Unopened spam lasts up to 3 years past its "best by" date. Once opened, spam lasts up to 7 days in the fridge and up to six months in the freezer. However, this estimation is for Classic Spam, as Spam Lite tends to have a longer shelf life.
Read on to learn everything you need to know about spam storage: how long it lasts at different storage temperatures, how to tell if it is spoiled, and tips on extending its shelf life.
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What is Spam?
SPAM stands for Special Processed American Meat, and was introduced by Jay Hormel of the Hormel Food Corporation in the late 1920s. This luncheon meat is meant to be a survival food. It is made with pork shoulder, spiced ham, water, salt, sugar, potato starch, and preservatives like sodium nitrate.
Nowadays, you can buy different spam variants in any grocery store, including Classic Spam or Spam Classic, Spam Lite, Spam Less Sodium, and Spam With Real Bacon. Other flavors include Spam Oven Roasted Turkey, Spam Hickory Smoke, Spam Hot and Spicy, Spam Jalapeño, Spam Teriyaki, and Spam With Tocino, made with pork and spiced ham.
Does Spam Go Bad?
Despite having preservatives, spam luncheon meat goes bad when opened. Since this canned food is a meat product, it goes bad when contaminated with bacteria and other microorganisms. However, when kept unopened, this canned good does not spoil but loses its quality over the years.
Although a spam product does not have an expiration date, it does have a "best by" date printed on the can that should tell you how long the canned good will retain its freshness and quality. A spam product is a survival food and often has a long shelf life; its "best by" date usually ranges from 2 to 3 years from the manufacturing date.
How Long Does Spam Last in the Pantry?
Unopened spam stays good for up to 3 years past its "best by" date. Once opened, you should refrigerate it as it spoils in 2 days when left in the pantry. However, I recommend refrigerating cooked and leftover spam.
How Long Does Spam Last in the Fridge?
Unopened spam does not need refrigeration. However, opened spam, cooked and uncooked, lasts up to 7 days in the fridge. When refrigerating spam, place it in an airtight container to prevent bacterial contamination.
How Long Does Spam Last in the Freezer?
Frozen spam lasts up to 6 months. By freezing canned meat and spam, you stop the bacteria that causes them to go bad from growing, which makes them last longer. If you decide to cook frozen spam, just give it enough time to thaw to avoid crumbling when cooking or reheating.
How to Properly Store Spam
The best way to prolong spam products' shelf life is by freezing them. To avoid getting sick, it's best to take the luncheon meat out of the can and put it in a container with a lid.
Top 3 Ways to Tell If Your Spam Is a Bad Spam
Appearance of Mold on the Can
If you have opened or unopened spam, the first thing to look at is its can. You should toss cans with green, gray, or white growth on the lid, as they might be moldy from harmful microbes. It's also a sign that the can has been compromised; a tear or dent may have allowed bacterial growth to set in.
Rancid Smell
Although a type of processed meat, spam has an aroma like fresh meat. A rancid odor indicates that the spam meat has gone bad and needs to be tossed out.
Appearance of Mold or Slimy Liquid on Spam Meat
Even when refrigerated, mold can still grow on spam meat. Another great indicator is the production of a slimy liquid on the surface of the canned spam.
Can You Eat Spoiled Spam or Old Spam?
While you can eat old spam or ones that go beyond their "best by" date, you should never eat spoiled spam. When bacteria gets into food, it makes it bad. If you eat spoiled spam or any other canned ham or luncheon meat, you could get food poisoning.
Food poisoning affects the digestive tract and presents with an upset stomach, diarrhea, vomiting, and nausea.
Related Questions
Although known as "survival food," spam is not nutritious; it contains high amounts of fat and sodium and lacks essential vitamins or minerals.
Fried spam is the most common way of cooking it. You can add it to vegetables to make a healthy dish, like spam musubi, spam burgers, or spamwiches.
Spam tastes meaty and salty, like spiced ham or spiced pork. Since Spam only has six ingredients, you can't expect it to taste like anything else.
When making breakfast, spam goes well with fried rice, scrambled eggs, and corned beef. However, you can also add spam as a fresh meat substitute in any dish.
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