How Long Does Canned Food Last
Canned food may not taste as great as fresh food but it is a great life saver for people who are not very efficient in the kitchen. Fully prepared canned foods are a great option if you can’t cook. However, even if you cook your own meals canned fruits and vegetables can save you a lot of time and energy. If you ask how long does canned food last, the usual shelf life of canned food ranges from 6 months to 2 years, from the date of manufacturing. Hence you can do your canned food shopping in bulk and save time and energy. You need not worry that if you keep canned food for a long time it will lose its nutritional value, because the food is packed in the cans in such a way that the nutrients remain intact right up till the expiration date.
Apart from the fact of how long does canned food last, it is impossible to ignore the other advantages of tinned food. These foods can be used in different recipes for smoothies, curries, soups, pastas, desserts etc. When you want to understand the convenience of canned food when you are cooking just imagine having to peel a pound of tomatoes and then slice and cook them prior to adding them to the dish you are cooking. On the other hand, if you just have to open a can of pre cooked tomatoes and simply add them to your cooking pot wouldn’t it save a lot of time. In fact canned food reduces the time required for cooking several dishes into half.
Apart from the benefit of how long does canned food last and how convenient it is, there are also several nutritional benefits. Many people have the misconception that canned food is bad for health. Well nothing can be further from the truth. Canned food in fact sometimes has higher nutritional value than the fresh counterparts. For instance, canned peaches and pineapples have higher iron levels than they do in their fresh forms.
Most canned vegetables and fruits are very high in vitamin content. For instance, canned pumpkin contains more vitamin A than fresh pumpkin. You also get a good intake of riboflavin, thiamine, and vitamin B6 in canned fruits and vegetables. There is a higher level of carotene in canned spinach, carrots and apricots. Carotenes are important antioxidants that protect the cells of the body. Canned fruit juice is very rich in nutrients and can be conveniently used in making smoothies, marinades or sauces. This is an added benefit to how long does canned food last. At the same time, canned food is also very hygienic. This is because the fruits and vegetables used in preparing these foods are fresh and the cooking process at high temperatures sterilizes them. The cans are also sterilized prior to canning the food.
Once you have realized the benefit of how long does canned food last, there are some additional benefits that most people ignore. The cans are recyclable and environment friendly. If you use some creativity, you can put these empty cans to good use by painting them and using them as pen stands.
