In all my years of collecting...

[KML1989]

I never thought I'd see one of these intact and edible!

1982 Menu 3 - Dehydrated Pork Patties, with the elusive Dehydrated Catsup.

And it was GOOD! Red, dry, and exceptionally tangy. The Catsup was almost like a tangy tomato soup, and pretty sweet overall. It paired great with the pork.

Not pictured, but eaten, was the Applesauce. Barely browned after 43 years, and not sweet at all.

Also tried was 43 year old cheese spread. It was....good...A little chunky, but a nice and sharp cheddar flavor

Lastly, a nice army mocha to end lunch. I am so unbelievably stunned by how well this meal held up over the years.

[KML1989]

The pictures didn't upload. Here they are!

[texrdnec]

that's pretty cool

[Tedster]

Technically speaking, the beef and pork patties were freeze-dried, this is a much better food preservation technique than dehydration . Flash frozen in a vacuum and exposed to radiant heat, the color, texture and structure is maintained.

At the time these were issued, they were reviled by many. The quality was actually pretty good, as far as that goes, and freeze-dried foods have an almost indefinite shelf life. A lot longer than the retort pouch. The quality of the beverages - cocoa, coffee, and kool-aid was actually a lot better than what they are issuing now. I would argue too, the crackers today are little better than cardboard. Sad.

The Ketchup never did much for me. Trans-Packers out of Brooklyn had good stuff though. I saved every one of their Cayenne pepper pack, and had years worth. Excellent stuff, one of my favorite spices.

[KML1989]

Technically speaking, the beef and pork patties were freeze-dried, this is a much better food preservation technique than dehydration . Flash frozen in a vacuum and exposed to radiant heat, the color, texture and structure is maintained.

At the time these were issued, they were reviled by many. The quality was actually pretty good, as far as that goes, and freeze-dried foods have an almost indefinite shelf life. A lot longer than the retort pouch. The quality of the beverages - cocoa, coffee, and kool-aid was actually a lot better than what they are issuing now. I would argue too, the crackers today are little better than cardboard. Sad.

The Ketchup never did much for me. Trans-Packers out of Brooklyn had good stuff though. I saved every one of their Cayenne pepper pack, and had years worth. Excellent stuff, one of my favorite spices.

I do enjoy old LRPs a lot. Have a few that I'm chewing through right now.

I also ate the beef patty mre. Everything was like it was packed last week, even the vanilla fudge bar...

[Tedster]

Those contract candies used better ingredients, in terms of shelf stability, than commercial off the shelf. No way say, a Snickers bar from 1982 would still be edible. Even M&Ms don’t fare too well, as many here can attest. I really liked those round foil wrapped toffee chocolate discs in the MCI. Heck, even those round crackers were awesome compared to the tasteless cardboard they have now.

[Westview]

Heck, even those round crackers were awesome compared to the tasteless cardboard they have now.

They tasted better because they made them with shorting or lard, and you won't find shorting or lard in any US ration these days. Not just because they are unhealthy, but because lard and shorting have a short shelf life (unless sealed in an air tight MCI can)

The Canadian IMP hamburger bun is a perfect example of how taste is sacrificed for long shelf life stability.