Storage of canned meat

I found canned meat that is ten years old. I wonder if I can use it in cooking? I mean, after suitable heat treatment. I read somewhere that military canned food was stored for several decades.

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brian_martin2001

Military rations can last for years. I'm my 20's i ate some mre contents that was packed the year i was born. That said, while the contents should in theory be unspoiled as long as the integrity of the can hasn't been compromised and was stored in recommended conditions, i would err on the side of caution and throw it out.

Brandon_Byrd_40557

It's perfectly safe to eat, but the sensory qualities will likely have changed. Depending on what's in the tin, that change may be for the better or it may be for the worse. Spain and Portugal have a strong tradition of canned seafood, and many of the most prized cans are aged for years and carry a dated vintage. Food science author Harold McGee wrote a great piece about old/aged canned goods in the now defunct culinary magazine Lucky Peach in which he compares different vintages of Spam (among other things).

So all that said, I'd totally use the can. Unless it's packed in tomatoes or a vinegar sauce or something (acidic ingredients are definitely best by their "best by" date). You don't even really need to heat it because the can was already cooked in a giant pressure cooker to make it shelf-stable. The contents are sterile and thoroughly cooked. We heat or cook canned food not to make it safer, but to improve the flavor and texture.