I know we cover this topic from time to time and the answer is usually, "When in doubt..."
So, I was cleaning out the pantry this weekend and discovered 2 jars that had somehow migrated FAR back into the Twilight zone and had never been opened. One of them is a big jar of pickles. And I'm NOT going to open that one and eat it. I'm debating how badly I want the jar back and if I DO want it back, how best to dispose of the contents.
The other find was a jar of applesauce. It is still firmly sealed, not discolored in anyway and looks as perfect as if I did it yesterday. However...the last time I canned applesauce was about 3-5 years ago. (I honestly can't remember when it was) Is this sucker still viable? It looks like it should be, but I don't think we've ever left any home canned goods this long and I'm wondering if anyone knows what the shelf life would be.
So, I was cleaning out the pantry this weekend and discovered 2 jars that had somehow migrated FAR back into the Twilight zone and had never been opened. One of them is a big jar of pickles. And I'm NOT going to open that one and eat it. I'm debating how badly I want the jar back and if I DO want it back, how best to dispose of the contents.
The other find was a jar of applesauce. It is still firmly sealed, not discolored in anyway and looks as perfect as if I did it yesterday. However...the last time I canned applesauce was about 3-5 years ago. (I honestly can't remember when it was) Is this sucker still viable? It looks like it should be, but I don't think we've ever left any home canned goods this long and I'm wondering if anyone knows what the shelf life would be.