Prolonged frozen storage?

[kungfutu]

I live on Baffin Island in arctic Canada. On the first trip to the cabin this winter we checked the plastic garbage can we used for water storage that we forgot to empty in the fall. The expansion of the freezing ice cracked the can all along the side and ruined it. So that got me wondering what would happen to freezing canned food (campbell's, vegetables etc) in a 8 month long winter. Are there any frozen storage suggestions?

[raptor]

Shoot sounds like you have the perfect test site. It sure would be a neat thread if you took statistically significant sample of canned goods and left them there.

Back to you question. I think a lot will depend upon what is in the can. For instance veggies with a lot water may not fare was well as say spam, tuna or chicken since they do not have as much water in them.

However, this is just my guess and not a researched answer.

[kungfutu]

I'm almost tempted to put 2 different cans out on the deck while the temps are still hanging around -10C. It won't be totally scientific, but I want to see what would happen to the peel top style cans...

[TacAir]

MASTER FOOD PRESERVERS & SAFETY ADVISORS
WSU/Whatcom County Cooperative Extension
1000 N Forest Street, Suite 201, Bellingham WA 98225-5594
Phone: 360/676-6736
FAX: 360/738-2458
Frozen Canned Foods

Q -During the last cold snap some of my canned foods froze in the camper. Are they OK to eat?

A -There are two critical questions to ask to determine if frozen canned goods are safe to eat. Is the seal intact or broken? If the seal is broken, has the food thawed?

To test the seal, push on the end of the can or metal lid on top of the jar. If the vacuum seal is intact the lid will not move when it is pressed down. Check the seams carefully on commercially canned foods that have been frozen to make sure there are no openings.

If the seal is intact, the food is safe to eat, even after it thaws. If the seal is broken and the food is frozen, either refrigerate the food and use it as soon as possible or keep it frozen until you plan to eat it.

If canned food has a broken seal and has thawed, the safest approach is to discard the food. The food may have been warm enough for bacteria or mold growth.

A can will often bulge when food is frozen in it. If a can is bulged--and still frozen--keep it frozen in the freezer until ready to use, then thaw in the refrigerator. A can that still bulges after thawing should be discarded.

Be careful even if the bulge disappears after thawing. Look for any obvious signs of spoilage. Listen for the vacuum-release sound when opening the can. As an extra precaution with low acid food, boil the food 10 minutes before tasting.

Information developed by Carolyn Rude, Retired WSU Extension Faculty - Family Living
March 1997

I've dealt with the Washington State University Extension staff while stationed in Spokane - shape folks, the lot.
I'd take this as good advice...

AS for the peel top cans, we avoid those as much as possible, our experience shows the cans to be far less durable/robust.
In one example, we purchased a 6 six the Dinty Moore beef stew - which we use for a fast meal in the RV. We found two of the cans had unsealed from being rattled about in the truck. We now pack so no movement is possible, but I pass this along to highlight not all canned food packaging are the same.

YMMV.

[Syncretic]

Eight month winter? Ouch. Well, I have one frozen storage suggestion. Before mechanical refrigeration ice was the primary refrigerant. Blocks of ice were cut in winter and stored in sawdust well into summer, at latitudes more forgiving than yours. Instead of canned food why not simply frozen food? It might be possible to keep food frozen year round using the same methods once used to preserve ice. You would likely need to add ice in the winter when it was available, but no worries about a power outage. Just an idea, no idea how practical it might be.

[kungfutu]

So I put a bunch of assorted cans in a cardbard box, placed it on a metal grate on the deck and covered with snow to hide it from the ravens.

(1) can chicken noodle soup
(1) can diced tomatoes
(1) small can of chilli- peel top
(1) can of campbells chunky- peel top
(2) blue cans of clover leaf tuna

The tempratures now are around -28C. I had all these cans in the fridge for about a week and a half to simulate autumn. How long until something pops?

[Maast]

6 months ago I moved down from Anchorage, Alaska. I kept all my bulk food preps outside in an unheated shed. I didnt even TRY to store anything that was canned in water.

All the dried stuff was just fine, the cans I had all did fine with one slightly odd exception:

- Spam - no taste/texture change, no bulged cans
- Treet (turkey) - no taste/texture change, no bulged cans
- Canned ham - no taste/texture change, a slightly bulged can that went back to normal as soon as it thawed (I'm guessing the gelatin surrounding the meat expanded a bit).
- Canned cheese, no bulged cans (contents condition unknown, havent been opened)
- Canned butter, no bulged cans
Honey - crystallized but a quick heating in a microwave fixed that
Karo syrup - no change, no bulges

Chicken canned in oil didnt bulge, but the texture changed into kind of a mushy foam. It was still edible and tasted fine though. I'm guessing the multiple freeze/thaw cycles made big ice crystals inside the meat which made watery voids when it melted. I didnt open the can when it was still frozen.

I dont know why I didnt get the foam/voids in the canned spam/treet/ham. Maybe all the salt acted as a antifreeze? Spam in particular I know has LOTS of water in it.

[KnightoftheRoc]

I live on Baffin Island in arctic Canada. On the first trip to the cabin this winter we checked the plastic garbage can we used for water storage that we forgot to empty in the fall. The expansion of the freezing ice cracked the can all along the side and ruined it. So that got me wondering what would happen to freezing canned food (campbell's, vegetables etc) in a 8 month long winter. Are there any frozen storage suggestions?

Once frozen, keep it that way till you want to use it. In a place like yours, shouldn't really be a challenge.

I have to ask- with an 8 month winter, WHY do you live there? Seems like taking an already difficult job and making it harder. I know, some people LIKE the cold, but DAMN!!!