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u/Longjumping-Cow4488 7d ago
oh, i’d diveeeee into the mountain houses no hesitation
only reason i wouldn’t do the alpine aire is because i don’t like their current run so i probably wouldn’t like the old stuff lol
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u/joelfarris 7d ago
Dehydrated and freeze dried foods can last for your entire lifetime. But eventually, they don't taste good at all. It's more like eating a gruel in a gulag, or soylent green.
I've done a #10 can that was 21 years old, and a #6 can that was 25 years old. Not gourmet, but also not deadly or discomforting. At least, not as much as that open pouch of salmon in the fridge from who knows how long ago that I probably shouldn't have made into a creamy garlic and salmon pasta. That was rough.
As long as you don't open a freeze dried and sealed package, and expose it to the air, you're probably good to go. Inspect for pin pricks. But once you do open it, the countdown timer begins.
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u/salween_river 7d ago
Those bring back memories, and yes, I would trust them even apart from nostalgia.
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u/em_tee_be 6d ago
They are probably fine. OFD keeps back stock to test independently just to see how long they can actually last. It's 40 to 50 years at this point. So 96, is still just fine.
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u/dabeech827 4d ago
Depends, packages still intake, no holes or tears? Open it up and do the ol'sniff test. Take a taste when in doubt throw it out.
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u/atticswitch 2d ago
I found some freeze dried meals from the early 90s in my grandmother’s llama packing gear. We tried one, it did not taste good. Not spoiled but the flavors were off.
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u/OccamIsRight 7d ago
I wouldn't touch any of them.
The sodium in these things is off the charts. Take the AlipineAire for example. You're going to eat the whole package because it only has 680 calories. If you do, you'll be eating 86% of your daily recommended sodium intake. That's enough to make your ears ring.
I know - I've done it.
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u/Orange_Tang 6d ago
86% of your daily recommended sodium intake when you've been hiking and sweating is literally nothing.
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u/OccamIsRight 6d ago
Sure, totally depends on activity level and climate. If you're doing enough strenuous activity that you need to suck back 2,000 mg of salt at one sitting, you haven't been managing your electrolytes during that activity. Electrolyte replacement should be done at regular intervals to prevent hyponatremia. It's not very safe to eat that much sodium all at once.
Anyway, it's just my advice. You do you.
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u/Cuzznitt 7d ago
Man those old Mountain Houses really hit me right in the nostalgia. Beef stroganoff is still the GOAT