing recipes, making friends with it and buying more of what I liked. That's a real blessing to have found. I hope you figure out a way to buy it all and make use of it!

[franksgirl]

I'm convinced. Keep it all. Thanks everyone.

[motherearth]

yes you should keep it all and then if some one you know needs a meal then share.....daughter #1 has some that was done in the 90's and older and they are still good...GORP was the only thing that went bad, cause of the p-nuts.....take care and boy would i like to find a deal like this for my kids......keep the faith