Taste test 1988/89 MRE Menu #1

[Norton]

MRE Menus VIII (1988) - MRE IX (1989)

I decided to open a MRE I had kept since my time in the Reserves
Also used my old TRIOXANE FUEL BARS about the same vintage to heat the coffee water in my G.I. canteen cup and stand

It was Menu #1 Packed in Texas

I opened at tried everything single item except the coca powder, including the wet napkin

Pork w/Rice in BBQ Sauce TS 8oz
Applesauce TS
Jelly
Crackers
Candy*
Cocoa
Bev Base
Spoon
Acc Pkt B

Opened the Pork and thought it smelled just like a fresh MRE
Took at tiny bite and held it on my tongue. At first the taste of the BBQ sause was sweet and then I tasted a strong metallic flavor
My brain said don't eat this , I spit it out
Second was the Applesauce, Smelled fresh with very strong of scent Cinnamon
Took a tiny taste and held it on my tongue.
At first very sweet and then a bad flavor , brain told me don't eat.. Danger Will Robinson Danger
Open the crackers and they had a audible noise of air being released as I cut the pack
They were still crisp and snapped in two. The flavor was totally fresh and normal. I ate one and by brain and stomach told me, it's OK.
The apple Jelly smelled fine, so I took a small taste and thought it tasted horrible.
Made the coffee and found one of my TRIOXANE bars had turned to powder
. I used it anyway and found I need two to boil water and never got full boil at that
Coffee type 1, smelled nutty, Creme looked OK and the sugar never goes bad
But it tasted Bad, one sip and I was done and I mean one sip!
The lemon lime powder tasted totally normal
Charms candy had turned to gooey sap, I tasted one and it too was horrible
The 'Chiclets' gum very hard to chew and I found it tasted funny. Can't put my finger on it but it was not very good.
The wet napkin was still moist
Tabasco sauce was still liquid and had intact seal

I left it outside in the woods and something ate everything one hundred percent clean
My un-scientific opinion is .. I think the stuff was still edible in a dire emergency situation.
Also I learned Crackers keep nearly forever.. By the way I tried some 1962 dated Civil Defense shelter ration
Nabisco Crackers packed in a steel can
They were tasteless, yet smelled fine and had no mold or anything funny looking on them. My chickens ate the rest of the can and appeared to like it

[Norton]

Heat tabs and other items kept since 1989

[housil]

Thx for giving that a try

[Apocalypse]

Check the woods for poisoned critters.

[Name_not_found]

NIce! Thanks for the review

Welcome to the elite club of people who have eaten something over 2 decades old ....and lived


I always wonder if wornick and sopacko etc take a look here to see how their stuff holds up.