Any product that was properly canned using safe-tested recipes (i.e. Ball, Bernardin, NCHFP) and appropriately stored continues to be safe almost indefinitely.

So the only real issue is loss of quality. Pickles, for instance, soften over time.

As long as the product tastes good and the texture is pleasing to you, consume in comfort.

Carol

Carol, I agree with all you said.

We did use Ball recipes so I'm sure we're ok. We always used everything rather quickly except for the last two years. As my children have grown up and moved out, we suddenly found ourselves with more left over each year. Thanks for the info!

WOW....I thought home canned goods were only safe 1 year and should be disposed of after expiration.

Michelle

My moms green tomato picililli was well past 25 years old and still had flavor, although it was very mushy.

No, if it's safe when it's processed, barring seal failure (due to factors like storing in the garage with significant temperature fluctuations) it stays safe.

Canned goods from the Civil War have been tested and still don't have significant bacterial loads. In other words, they could be consumed (though they aren't very appealing).

A lot of canners preserve on a two-year rather than a one-year cycle because it's more efficient, and that's fine.

Carol

Are home canned goods safer than store bought assuming home is done correctly? Does home last longer because that is what it sounds like?

Most commecially canned items are in metal cans. These do break down and can rust or have leakage issues after a few years. The safety comes from the method and required ingredients used for todays home canning. Without following most of these guidelines, you could risk safety, but because the home canning seems to go the extra measure, its fairly safe and stable, provided you have done things the right way.

Thanks for all the great info on here! VERY helpful information and exactly what I was looking for!

Great information. I inherited my Moms 40 year old pressure canner. Have ordered a replacement sealer ring and such. I am excited about preserving my chili (I make gallons at a time) and the organic steer I bought with a group. My concerns have been with the shelf life. With a small household, it would be more than would be consumed in a year or two. Getting excited to can everything now. I'm glad I found this thread. Thank you for your input

georgiablueeyes, are you using an approved chili receipe or just one that you make?

using my own recipe, would that be a problem?

It very well could be. One of the basic rules of safe home canning is that you usually cannot home can your own recipes. You have no way of knowing what the pH is, the density, or the processing time required.

There are tested and approved recipes for most anything you want to can. Personal recipes are never recommended as safe unless lab tested. The risk of botulism is just too important to ignore.

Home canning, especially pressure canning, is not something one can just jump into blind. It has a learning curve. I'd suggest you begin by first comparing your recipe to one of the approved ones in one of the approved canning publications or at NCHFP. The differences could be vital. Otherwise freeze your chili.

http://nchfp.uga.edu/

Dave

PS: and please, for your own safety do have your inherited canner checked by a professional. A 40 year pressure canner may be fine but it may also be quite risky to use. And a 40 year old gauge (or petcock if it has one) is very likely inaccurate.

How long is stuff still good if opened but in refridgerator

It depends on what the food is and how it was prepared. For example foods pickled in vinegar have a longer shelf life in the fridge than foods with no added acid. Foods that were pressure canned will usually have a longer storage life than those that were BWB canned.

Fridge storage only slows, does not stop bacterial growth. So as a very general guideline - within 3 weeks time frame listeria can begin growing and within 4-6 weeks molds and yeast will have developed..

See this chart:

http://nchfp.uga.edu/how/store/ksu_refrig_freeze.pdf

Dave

I went to Walmart and looked at the canning stuff, was just looking because I'm going to buy lids bulk online. But the lids boxes at Walmart were saying something about an 18 month seal?

Yes, that new packaging that says 18 mos bothered me, too! I don't think I would can much if things only kept that long ;)

I found a box of jars of blackberry jam in my basement that was 10 years old, once. It had gone all runny and lighter colored. I tasted a bit, but it had lost much of its flavor, too. Such a shame!

I'm picking up references o store's sell-by dates. This doesn't mean the food goes bad...just that it's not so fresh. Spoilable stuff, yes. Most canned goods, no prob. It's a marketing thing. Do you agree?

I heard this street rumor that some states require sell-by dates on some things and that packaging may be printed for that state but used in other states too.

Don't all states use sell-by or best-used-by dates on pkg?

farm8654, the rumor I heard was only some states. I vaguely remember that story was that it applied only to some products.