Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

If you don't check your long-term #10 cans regularly, I'd suggest taking a look at them. I just found three of mine that were expanded top and bottom to the point that they tore their plastic lids. Two of them were Provident Pantry cornbread/corn muffin mix cans, one dating from 2005 and the other from 2006. The third was a Healthy Harvest can of sweet roll mix from 2006. I had one other can of cornbread/muffin mix that wasn't damaged, and I didn't have any other cans of sweet roll mix. Needless to say, I'm not adding any more more mixes like that to my storage! Any cornbread or rolls will be from scratch!

I'd like to open them to see what's going on inside, but the ends of the cans are bulging so badly I don't know if I can get a can opener to work on them!

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

I'm no expert nor even amateur in this area but is there anything other than botulism that will cause cans to bulge?

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

Perhaps other microbial growth? The cans don't appear to have leaks that would have let in oxygen. It's kind of scary, as whatever is in there most certainly would have been bad news long before the cans expanded so noticeably, especially if it were botulism. I plan to take pictures of the cans and contact Emergency Essentials (from whom I bought two of them), Provident Pantry, and Healthy Harvest tomorrow to at least let them know.

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

Botulism. Throw them out. Don't open, don't feed 'em to the chickens.

Scone & cornbread mixes seem to be the worst for this.... have had a few go bad myself.

Store ingredients, not mixes.

:wink:

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

Fortunately, because my migraines make me so sensitive to things like modified food starches and autolyzed yeast, I store mostly ingredients.

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

Maddie, I seriously doubt that there is anything wrong with the dry powdered mixes in the cans. It is not uncommon for cans of baking mixes to swell. What happens is that sometimes the little moisture that was in can will react with the leavening in the mix and make carbon dioxide. This increases interior pressure and swells the ends of the cans. The baking mixes are still perfectly edible, albeit not easy to open.

Now if any wet-packed cans are swollen you should throw them out as eating the contents will probably kill you.

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

As .41Dave said, it sounds like the baking powder in the mixes must have "kicked off" in storage, generating gas. Botulism requires a decent amount of moisture, which would not likely be found in dry baking mixes. IF you do decide to use the mixes, you may need to add a bit more baking powder to compensate for the degraded powder in the mixes.

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

Thanks. Our first thought was something like that. We tossed them out. I suspect they may still be good, but it's not worth risking, and I can barely get my husband to touch anything from a #10 can as it is (oh, he'll eat dehydrated and freeze-dried stuff from the grocery store or REI, but try to feed him something from the food storage supplies, and he gets a look on his face like I just handed him road kill).

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

Maddie, you have my sympathy. David is the same way. He'd eat Campbell's pork and beans every day of the week if I let him. But do you think he'd touch the country bean bake I made from scratch? Heck, no. It was made from cooked pinto beans, bacon, onion, bell pepper, diced ham, ketchup, molasses, vinegar salt, Worcestershire sauce and dried mustard. Absolutely delicious; but he wouldn't eat it because it was "beans." Same thing with the scalloped and augratin potatoes that I make from my home-dehydrated taters. If it doesn't come out of a box with the words "Betty Crocker" on the box, he wants nothing to do with it. Do you know how hard it is to sneak a meal in front of someone who lives in your home without their knowing about its preparation? I have had some success mixing a can of Campbells pork and beans together with a pint of my home-canned pork and beans. Do it quick when no one is watching, and they don't know the difference, LOL.

By the way, I agree with the posters who think the baking powder in the mixes got activated. But for the reasons we've discussed, I understand that it's easier to throw the cans away.

Re: Can Expansion in Long-Term Storage Cans
 

It might be a good idea to work on this a bit. Make what you normally would, and show pride when you welcome him to enjoy it. Seek compliments, and use them to justify cooking more. You might also get him to help with preparing the meals (even just a smidge) so he takes more pride in the outcomes. I suspect your husband simply needs nudging towards real food.

One trick I've heard of is to use copycat recipes, so they taste exactly like the storebought variety. Then reveal that they were homemade after the compliments. Another is to point out the differences in what he is eating. Try to find something he likes that's full of chemicals, and when he approves of the alternative, show him what he's missing.

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