The almond should be fine. They make all of these with a LOT of sugar so it will help keep them just fine. Almond paste and filling is quite expensive. I know, as I just opened cans of the Solo product just a few hours ago. Store bought jams are also fine. The worst that can happen to a jam is if they turn brown from oxidation. Even for that, it doesn't usually affect taste. Smelling and/or tasting these will not tell you much, except if they are rancid. I doubt if any commercial canned product would get any botilism in it as that would not be something that can be tasted or smelled . None of these can harbor such nasty things due to the acidity and sugar they are made with.

I think all of them will be fine. It is only 2 years and commercial canned products have a much longer shelf life for safety. Color and taste can be affected but they are still safe.

Dave

Thanks, Ken and Dave. I had a feeling that they would still be fine, but it never hurts to ask others and the older I get, the more I admit that I don't know and need to learn. If you two were near, I'd share some of the goodies that I will be making, but most of them will be going to the vets at the VA hospital in Indianapolis at the Christmas party we're throwing for them on the 14th of December.

I still have canned strawberry jam from 2005 which has oxidized so I use it in jam bars. Store bought jams that I picked up before I started canning so they are circa 2004 I've been using in my homemade suet cakes...the birds love the jam. Hint: I combine all of the ingredients pour into square container molds and then spoon on the jam and swirl around in chunks.

When I make the suet cakes for the birds, I use hulless seeds as the woodpeckers are really going after these because they can eat without having to peck shells off the seeds.

Thanks for your response, Karn b. I will follow your's and Ken's suggestions on the suet cakes as well. We are in farmland so we do have a lot of birds around. Ken, I don't know if I want to reward our woodpeckers here and make it easier for them or not. I think they are beautiful birds, but they've been pecking at our log home. Hate being awakened in the very early morning by the stacatic pecking of the woodpecker, first on one side, then another. Banging on the walls doesn't help, either. I do have some deterrents to hang from the eaves, but haven't had a chance to do it yet. Oh heck, I'll reward them. They have to eat too. I even feed the coyotes, squirrels and deer on our place.

Most of the time the woodpeckers are finding bugs to eat in the wood they tend to peck at. They don't have the ability to easily shell things the sunflower seeds, so they go to their favorite pecked hole, push the seed in, and peck away to get the shell off. I suppose that a log cabin is quite inviting to them, but they may be pecking for things like 'termites'? Here, my house is vinyl siding and because the grackles and a few other bigger birds tend to hog the suet, I mount it horizontally so the woodpeckers can get to it without the others trying to perch. Nuthatch is another that also pecks, but they are quite small compared to the woodpeckers. I have a very BIG woodpecker like the photo below. Its twice as big as the rest which are smaller and most have no red spot on the head. When this big guy is feeding all the rest scatter. I put out a heated bird bath too. It sits on the ground, and plugs in so the water doesn't freeze solid. I usually see many birds drinking all day long, so they do need water in winter, when all the rest is dried up or frozen.

Here is a link that might be useful:

Great to see a real NEIGHBOR on site -- definitely don't discard those fillings. Like Ken said, they're mostly sugar anyway and those things don't spoil. So long as the can's aren't compromised (holes, rust, etc.) your only loss is a little food quality after a long long time. Those x-dates are a marketing tool so we'll think we have to keep buying and wasting more and more and more.

Hi Gran2! I noticed before that you were from Indy and wondered if near. I live in Brown County. Will definitely be using up all the fillings and jellies, etc. I'm usually not concerned with using canned goods after the expiration date as long as the cans aren't compromised, but as I mentioned earlier, the older I get, the more I realize I have to learn. Thanks for posting and I do agree with you that those x-dates are probably a marketing tool.

Johnson County -practically next door!

DH and I were just up in Franklin about an hour ago. I needed a few things and he had offered to buy me a chocolate malt since I've worked so hard today. We'll have to get together and introduce ourselves sometime soon. Hope you have a great Thanksgiving.