Today I decided to break open a 1982 Chicken Loaf MRE produced by Sopakco. I don't think I've had this one before so this will be a new experience for me.
I didn't intend to open the bag this way, but I realized it gives us a good look at how the items were packed.
And here are all the components laid out on the tray.
This ration includes an accessory packet, chicken loaf, peanut butter, crackers, freeze dried strawberries and a chocolate covered cookie.
Here's a closeup of the chicken loaf in its retort pouch.
And the accessory packet that includes a vanilla fudge bar along with the other standard items.
And here's the full MRE, prepared and ready to eat!
I placed the chicken loaf retort pouch in boiling water for about 10 minutes and you might be able to tell that it's steaming on the tray. Based on the smell alone, I had a feeling that this one had gone bad. But maybe it always smelled off so I took a very small bite and it was incredibly bland. Then, as expected, I started to notice a bitter numbness on my tongue. I had to spit it out and dispose of it. I'm sure when this ration was new, it still probably wasn't the most desired item on the menu since I'm sure it was likely always a bland item.
Next, I was curious about the vanilla fudge bar. I broke it in half, here's what it looked like on the inside.
It also made my tongue a bit numb. I think the chocolate on the outer part of the bar was still good, but the vanilla filling is what went bad. I had to throw this away too. The strawberries were exposed to oxygen and moisture at some point so they were softened and no longer freeze dried like they were supposed to be. I took a small bite of them and they still retained their flavor but I didn't want to take any further chances.
So that leaves us with the crackers, peanut butter, chocolate covered cookie and the coffee as the only edible items left. Regarding the coffee, the creamer didn't make it so I just went with tried and true coffee with sugar. I'm not a big fan of any instant coffee because it can never beat freshly percolated or boiled coffee. The crackers and peanut butter were still good. I always like how perfectly creamy MRE peanut butter is and while the combination makes me thirsty, adding it to the crackers always does them wonders. And of course, the chocolate covered cookie is the highlight of the MRE in this case. It's too bad they stopped manufacturing these. The last ration item I found them in were the 2013 LRPs/MCWs. With any luck, they may bring them back one day.
