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Hello everyone. This my first post. Been reading for a year and decided to join. I decided to review one of my old mre's. 26 years old! Sorry, I dont have pictures but will describe the best that I can.

Dark brown mre pouch; box marked packed march 1986 with a test date of 1989.
Menu No. 8, Beef, Diced with Gravy
Accessory packet A
Cinpak Inc.

Entree; Beef with gravy, looked and smelled fine. Did have some small white specks in it that I don't remember seeing before. Tried a spoonful cold and it tasted fine. No difference from what I remember. It has been 4 days since I ate it and no ill effects. I didn't eat the whole thing as I didn't want to push my luck.

Peaches; Standard freeze dried and after adding water and letting set for a few minutes they tasted and looked fine.

Crackers; tasted good, still crisp

Apple jelly; Very dark in color and strong apple smell. I tasted just a little and it was ok. I didn't push my luck with this one either.

Brownie, chocolate covered; Looked good but had a funky taste. Just wasn't right. I don't remember how they tasted so have no compairison.

Cocoa beverage powder; Great

Accessory packet;
sugar-good
salt- good
cream subsitute- hardened but useable
coffee- hardened but useable
gum- good
matches- worked fine
TP- fine

Over all the mre was fine and I would have eaten it in an emergency. I have these more for collcectable value that to eat. I have newer ones for that. Please give some input as to wether I missed anything you would like to know. Hope you enjoyed the review. I will try to get pics with other reviews.

Welcome to forums hiddenhollow! I had an uncle who worked in New York for AT&T back in the 60s, he was a technician inside a mountain in Tully(!?). I do recall that particular MRE menu, and if I'm not mistaken, there were nuts in the brownie which may explain the funky taste. Probably would not have hurt you any unless you have allergy to nuts, but why risk it. As I recall that menu was about as popular as the ham and lima beans from the MCIs, but you have more courage than me since you ate it cold! Anyway welcome again!

hiddenhollow, welcome here in the forum and thank you for that nice review . I also like the "vintage" MREs ; so it is good to read that the 26 year old BEEF, DICED WITH GRAVY was still ok ! I have made the same experience with the BROWNIES, CHOCOLATE COVERED, see here:

viewtopic.php?f=7&t=4475

So long mreheater72

rationtin440, I am about an hour and a half east of Tully. I have heard of bunkers in that area and places east of there. One of them was for sale recently. The next time I open up my chest of mre components I will reveiw something.

Later

Sorry about this hiddenhollow, I meant to say that was an awesome review you did! I worked late last night and was not all there this morning. BTW was I right about the brownie having nuts? A similar thing happened with the cinnamon nut roll from the MCIs as I recall towards the end of their issue years from 1979.

Hey hiddenhollow, I posted a link to the place my uncle worked in the off-topic section of forums. Turns out it was Attica not Tully.

Great review...not sure if I would have eaten that entree even when it was new though.

I'm impressed with the FD peaches though. Most reviews of the 1980's FD fruit nowadays tend to comment that the fruit has no flavor anymore!

The peaches still had flavor. Not like a canned peach but close. I let them soak a good 15 minutes.

mjwise wrote:Great review...not sure if I would have eaten that entree even when it was new though.

I'm impressed with the FD peaches though. Most reviews of the 1980's FD fruit nowadays tend to comment that the fruit has no flavor anymore!

I recently bought a bunch of the 80's FD Peaches with the intent of eating them and haven't been displeased so far. Good rehydrated or right out of the pack, pretty much just as I remembered them.