I keep canned goods in my tt all summer long, spices, cooking oil, and anything that will not attract bugs or spoil. If I have a new unopened bottle or jar of condiment (whatever it is) I will leave it in the tt.
At the end of camping season, I clean out the cupboards then when next year comes around I will do it all over again.
Many (or most) acidic foods now use lined cans that extend the life of the can. I remove boxed foods (cereal, pasta, etc.) during long periods of inactivity. Rodents would have a field day. Almost everything that is vulnerable is sealed in plastic containers.
David
There are three kinds of people in this world: those who can count and those who can't.
Thanks for the replies thus far. To clarify, I'm not referring to long-term storage (such as over the winter). I'm referring to those (roughly) 2-week storage periods between each use.
We keep all the same things in the RV cabinets as we do in the home cabinets. I have vent covers and leave the vents open all the time to prevent getting too hot inside. We load up in March and remove the food in November.
Tim
"Okay, I admit it, the only thing I'm really good at is being me."
GBlack wrote: ..... But what about things like canned food (soup, veggies), cereal, pasta/Hamburger Helper mix, salt/pepper, sealed juices, etc.? Will they survive the warm tempertures in storage? Of course, we'll keep any opened, non-perishable products in a RubberMaid box to deter rodents.
We keep all these things and stuff like it in our pantry/cupboard from May to close-up in October. Canned and dry packaged goods as well as soft drinks, bottled water etc... have all been fine.
I keep the 3 MaxxAir covered vents open while our 5er is in storage.
This year will be a bit different for us since we will be in a seasonal site and will be keeping the fridge running all the time.
Eric
2009 Holiday Rambler Admiral 33SFS
Good Sam's - FQCC/Camping Quebec My Photos
fordsooperdootydieselsmoker wrote: Spices when sealed last quite a while. Egyptian tombs still hold sealed jars of herbs and spices. Spices are often "irradiated" to make sure they are safe for long term storage. Canned goods from before World War One are still edible, having lost some of the nutrients.
PennState University says..."Commercially canned foods, whether in tins or glass jars, won't keep forever. Commercial canners work under tightly controlled conditions to assure a safe product, but there are limits to how long food quality can be maintained.
Several factors limit the shelf-life of canned foods. First, cans or metal lids on glass jars may rust. When rust is deep enough, tiny holes may form in the can or lid and let spoilage in. Shipping accidents that dent or crush cans also cause container problems.
Can corrosion is another factor. Foods, especially high-acid foods like tomatoes and fruit juices, can react chemically with metal containers. Over several years, this may cause taste and texture changes, and lower the nutrient content.
High temperatures over 100 degrees F are harmful to canned foods. The risk of spoilage jumps sharply as storage temperatures rise. Even at prolonged storage above 75 degrees F, the rate of nutrient loss increases. Light causes color changes and nutrient losses in foods canned in glass jars. Never use foods from containers with these spoilage warning signs - loose or bulging lids on jars; bulging, leaking or badly dented cans; or foods with a foul odor. Never taste a suspect food! When in doubt, throw it out!
To store commercially canned food properly, follow these guidelines:
- Store them in a cool, clean, dry place where temperatures are below 75 degrees F. A range of 60-70 degrees F is desirable.
- For highest quality and safety, use commercially canned food within two years."
The above information is correct and is what commercial canners understand about their process and products.
Lined cans help but don't eliminate the potential for accelerated food decomposition of food or can materials in hot temperatures (above 100 deg. F). Canned foods have a limited shelf life and the more acid in the canned good the shorted it will be...lined can or not. In many cases, the can might survive but the food has degraded to the point that you won't want to eat it.
Hot temperatures will also allow any bacteria in the canned good to grow rapidly and create gas which will burst the can. You don't really want to have to clean this up inside you RV; especially once it hits the air and really gets rotting.
The safe thing to keep in the RV; as others have said are spices and dry canned goods like fried onions or other non-liquid canned goods. Soup, tomato products, and vegetables pose the greatest risk to spoilage. Meats not so much but the meat itself will continue to degrade in taste and texture over time in the heat. Other things will also not do well like baking powder, baking yeast, some strong smelling spices (they loose their punch)and dark cooking oils like olive (the get rancid).
But, short term storage for a few weeks should not be an issue in the more temperate climates. We live in the desert southwest so heat is a major issue for RVs in storage or use. When the outside temps are over 110 you can imagine what it is like inside a closed compartment that faces the sun.
If we are not going anywhere for a couple of weeks we take out all the food items in the summer. (Along with CDs, DVDs, alkaline batteries, and anything else that will melt.
2008 42' Tiffin Allegro Bus, Xantrex RS3000 Pure Sine inverter, Garmin 2730 GPS, Cobra CB, Toad-2001 Acura MDX, Blue Ox base, Blue Ox Alexus LX towbar, SMI Silent Partner.
If I don't leave dry or canned foods in the RV between trips, what am I gonna snack on?
BTW, found part of a package of mini donuts that had escaped notice for a few weeks, and I think they are like twinkies. No food content left, just preservatives. They were still soft.
Puller: '04 HD2500 4x4 SB,EC Duramax/Allison. Airaid intake, 4in. exhaust turbo back, ORU leveler.
Pullee: '02 Keystone Cougar 276EFS Reese 16k w/ slider.
(map is for current 5er only)
I don't keep anything in there outside the alcohol over the winter. During the active part of the year, dried goods like the spices, pancake mix, flour, salt and sugar stay in the camper. I've discovered that the cold will transmit moisture into the spices if I leave them in their all winter, and make them as solid as bricks, so they get removed during the long stow, and reloaded during the short.
CBChannel 17Space Ghost '1991.5Dodge W-250 Power Wagon - Club Cab Long Bed V8 5.9L 4spd H.D Auto 4x4 4.10 Gears '1974KIT Kamper 1106 - 11' Slide-in '1987Pullman Mini Camper '2004Bi-Mart 4x8 Cargo Trailer
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