MRE Question - AR15.COM

Site Notices

Posted: 2/10/2012 5:06:30 PM EDT

This is my first experience with MRE'S. I found a box of 12 in my F.I.L's. garage last week after he passed away, The box was dated 2000. I opened one up tonight to try it, and the entrees were horrible, the beef patty smelled and tasted like dog food, and the mexican rice actually smelled rotten. The peanut butter, crackers and honey roasted peanuts tasted fine. Is it safe to assume the other entrees are probably bad also? They have probably been in the garage for at least 5-7 years. I am in Jacksonville Florida in case anyone was wondering about the climate. Thanks for any insight in advance

Posted: 2/10/2012 5:14:19 PM EDT

[#1]

yep those are the good MRE's.....

...
was the bag swolen ?

I would probably just toss them....but then again I hate MRE's

Posted: 2/10/2012 5:17:54 PM EDT

[#2]

i highly doubt they were bad unless stored where it constantly got hot, then cold. MRE's arent supposed to necessarily taste good. the beef and pork ones are my least favorite. if you want to give them another try, go for the vegetarian ones. stay away from the omelete.

also, i think a lot of them taste better cold than warm, but thats personal preference.

Posted: 2/10/2012 5:18:26 PM EDT

[#3]

Bags were not swollen. My dog gobbled up the "beef patty". I'm gonna go ahead and try the cheese spread, pound cake, brownie and probably toss the entrees in the trash. Hopefully I survive the night!
I think I will just stick to mountain house, I like most of those.

Posted: 2/10/2012 5:57:30 PM EDT

[#4]

I will wait for you to post later about the dogs ass explosion

Posted: 2/10/2012 6:02:49 PM EDT

[#5]

12 year old MRE's stored in FL, yep those are gonna be fresh

MRE's going on that age even if stored in a air conditioned area would be getting past their prime.

Posted: 2/10/2012 6:18:17 PM EDT

[#6]

Quoted:
12 year old MRE's stored in FL, yep those are gonna be fresh

MRE's going on that age even if stored in a air conditioned area would be getting past their prime.

+1

Dump em, there really only supposed to have a five year shelf life.

Posted: 2/10/2012 6:27:25 PM EDT

[#7]

Quoted:

I will wait for you to post later about the dogs ass explosion

And for tonight, the mutt sleeps outside.

Posted: 2/10/2012 6:37:39 PM EDT

[#8]

Quoted:

Quoted:
12 year old MRE's stored in FL, yep those are gonna be fresh

MRE's going on that age even if stored in a air conditioned area would be getting past their prime.

+1

Dump em, there really only supposed to have a five year shelf life.

Yeah, that's in a climate controlled storage too.

That said I have a case here from 06' that was given to me, and while the red date thing says they should be dead, I have opened a meal that contained applesauce (the first thing to go funky in a MRE, it turns dark when it goes bad) and it appeared to be just as good as the day it was made, and tasted the same. You can eat older MRE's, and they probably won't kill you, but they will not be fresh, nor look eatable, my guess this is what OP found out

Key with MRE's is storage temps, if it's been kept over 70* for over a year or so, they ain't gonna last long, the cooler and darker they have been kept for their life, the longer they will last.

Posted: 2/10/2012 7:07:30 PM EDT

[#9]

"I opened one up tonight to try it, and the entrees were horrible, the beef patty smelled and tasted like dog food, and the mexican rice actually smelled rotten."

Yep, that's an MRE all right. If you get really lucky you'll get a tuna one. Some of the chicken things aren't too bad. Make sure you give that dog plenty of water.

Posted: 2/10/2012 7:10:36 PM EDT

[#10]

MRE= Meal Ready to Eat...

The government is getting a hell of a deal on those. Three lies for the price of one!

Posted: 2/10/2012 7:17:33 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
MRE= Meal Ready to Eat...

The government is getting a hell of a deal on those. Three lies for the price of one!

MRE after you eat it = Meal Refusing Exit

Posted: 2/10/2012 7:23:28 PM EDT

[#12]

I would guess they were sitting in that garage cooking for a good amount of time.
I've eaten MRE's off a pallet that were sitting in the desert sun for a few months.
Not appetizing my any means after being exposed at those temperatures, but they were still safe to eat.

Posted: 2/11/2012 2:38:08 AM EDT

[#13]

Be sure to save the little bottles of "hot" sauce.

Posted: 2/11/2012 3:25:59 AM EDT

[#14]

Wow, a 12yr old warm storage meat patty MRE would be considered an I.E.D. Intestinal Explosive Device.

My son and his family are in JAX (Kernan/Atlantic area) & the MRE's I gave him stay inside the house where it's more climate controlled. Even then I told him no more than 3yrs.

Here in MI I take my MRE's out of the our vehicles in the spring and bring them inside for cool basement storage. Even then I only expect 5-6yrs of life out of them.

For longer term storage take a look at dehydrated products like Wise Foods or Moutain House.

Posted: 2/11/2012 3:26:26 AM EDT

[#15]

Quoted:
I will wait for you to post later about the dogs ass explosion

I'm in...

Posted: 2/11/2012 4:24:03 AM EDT

[#16]

What about MRE Tray Packs stored in a cool dark basement? I have had them for about 5 years. Have yet to have a need to
open and experiment but have thought about it. Not damaged, no bulges stored in boxes in approximately 62* year round.

Posted: 2/11/2012 6:50:49 AM EDT

[#17]

Quoted:

Quoted:
I will wait for you to post later about the dogs ass explosion

I'm in...

Posted: 2/11/2012 9:23:36 AM EDT

[#18]

Quoted:
This is my first experience with MRE'S................. I opened one up tonight to try it, and the entrees were horrible, the beef patty smelled and tasted like dog food, and the mexican rice actually smelled rotten. .

Some would say the beef patty smelled and tasted like dog food when it was made

Have a freind that eats fresh mre's try yours out.

Posted: 2/11/2012 9:47:16 AM EDT

[#19]

Thing with MRE's are you have to lower your standards before you eat. It's not gourmet food folks, but it really ain't too bad either. If your a picky eater, I'm pretty sure MRE's or any survival food isn't going to do it for you. Me, I'll pretty much eat anything that looks like food, and I'm sure won't kill me

Now the OP's MRE that has baked in FL for 10yrs, fuck no, your screwed.

Posted: 2/11/2012 9:57:28 AM EDT

[#20]

A ways back I was at a gun show and a guy was selling MREs. He had some snack type items out for people to try. Various crackers, cakes, PB, cheese, maybe some other things. I sampled what he had out. I was unimpressed. They were all edible but not especially good.

I bought one entree and ate it at home. Don't recall what it was. Some kind of pasta dish of some sort IIRC. Or maybe rice. I was unimpressed with it as well.

These are not made for anything other then sustainment, portability, and long term storage. They do that well. Tasting good was never part of the criteria.

Personally, I have often wondered why the military never made some kind of ration heater that would fit around standard cans of food. Just issue the ration heaters and canned foods off the shelf. Would have a much larger variety and much cheaper. It would not be any heavier, or bulkier.

Posted: 2/11/2012 10:40:29 AM EDT

[#21]

The prolonged heat didn't do you any favors.

As has been said, the excellence of MREs is directly proprtionate to how hungry you are.

You figure they were 12 years old stored in pretty hot environment (100+ in the summer). Those entrees are not going to be tasty by any stretch.

Stored in a cool environment they would likely have been at least edible.

4073

Posted: 2/11/2012 2:20:54 PM EDT

[#22]

Quoted:
This is my first experience with MRE'S. I found a box of 12 in my F.I.L's. garage last week after he passed away, The box was dated 2000. I opened one up tonight to try it, and the entrees were horrible, the beef patty smelled and tasted like dog food, and the mexican rice actually smelled rotten. The peanut butter, crackers and honey roasted peanuts tasted fine. Is it safe to assume the other entrees are probably bad also? They have probably been in the garage for at least 5-7 years. I am in Jacksonville Florida in case anyone was wondering about the climate. Thanks for any insight in advance

Posted: 2/11/2012 2:28:27 PM EDT

[#23]

have you been in the mil? have you tasted mres before?

Posted: 2/11/2012 2:31:58 PM EDT

[#24]

Back in Desert Storm we were eating MRE's sometimes 3 times a day especially if we were "Out and About".

My MRE stocks are going to be after all the perishables and non perishables are exhausted. About that time I am probably
not really going to give a shit what it taste like. However the wife and kiddies might. One of those things, Hope to never find out
but if we need to we will be prepared.

Posted: 2/13/2012 5:29:53 PM EDT

[#25]

I threw them all out! Dog has not been the same since she ate the "beef patty".

Posted: 2/13/2012 6:04:19 PM EDT

[#26]

Quoted:
I threw them all out! Dog has not been the same since she ate the "beef patty".

Posted: 2/14/2012 7:43:52 AM EDT

[#27]

General rule of thumb with MREs is about 6 years at room temps. Storing in a garage or in a vehicle in southern climates is a very bad idea, they will go bad very fast.

If you know what you're doing with MREs they are pretty tasty (there are certain tricks to cooking them - and they do need to be cooked to actually taste good). I have eaten too many to count in the mil... I still keep a few around but don't really consider them a good prep item as they are not really cost-effective, and shelf life is not good for the $$. Mine are at room temps and I definitely would not try and eat them too long after that 6 year mark unless there was absolutely nothing else left.

12 years in a garage in FL? They should have been discarded after the first year, they were spoiled long ago.

Posted: 2/16/2012 3:12:48 AM EDT

[#28]

Whatever you do, do NOT throw away anything that says "cheese sauce", unless it has been within 3 feet of anything that says "omelet", in which case, nuke it from orbit. If the military wanted to make some money, they would market their cheese sauce to all of these nacho/french fry places that can't get it right...

And I've had MREs that were 8 years past the _inspection_ date (stored at probably a median of 70deg) and they tasted just the same as 'new' ones. That pallet soon winded up with no cheese sauce or tabasco (it was being thrown away before someone complains about cherry picking). Oddly enough, I tried the tabasco again a year or two later and it was brown and almost inedible, so either it has a sharp drop off period or my opening the sealed packages hurt its shelf life.