Anyone got Tips for beginner Vintage item Reviewers?

[Eistee]

Does maybe any of the Vintage Ration Reviewers here have any tips for beginners?

-what to look out for, what to stay away from?
just wanna get any tips so i dont get food poisoning on my first try.

Thanks in advance

[cavguy]

Use your senses,
1. Observe packaging /food for any signs of bacteria or unusual discoloration.
2. Smell packaging /food for any foul odors, or something that does not just smell right.
3. Finally, if the food passes the above steps, take a VERY VERY small piece of the questionable item and let it sit on your tongue for a little bit, then if no reaction eat it. Wait and see if your tongue goes numb or feels "weird" at all or if your stomach says "no" lol... Then you know its a no-go.

Personally, with old school brown bag MRE items I just always assume they are bad and make them prove to me the converse, by following the above steps. If I have the slightest hint during the above steps that something is bad - in the can it goes!

Items that are *usually bad (my experience);
Nutcakes
Anything C-Ration
Old school MRE dark brown package cheese spread
All Pre-80's era MRE stuff except the freeze dried items and sometimes crackers
Any early 90's metal T-ration meal or dessert (except SOME of the cakes!)
Most of the older Brownie Chocolate covered's
Anything from the 90's (even 2000's) that has been stored outside in an uncontrolled environment.

Stuff that I usually don't attempt to eat at all;
90's - 2000s MRE main meals, as if these have not been stored correctly, the taste of the entree's can suffer as a result.

[Eistee]

Great Tips indeed cavguy,
Now i know that i probably should stay away from the '83 Frankfurters

[steve1989]

Awesome tips, cavguy!

I also want to chime in this.. probably about to give a ramble here so bear with me..

Be careful of old dry milk! It's one of the most difficult ones to detect - the smell isn't all that unpleasant - and sometimes if one's nose isn't in tip-top shape, they will not be able to detect the slightly musty "cheese" smell.. but there is something else about the smell of old dry milk that I just cannot describe. Pretty much, I do not consume any dried milk product over 5 years old no matter what. I have made some exceptions for freeze-dried items only. Say a 2005 MCW Beef Stroganoff - the thing has dry milk in it, but it's also freeze dried and vacuum sealed.

Speaking of freeze dried - if it has a pin hole and the packaging is loose - toss it. With any old MRE items, if the retort pouches or any of the packaging's layers start to peel back, it's also compromised.

Swelled cans hiss when opened - gas pressure is releasing. **No good**
Non-swelled can hisses when opened - oxygen rushing inward. **Good**

Any swelled, punctured, or damaged food pouches of any kind are almost always a no go.

Now, wanna know a great Military Ration to review that is older and still many are OK? The Food Packet, Long Range Patrol - or LRP - I have eaten ones well over 30+ years old.. had an awesome "vintage" experience, and had no stomach issues too!


If you Eistee, or anyone else ever has any "Is that still fresh?" questions for me, ask away and I can do my best to answer.

[Eistee]

Perfect time to ask then, i have a brown bag "peach" freeze Dried packet in front of me, the package is still intact, but the peaches feel soft as if water is in somehow

[steve1989]

That would mean a pinhole got to your freeze dried peaches, air got in and moisture buildup occurred and now it is sadly no longer edible. Probably very dark and with dry mold.

[Eistee]

What about the peanut butter and apple jelly, how good does it stand up to all that time?

[cavguy]

I have had mostly good luck with the peanut butter. But the jelly is another story and it does go bad but in my experience not as fast as the cheese spread.

[carlosflar]

What about the peanut butter and apple jelly, how good does it stand up to all that time?

jelly i cant tell, but if you find honey, most likely is still good if the container is in ''good shape''