Spam shelf life analysis for preppers and why to store it.

Introduction:

Today we’ll be looking closely at SPAM shelf life, a brief look at it’s historical beginnings, and a few cool facts about SPAM. Undoubtedly it has been in most people’s pantry at some point in our lives. In this article we will focus mainly on spam’s shelf life. This would be on many prepper’s list of foods to store in SHTF situations.

More likely scenarios such as food shortages and/or power outages which would require having a good source of long lasting food at hand. We will also briefly look at who makes SPAM, some cool ways to prepare and eat it and look at some other interesting facts that may surprise you.

Brief history of SPAM:

SPAM was the creation of Jay Hormel by the Hormel Corporation in 1937. Now sold in 43 countries and has around 15 flavors to tempt the taste buds. It came to prominence during WWII and received much malice. Due most likely to copious amounts of SPAM they were required to eat. It also found it’s way into England during this time and many parts of Asia Pacific.

Since that time, it has moved from a main staple to a tasty side dish with many, finding ingenious ways to prepare and eat the now iconic canned food.

The ingredients that go into making SPAM are as follows:

Pork, Ham, Salt, Water, Potato, Starch, Sugar and Sodium Nitrate. It is tasty and somewhat salty and has found it’s way into 8 billion bellies since it’s inception and is shipped to 44 countries if you don’t mind. The image below will show you the nutritional composition with around 1000 calories and low carbohydrates it’s not bad for a canned product. Please note the nutritional content can vary slightly, depending on the country you live and which product you buy.

The below nutritional chart provided by openfoodfacts

Facts about SPAM

The question on every prepper’s radar is, “but what is the spam shelf life”. I’m getting to that, the officially stated shelf life for SPAM is 2 – 5 years although if the can remains sealed and remains in it’s original shape without dents and bumps it could be eaten many years later. On the bottom of every can you will find the ‘best before’ date, this is a recommended date to consume the product. I can categorically tell you that I have eaten SPAM beyond this date and still tasted good.

The Sodium Nitrate is the key ingredient that provides it’s longevity and the fact it’s vacuum sealed is also key to it’s long life. That’s why it’s a good idea to store them in the boxes you buy them with. Please note be extra wary before opening a dented can. It’s integrity may be compromised and therefore it’s better to err on the side of caution and discard any that are banged up.

The nutritional value of the SPAM may have considerably lessened although it can still be eaten without adverse effects.

Ideally, store the SPAM in a relatively cool and dry place preferably below 75 degrees Fahrenheit (18 degrees Celsius) and take special care not to dent the cans and keep them in their original shape when storing them. This gives them a higher chance to be edible for many years thereafter.

Note: High temperatures are required to can meats therefore the nutritional content will decrease.

Cooking ideas:

There’ no doubt anyone that has tried SPAM has a favorite way to prepare and eat it. There’s all manner of ways to cook SPAM. Some of the many ways I’ve eaten SPAM or have seen others eat it are listed below.

Hamburger – This is a simple one, just replace the beef patty with a grilled piece of SPAM, much tastier in my opinion

Sandwiches – Let your imagination run wild, there’s no limit to the variety of sandwiches you can make with SPAM. My favorite is grilled SPAM and onions with mustard wrapped in toasted bread. Mouth watering!!!

Macaroni, cheese with what else but SPAM, can be Moorish so be careful with this one.

Fried rice and veggies with SPAM, the local Asian food shop makes this for me. Not only does it taste great it keeps you going for hours.

Let’s not forget this one, straight out of the can. When hunger sets in you simply open the can and starting, it’s as simple as that.

Well, you know this is only a short list, I would hazard a guess and say there would be thousands of recipes which include SPAM. Got any favorites then list them below there readers would love to hear them.

For those looking for a comprehensive guide for cooking SPAM then check out spam.com

Conclusion:

If you were in any doubt about keeping a good supply of SPAM for SHTF situations then put that aside. It’s should be part of any serious prepper’s stash of food. With the ever climbing cost of meat it’s a relatively cheap food source containing a good amount of protein and fat. As long as it’s kept in a cool place it can help you get through most serious situations. It can be on the heavy side for carrying large amounts from site to site if mobility is required. For staying put and weathering catastrophic situations it’s ideal.

So, ultimately to answer the question of spam shelf life? There is no definitive answer, but the main points to take out of this article is to store in a cool place take special care not to dent the cans in any way. Do this and you will have a readily supply of food for many many years.

In future articles we’ll dive into more foods that have a long life spam.