I enjoy sun dried fruit that maintains nutrients better than canned.

The sealed pouch of Sun-Maid Mission Figs that I am munching on says: "Fresher if used by Sep 25 2000. More advanced shopping of these!

Classico spagetti sauces in glass jars are now dated late in OO.

Many foods preserved with sugar or salt have good shelf lives.

Would you folks help build a list here that we could all print out?

-- Watchful (seethesea@msn.com), March 20, 1999

Answers

Here's a ready-made list:

Storag e Life of Groceries

-- sparks (wireless@home.com), March 20, 1999.

Sunsweet prunes, Mariani dried fruit, pasta, salsa sauce in glass jars, and spaghetti sauces in glass jars. A store had Pace salsa sauce 2/$5.00 plus (large size), I had a coupon buy 2 get one free (couldn't pass that up). So I called Pace when I got home and they said unopened it's good for several years, but once opened only good for 3 weeks. Almost anything nonperishable you buy for Y2K storage will be okay well into next year. I have pasta which I stored last year in buckets. I opened one up to check for pests and it the pasta was free of pests and looks just as fresh as the day I stored it.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), March 20, 1999.

Watching the date on a can is always a good idea, however, not entirely necessary. If you keep your food stored in a cool environment it lasts much longer. The only real problem with using cans past the expiration date is some loss of nutrition, keeping in mind that you also have to watch for swelling of the cans. I have used cans that are several years beyond the date. Though not advised, if you cook them well, they are fine.

-- linda (smitmom@hotmail.com), March 20, 1999.

Canned salmon, sardines and tuna.

-- Good (fish@home. now), March 20, 1999.

Have eaten 11 year old beans, spinich and beets. Was checking same from my shelter (damp) storage area. Tried waxing tops and bottoms of cans 5 years ago, but under paper labels , rust had started. Undaunted, I was steel wooling same to ready for polyurethane spraying of outside, when walls stated to give way ( leak ). Opened all, heated ALL and ate ALL !! Still here writing this and that was two months ago. Eagle

-- Harold Walker (e999eagle@freewwweb.com), March 20, 1999.

Good responses.

Thanks for the link Sparks.

Glad you are alive Harold.

-- Watchful (seethesea@msn.com), March 20, 1999.

Watchful

Have found Campbell's products with 00 dates. Their Chunky Soups are Oct. 2000, their Home Cookin' Soups Sep. and Oct. 2000, also their tomatoe juice. Bought the soup on sale at Super Wal Mart and even our local grocery.

-- Carol (cajun@bayou.com), March 20, 1999.

Some of the soy milks and soups in aseptic containers have 00 dates now... All canned food should be fine. Good tip about dried fruit!

-- Libby Alexander (libbyalex@aol.com), March 20, 1999.