# How long does canned fruit last?



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

I have some canned guava shells and canned guava paste from about a year and a half ago, are they still good?

TIA


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Open them smell themn taste them then decide


----------



## jonk (Dec 21, 2005)

It depends on the fruit, primarily its acidity. According to the folks at DelMonte foods, most canned fruit should be good for 2-1/2 to 3 years from the date of production. Since you often do not know when the product was actually canned, two years is usually safe bet. After that time, the fruit will still be safe to eat, but its quality will have deteriorated significantly. 

Some companies (like DelMonte) print "Best by" dates on their labels. These are conservative, but helpful since the packer does know the canning date. 

Acidic-packed fruits can deteriorate faster than others because the acid can attack the underlying metal of the can through small defects in the coatings. Sometimes these products come with a white inside coating on the can which minimizes this problem. Again, we are not talking health hazard here, just taste. (But acid environments do reduce the chance of botulism growth.) 

High temperatures can accelerate deterioration processes as well. 

Dented cans are more risky--they may or may not be OK--and bulging cans or ones which give a hiss when opened should always be discarded.


----------



## abefroman (Mar 12, 2005)

Thanks!

I justed opened them, they hissed, so I threw them out.

They color looked off, and its looks as if they started to dissinigrate, so I'm guessing these were bad or at least paste their prime.


----------



## mastercooker (Mar 31, 2009)

Canned fruit can last for about three years. I have canned food all of my life and in my experience three years is as long as it can be the best. After that you can still eat it, but it just wont taste that good. Five years is maximum.


----------



## ed buchanan (May 29, 2006)

Depends on the temperature of place it is in. Changes in temp (drastic) also change them. I have seen them go bad in a year or less. in particular imports, because the cans are made differently. And in some cases if can is dropped and becomes dented.
Flourescent lighting I believe also affects the product. I do know that the warm rays of the reds in flourescent lightens the labels of the product. This is one reason supermarkets use only the blues and green cool type.


----------

