Using Old Food Storage

Remember that you should rotate your food storage on a regular basis. However, if you haven't, it is still possible to use some old food storage. You simply have to be creative.

Shelf Life of Dehydrated, semi-perishable food stored in cans below 70 degrees: Approximately 5 years.

Shelf Life of Perishable Foods (not dehydrated such as bottled fruits): Best if eaten within 2 years.

Ideas for Using Old Food Storage:

Old Flour: Make pumpkin bread. The loaves may be shriveled, shrunken & crumble more easily but the taste is far better than plain white bread.

Old Powdered Milk: Can be mixed into a pudding recipe.

Old Brown Rice: Can be made into Spanish Rice.

The best thing to do is just experiment. Be creative in cooking to disguise the taste, smell and flatness of old food storage.

USE EXTREME CAUTION. Don't use bloated cans or cans that have been exposed to extreme temperatures.

Recipes Using Old Canned Fruit:

DRIED FRUIT LEATHER
Drain the juice from the bottle, put the fruit in a blender, puree thoroughly. If fruit is dark, add 1/4 C of crushed pineapple. This restores the color right before your eyes. Line a cookie sheet with plastic wrap. Anchor edges with masking tape so plastic will not flop over puree. Pour puree evenly over plastic (about 2 C per cookie sheet) and set in the sun to dry, or in a hot car, or in a dehydrator. The fruit leather is finished when you can pull if off the plastic leaving no residue. Fruit that is five or six years old may be used and the resulting product is still delicious.

FRUIT CAKE
2 C Fruit (pureed old fruit) or applesauce, pineapple, cherries
2 Tbsp Margarine
1/2 to 3/4 box of cake mix (yellow or white is best)
Put fruit in a bowl, add margarine and stir. Add the cake mix and gently stir (lumps in the mixture are fine). Pour into a lightly greased 10X10 inch glass pan. Microwave at full power for 5 minutes. Turn, then microwave for 2 more minutes. Best when served with ice cream.

HAWAIIAN BREAD
3 1/2 C pureed fruit
1 10-oz. package moist flaked coconut
4 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 c sugar
4 C Flour
2 tsp Salt
2 tsp Soda
Combine all ingredients in order given. Bake one hour at 325 degrees in two greased loaf pans.

FRUIT SMOOTHIES
2 C canned fruit with juice
3/4 C Non-instant milk or 1 1/3 C instant milk
1 to 2 drops almost flavoring or 1 Tbsp lemon juice
Blend in the blender until smooth. Add 1/2 tray of ice cups and blend until thick.
Variations: Use 2 scoops of vanilla ice cream in place of the ice.

DELICIOUS CAKE
1/2 C White Sugar
1/2 C Brown Sugar
2 C Sifted Flour
1/2 tsp Salt
1 tsp Soda
2 tsp Baking Powder
2 tsp Cinnamon
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs
1 C Vegetable Oil
2 C Drained Old Fruit, Blended
1/2 C Each Raisins and Nuts
Combine sugar, flour, salt, soda, baking powder, and spices together and set aside. Beat eggs and salad oil until creamy. Add drained fruit and dry ingredients. Beat until smooth. Add nuts and raisins. Bake in 11X7 oblong cake pan or 10X10 square pan at 350 degrees for 30 minuets. Cake is rich enough without frosting.

FRUIT MUFFINS
2/3 C Sugar
1/3 C Shortening
1 Egg
1/4 C Honey
1 C Milk
2 C Flour
1 tsp Baking Soda
1 tsp Baking Powder
1 tsp Salt
1/2 C Drained Canned Fruit, Chopped
Cream sugar and shortening together. Add egg and mix well. Add honey and milk, taking care to scrape the bowl often. Add sifted dry ingredients and mix at low speed just until blended. Fold in drained fruit. Fill greased muffin tins 3/4 full. Bake at 375 degrees for 15-20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

COBBLER
1/2 Cube Soft Margarine
1/2 C Sugar
1 C Flour
2 tsp Baking Powder
1/2 tsp Salt
1/2 C Milk
Combine and place in the bottom of a 9X13 pan. Spoon 1 quart of your choice of fruit. Sprinkle with sugar then pour juice over all. Bake at 350 degrees for 45-50 minutes. Serve warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

FRUIT BARS
1 quart bottle of any canned fruit (juice and fruit)
4 tsp baking soda
1 C oil
1 1/2 C Sugar
2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1/2 tsp cloves
Set aside 1/4 c fruit juice for glaze. Partially blend the fruit and juice, leaving some pieces of fruit. Add the baking soda to the blended fruit. This mixture will bubble. Stir 1 cup oil and 1 1/2 c sugar into the bubbling fruit mixture. Mix in cinnamon, nutmeg and cloves. Add the flour (nuts and raisins may be add if desired) Pour batter into a well greased and floured cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-35 minutes or until done. (Inserted toothpick will come out clean.) Top with glaze made from 1/4 c fruit juice, powdered sugar and margarine.

Source: Emergency Essentials, "Don't Dump Old Food Storage-Be Creative" www.beprepared.com/Articles/dont.html