Does Oatmeal ever "go bad"

[peakbagger]

Is oatmeal the food equivalent of a cockroach ;). Will it remain long after humans have left the earth.

I was brought up on enough oatmeal that I do not voluntarily eat it except for when I am backpacking, Its a good warm morning fuel and pretty foolproof to prepare so I tolerate it whne camping. I backpack far less these days but the trade off owning a house without a spouse is sometimes stuff gets stashed away and may not get opened for years. On occasion I run into stashes of left over instant oatmeal packs and I usually just throw it in a Ziploc and use it on the next trip. I dont really taste any off odors and it pretty much seems to comes down that unless I decide to throw it away as I dont like the flavor or if it gets wet or gnawed on that its good to good.

[Feral Bill]

I have used fairly ancient instant oatmeal. If it doesn't have insect larvae in it I'm game.

[perdidochas]

Is oatmeal the food equivalent of a cockroach ;). Will it remain long after humans have left the earth.

I was brought up on enough oatmeal that I do not voluntarily eat it except for when I am backpacking, Its a good warm morning fuel and pretty foolproof to prepare so I tolerate it whne camping. I backpack far less these days but the trade off owning a house without a spouse is sometimes stuff gets stashed away and may not get opened for years. On occasion I run into stashes of left over instant oatmeal packs and I usually just throw it in a Ziploc and use it on the next trip. I dont really taste any off odors and it pretty much seems to comes down that unless I decide to throw it away as I dont like the flavor or if it gets wet or gnawed on that its good to good.
Well, it depends on where you live. Here in warm, humid Florida it clumps up in a year or so if you don't keep it in low humidity (aka air conditioning). The Boy Scouts in my boys' former troop (only former because they aged out), tried to eat year old instant oatmeal. It was clumpy and tasted off.

[JJ505]

I think the humidity may be an issue, but I live in NM. The other day I ate year old old fashioned oatmeal. Tasted fine. No bugs. :D

[KCNC]

Is oatmeal the food equivalent of a cockroach ;). Will it remain long after humans have left the earth.

I was brought up on enough oatmeal that I do not voluntarily eat it except for when I am backpacking, Its a good warm morning fuel and pretty foolproof to prepare so I tolerate it whne camping. I backpack far less these days but the trade off owning a house without a spouse is sometimes stuff gets stashed away and may not get opened for years. On occasion I run into stashes of left over instant oatmeal packs and I usually just throw it in a Ziploc and use it on the next trip. I dont really taste any off odors and it pretty much seems to comes down that unless I decide to throw it away as I dont like the flavor or if it gets wet or gnawed on that its good to good.

Existential question?

Is oatmeal ever really "good?"

Must it be "good" in order to "go bad?"

What if it's always "just ok?" - Can it even "go bad" in that case?

Something to contemplate on your next hike...

[illabelle]

Existential question?

Is oatmeal ever really "good?"

Must it be "good" in order to "go bad?"

What if it's always "just ok?" - Can it even "go bad" in that case?

Something to contemplate on your next hike...

Those are EXCELLENT questions! :sun

[Deadeye]

I like oatmeal, yes I do
even when it turns to glue
if it has some extra larvae
that's added protein... just marvy
I don't mind
if there's a worm
'cause it keeps my stools
so nice and firm

[rocketsocks]

One study at Brigham Young university came up with a date of 28 years for acceptable oats.

http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/01/simple-survival-foods-oatmeal.html?m=1

[Slo-go'en]

Half the stuff in my pantry "expired" years ago. I did a purge not too long ago. Anything over 10 years old got tossed :) Otherwise, maybe I will use it eventually. I got some pretty old hot chocolate packs which should still be good. And Ramen, I don't suppose that will ever go bad.

[KCNC]

I don't put much emphasis on expiration dates, either. In my experience "old" stuff starts to taste like the packaging. When it hits that point I toss it.

[garlic08]

One study at Brigham Young university came up with a date of 28 years for acceptable oats.
Definitely trust the LDS when it comes to food storage. They are good at it. I guess one could say they do it religiously.

If you don't like traditional cooked oats, try it as muesli (uncooked rolled oats) instead. I practically subsist on muesli, but nearly gag on cooked rolled oats (steel cut, not so bad).

[GoldenBear]

I've done volunteer work at a food shelf for many years. One of our rules is that we NEVER distribute food past its expiration date. Mostly out of curiosity, I decided to check what, exactly, is the rationale for the dates one sees on canned and boxed food. This article summarizes it best:

http://www.skilledsurvival.com/canned-food-expiration-date-myth/

In short, canned food (as long as the can itself is not compromised) will remain SAFE to eat for decades -- perhaps forever. For the most part, it also will remain as nutritious as the day it was packed. Its color, consistency, and taste may deteriorate over time, but its SAFETY will not.

Most food that are air-sealed are the same. Again, the look, feel, smell, or taste will go down; but not the safety.
IMPORTANT NOTE: we have been given noses that are designed to help us avoid rotten food. If you open stuff and it SMELLS bad, that's the stuff to throw away. Even one, small taste of food that smells "funny" can (literally!) kill you.

[Dogwood]

When stored properly oats last 2-3 yrs. Don't confuse oats with flavored oats, oat meal packets containing other ingredients like various sugars, oils, dried fruits, etc. I've never seen worms in glass sealed oats even after laying around for at least 6 yrs. Oat meal packets have a much shorter shelf life of 9 months or less.

[DownEaster]

And Ramen, I don't suppose that will ever go bad.
I hate to disappoint you, but Ramen will go bad. I had a 6-pack of Ramen that got pushed back on the top shelf of the pantry until I came across it 3-4 years later. Ramen is made with oil, and the oil had gotten funky. I still ate it, but the taste was not good.

[Dogwood]

Ramen is just a type of noodle. Different companies make it differently. The two brands most hikers are likely familiar are the very cheaply made with inferior ingredients are Maruchan and Nissin. Both these brands contain vegetable oils and whatever other types of oils they can find most cheaply. At least the Maruchan also contains the controversial tertiary-butyl hydroquinone (TBHQ) a petroleum by product. Eek! That is where these brands obtain their fat, some would say unhealthy fats and lowest quality oils.

Compare that to Lotus Brands Food no soil added Millet and Brown Rice which can be bought in 10 packs at Costco for about $8 or with Miso packet. The fat content isn't as desirable as the other two brands but that allows for adding fat in of one's own choice as an ingredient if so desired.
https://shop.lotusfoods.com/Millet-and-Brown-Rice-Ramen-with-Miso-Soup-/p/LOT-601038&c=LotusFoods@Ramen


Mention this because based on side by side longevity comparisons the Lotus Brands have greater freshness when I've compared them to the two other cheaper brands mentioned as I'll make up meals of ramen noodles up to 8 months before using them on trail. I much prefer the higher quality ingredients I can easily recognize without a chemistry or Food Science degree at not a break the bank up charge of the Lotus Brand. TIP: if making meals ahead of time don't add high fat ingredients to the Lotus Brand Noodles: keep the fats separate in a snack bag until consumed. I like adding a packet of sesame chili oil, powdered coconut milk, EVOO, flax seed oil, nuts, dried shrimp, ahi jerky, etc.

[TexasBob]

One study at Brigham Young university came up with a date of 28 years for acceptable oats.
http://stealthsurvival.blogspot.com/2009/01/simple-survival-foods-oatmeal.html?m=1

from the article "a 2005 study at Brigham Young University found that the quick cooking type rolled oats that had been stored for 28 years in sealed containers were rated "acceptable in an emergency" in taste and quality by 75 % of people involved in a taste test of the rolled oats."


Made me laugh. What wouldn't be acceptable in an emergency?

[wisscy]

I recently was cleaning the pantry and tried a 3-4 year old packet of a flavored instant oats, specifically a raspberry and cream. That tasted quite off whereas ones with less flavoring seem to last longer. So I think the oats are probably fine, it's the other ingredients that are the weak link.

Sent from my Nexus 5X using Tapatalk

[SoaknWet]

When I make oats on the trail after I pour the boiling water in and wait till everything on the surface has stopped moving before I eat. If the moving take to long I just hold my teeth together to strain the moving stuff out, then the only decision is spent or swallow.

[KCNC]

Just remember, your 12 or 18 year old scotch only lasts about a week after you open the bottle.

After that it becomes highly toxic and must be disposed of properly.

I've been specially trained in this technique, just send it to me and I'll make sure it is handled in the approved manner.

[Davem]

I e used very expired oatmeal and freeze dried meals with no problem. Some of the freeze dried meals had been portioned out into freezer bags for years. I can’t waste food.

[Venchka]

It pains me to pay $2.00 for the Lotus Ramen but it does taste better and the ingredients do appear to be a notch above the 5 for a buck variety.
Thanks Dogwood for confirming my suspicions.
Wayne