Spam Shelf Life

SPAM Shelf Life and What It’s Made Of

ByKen J. Last Updated
155 Comments

Have you ever wondered, “What is SPAM made of?” and “What is SPAM shelf life?” I know that I have…

SPAM is a relatively inexpensive meat product that stores very well.
It lasts forever, right?

Monty Python spam spam spam spam…

 
SPAM is a canned precooked meat product made by the Hormel Foods Corporation. It was first introduced in 1937.

Get this delicious classic treat delivered right to your door!

Classic 12 Ounce Can (Pack of 12)
(view on amzn)

SPAM is still quite popular in the United States.
3.8 cans are consumed here every second!

Hawaii / Islanders especially love their SPAM! Residents there have the highest per capita consumption in the United States. 

Here’s what SPAM is made of:

what SPAM is made of
SPAM (Classic) Ingredients List

Pork with Ham — Shoulder and Rear (the meat)
Salt (flavor and assist in preservation)
Water
Potato Starch (a ‘binder’, and helps keep moisture inside the meat)
Sugar (sweetness)
Sodium Nitrate (color – keeps the meat pink)

SPAM Shelf Life

It is fully cooked, in the can. Ready to eat cold, or hot.

SPAM shelf life is forever, right? ;)

Not actually. But it will store well for a long time.

On the bottom of every can you’ll find a “best by” date. This is the date Hormel Foods recommends using the product by. I just checked some of my own recently purchased cans and compared the stamped date with when I bought them. The stamped date differential (and therefore, spam shelf life) looks like 3 years.

However, as with most canned foods, these dates are not when the food becomes unsafe to eat. In fact, many canned foods can be safely consumed LONG afterwards.

[ Read: Use By & Sell By Dates ]

I keep an inventory of SPAM as part of my overall food storage. I have eaten it years beyond it’s supposed date and not only was it still SPAMalicious, I’m still here to tell you about it…

SPAM Nutrition

SPAM (Classic) is sold in 12 ounce cans. I just picked up a can from my own inventory and this is what the label reads:

Calories 1080 (180 x 6 servings)

Total Fat 96 grams (16 x 6 servings)
of which 36 grams Saturated Fat (6 x 6 servings)

Cholesterol 240 mg (40 x 6 servings)

Salt 4.7 grams (1/6 tsp x 6 servings)

Carbohydrates 6 grams (1 x 6 servings)

Protein 42 grams (7 x 6 servings)

There’s almost a full day’s worth of protein in a can of SPAM! What more excuse do you need to eat some?

[ Read: How Much Protein Do You Need Each Day? ]

A single can has 1080 calories. That’s also a nice dense source of calories and protein to add with one’s overall diversified food storage for preparedness.

And there’s only 6 grams of Carbs in a whole can. Which is pretty good too if you’re on a low carb Keto diet…

Spam Recipes? Leave a comment and tell us about it…

155 Comments

  1. Some facts to note:
    • Residents of Hawai’i eat an average of four cans of SPAM per person per year, more than in any other place on Earth
    • Nikita Krushchev once credited SPAM with the survival of the WWII Russian army. ”Without SPAM, we wouldn’t have been able to feed our army,”
    • In 1989, the U.S. armed forces bought 3.3 million pounds of SPAM

    I think the most basic spam meals are the best – spam and eggs with some toast & you’re good to go! Just don’t eat too much of it.

    1. I’m having a sudden Spam craving. I havn’t eaten it in years, but I think I will make some Spam and eggs for breakfast tomorrow :)

      1. Man: Morning!
        Waitress: Morning!
        Man: Well, what’ve you got?
        Waitress: Well, there’s egg and bacon; egg sausage and bacon; egg and spam; egg bacon and spam; egg bacon sausage and spam; spam bacon sausage and spam; spam egg spam spam bacon and spam; spam sausage spam spam bacon spam tomato and spam;
        Vikings: Spam spam spam spam…
        Waitress: …spam spam spam egg and spam; spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam…
        Vikings: Spam! Lovely spam! Lovely spam!
        Waitress: …or Lobster Thermidor a Crevette with a mornay sauce served in a Provencale manner with shallots and aubergines garnished with truffle pate, brandy and with a fried egg on top and spam.
        Wife: Have you got anything without spam?
        Waitress: Well, there’s spam egg sausage and spam, that’s not got much spam in it.
        Wife: I don’t want ANY spam!
        Man: Why can’t she have egg bacon spam and sausage?
        Wife: THAT’S got spam in it!
        Man: Hasn’t got as much spam in it as spam egg sausage and spam, has it?
        Vikings: Spam spam spam spam… (Crescendo through next few lines…)
        Wife: Could you do the egg bacon spam and sausage without the spam then?
        Waitress: Urgghh!

        1. Ah yes, SPAM, a fine product of Minnesota, eh? In fact there is a SPAM museum in Minnesota, bet not many people here knew that.

        2. The SPAM museum is currently under construction & will re open next year. I see a bill board on the highway everyday that says so; I live 30 miles from Austin, MN

    2. I’ve been involved in living history reenactment for many years. I always take dehydrated spam on the treks. It is period correct due to the ingredients, tastes like bacon goes great with other period correct foods; like potatoes, onions,Anzac biscuits etc. If you are concerned with the amount of salt,just get the lighter stuff.If vacuum sealed it last for months. A great survival food.

      2. excellent suggestions. Thanx. I’ve been eating Spam for more than 70 years…I think now, I’ll dehydrate some and vacuum seal it as a trail snack.

  2. another good meat product with a long storage life is DAK canned hams. the best buy date is typically 5 years out and the cooler you keep food the longer it will last. I keep a couple dozen DAKS in the bottom shelf of the refrigerator

    1. @Satori.

      The DAK hams aren’t bad. Not great either. Beat the hell out of Spam.Don’t know that you need to keep them in the fridge. Put them in the crawl space protected from water.

      Be well.

    2. I have many of those hams 5 years old already.
      Bristol, Royale, Brookdale(aldi’s brand), and Dutch Colony, but no Dak in my part of the woods. :-)

  3. During WWII Spam was sent to England where they developed a taste for that canned meat. Friends I met in the service (from Hawaii) said they were raised on it and their family still ate it. My family still eats Spam.

    Americans during the war years and after ate quite a lot of it. In many communities Spam is still a food staple.

    Spoiled Americans who didn’t go through those lean times look at Spam as a “Depression Years” food item. When SHTF those spoiled Americans would be glad to have a can of Spam to eat.

    Pray, Plan and Prep.

    1. @1982MSGT.

      The British were on the verge of starvation. They ate it. So would you or I. A friend of mine is from the UK, born after the war. From what he says they don’t eat a lot of Spam. Although they do used canned(tinned if you prefer) meat.

      Be well.

      1. Use to have a girlfriend that made Reuben’s out of the canned “corned beef”. They were excellent!

        I best add that to my list. Sounds good right now.

      2. Britain was not on the verge of starvation in WW2 and the diet was quite healthy, just very restricted, monotonous and very low-meat. Spam was considered an exotic luxury item and was highly prized. It is much tastier than corned (bully) beef.

        In 1970s, Frey Bentos (main source of corned beef) made meat-pie-in-a-can. It is becoming popular again, probably as a lazy-student meal. It does need 30mins of baking but offers a tasty and morale-boosting treat. UK Bushcrafters use Dutch ovens or improvise field ovens using tins and cans, covered in ashes.

        1. Michael some historians would disagree with you about Britain’s food situation early in WW2. The German Submarine force tried very hard to starve out England and until Lend Lease Destroyers broke open that noose nearly succeeded. Then like NOW England was not food sufficient.

        2. Michael,
          I have family still in England. Reading the letters from family members to my great grandmother during WWII, there was a food shortage due to the blockades. I remember reading the gratitude from my cousins for the food packages my Great grandmother would send over there in the early days of the war and YES there was Spam included along with what ever tinned meat, vegetables and fruit they could send over. I remember the stories my grandmother and mom would tell about how it was tough over here but it was worse for our cousins. The peerage and upper class didn’t “suffer” as much but the ordinary folk had it a bit tougher. By the way that was my grandmothers opinion not mine when she was relating her thoughts.

        3. According to the BBC documentary “Wartime Farm” (All 8-parts are on U-Tube and quite interesting to watch) England did have a food shortage during WWII and it went on till almost 1960. They produced much less food then they harvested from grains and animals.

          Rationing was a part of life and any black-market food was dealt with quite harshly if discovered.

          In fact a farm owner was expected to produce X amount of food, if he fell short they would take his farm away from him, food was that important.

    2. I love Spam, as a child it was a regular mainstay of my school dinners, and then when I joined the Army(British Army,1982-92) it was part of the then standard ration packs,and though the Army called it “Bacon Grill or Bacon Burger” it was Spam and to this day(I`m 50 years old now)I still love the stuff and its still part of my emergency food preps.
      Finely chop up half a can and mix it with chopped tomatoes and a packet of instant noodles, or baked beans, ahhh! food of the Gods I swear!!

  4. Spam is a great match for our preparedness kit because it is something we enjoy eating. We are just starting our food prep kit, but we always have some of this in our cupboard. My theory is that if I “hoard” food that I like to eat, then it will be easier to rotate stock and as a result, have fresh supplies should the need arise. Not to mention the fact that if the time comes to need it, at least I will enjoy my meals. (grin)

    I’ve found that if you grill or roast the Spam, some of the saltiness is removed through the cooking. Out of the can (raw), it can taste very salty – toss it on the grill to brown it and it tastes much better.

  5. In a skillet, saute a tablespoon of butter and (amt. your choice) onion powder.

    Add one cup of white rice and stir until coated.

    Add 2 cups of water to a boil, then 2 beef bouillon cubes.

    Let dissolve.

    Add this skillet combination to a casserole dish with spam cubes, diced green pepper, and a can(jar) of mushrooms.

    Bake for 45 minutes @ 350.

    What can go wrong?? If you’re a prepper, everyone has onion powder, spam, canned butter, rice, bouillon, and canned mushrooms—right???

    No green pepper??? Improvise…more onions??

    1. I shared this recipe just before I got my dehydrator.
      I now have mason jars of green peppers and onions.
      Keeping more out of the freezer is a plus.

  6. I agree,the best is sauteed till brown,easy over eggs and toast. It’s also good diced into mac&cheese.

    I raw pack pork loin,cooked hamb. and chicken in broth.Also,DAK hams are one of my favorites.Home canned butter and bacon,store bought veggies,and some old dehydrated fruit and veggies plus newly purchased #10 cans of rice,wheat and bean,and eggs and I’m good to go.Just need a hand grinder for the wheat.

    Gods speed to all and pray we never HAVE to rely on all this,just enjoy it.
    annie

  7. Recieved my case of Spam bacon and it was very good.
    It’s been a long time since we’ve had Spam that we forgot how good it was. We were very satisfied.

  9. Try “Hawaii sushi”. A thin slice of spam, about ¼” thick. A layer of sticky rice shaped and stuck together on top wrapped in a strip of Nori seaweed. This is awesome, especially with a little soy sauce sprinkled over the top. You can buy this in Hawaii at local wiki-wiki stores and gas stations. Unlike real sushi which is truly questionable if bought in 7-11s or gas stations the spam and rice version is less susceptible to going bad and causing projectile vomiting.

      1. One thing to keep on hand is activated charcoal. If taken as soon as you feel nausea coming on, it will take care of the problem. It absorbs poisons from your stomach.

        1. I am a believer in activated charcoal! SO USEFUL! Its also helpful to take it before bed after a few drinks….absorbs it all while you sleep!

    2. It is called “musubi” and as a fellow resident of the islands, I concur. Musubi makes for a quick, great tasting meal any time of day.

  10. My favorite way to eat SPAM is to cut it into thin slices. Dust it with McCormick garlic salt on both sides and pan fried to a light crust on each side. This changes the whole taste of SPAM. Works great with DAK ham sliced thin also.

  11. I remember reading when the ocean liner was affected by the EMP on the west coast, the USS Ronald Reagan carried …..SPAM to those passengers to eat!!!

    Paying that obscene cruise rate some wouldn’t eat the SPAM–they weren’t real hungry!

  12. Down here in Mississippi you can still buy the canned chicken , they are packed by Sweet Sue , they also pack chicken and dumplings the same way , these are very good . There is another type of canned meat alot like Spam it is Armour Treet , not too bad either , have some of it put back also , it will come in handy to cut up and cook with dry beans and rice . Be prepared and ready . Keep your powder dry .

  13. we dehydrate spam and eat it like jerky. The wife is addicted to it. It hydrates up reasonably well, too. Use Spam lite, it seems to dry better.

  14. The best Spam I ever ate was cooked on a flat rock while backpacking. Heavy backpack food, but really hit the spot. Yes, I know rocks can explode in a fire. I also know I can fall in the shower. I ain’t skert! LOL

    Seriously, one of my favorite ways to make Spam is to cube it and mix it in with stir fry. A little Yosida’s sauce and it’s fantastic!

    Always remember, “Real men eat Spam!”

    John

  15. Something to keep in mind, are the Spam singles packs. They’re a very convenient item for my truck bag (what most would call a get-home bag). I also keep a tin of saltines in there to go with the Spam.

    1. throw in a small can of pineapple. Even with the best of meats, I generally prefer my fruit and meat to stay well away from each other but spam and pineapple are great together.

  16. Grew up on spam . In fact , at one time was considered a treat ! Then there was canned HASH ! When you go a week without any meat , you can actually look forward to the …….. ! As a 65 years old , I guess I am just making a full circle in my life ! Returning to where I started ?

    1. i’m 60 and also grew up on spam and canned hash (air force brat). i find spam a bit too salty now, but recently got a can of mary kitchen corned beef hash for old times sake. unfortunately, it only has about half the amount of meat it used to have. more potatoes instead. sigh.

      1. teabag We like corn beef hash out of a can too. Aldi’s 1.50 a can taste exactly like mary kitchen brand and a buck a can less. We have several cases in the basement.

  17. I have a case of it for just that reason. Its not the healthiest IMO but it is high calorie, easy to store and can be eaten out of the can. Also durable for travel through rugged backwoods or mountains.

  19. Yes can also remember spam as a treat. At church teas this what I really liked best..smashed up with mayo & sweet pickle juice.

  21. I have eaten all the “commodities” beef, chicken, spam like, The quality was excellent..better than what you can buy today. It was not excess farm products but rather government contracted production with very high standards.

    It became easier to just hand out food stamps than to actually deliver the food. Plus its easier for the recipients to use their snap cards to buy cigarettes and other prohibited stuff and not have to lug those cans around to trade.

  22. Mac and cheese, tomatoes, canned, freeze dried or dehydrate, and spam or treat. Can be prepared and then dehydrated as a meal, great for thermos or cozy cooking, or prep from all storage foods.

  23. spam, macaroni, jarred cheese sauce, and crumbled ritz crackers. This ‘spam Mac n’ cheese’ casserole is not only a SHTF lifesaver, but a super quick dinner fix. It also reheats well if you use 2 jars of sauce.

  24. I had a can of Spam. I completely forgot about it and I don’t know the date on the can but when I opened the can, it looked like Spam soup.
    Nasty.
    Of course we didn’t eat it.

  25. For religious reasons I dont eat pork spam but they do have turkey spam I believe it is just as good. P. S. During a collapse I will eat what. God provides.

    1. An old depression saying “Eat for the hunger that is coming” someday you may fall all over yourself to get a bite of this treat. Another great to fry it up is to add some brown sugar, that really puts a new spin on it, plus making it quite tasty the hickory smoked spam is my main goto.

  26. Spam and its poor cousin Treet are long time foods in our family. Perfect hiking food, we’d slice it up and fold it in bread for our meals – salty but good. Spam used to sell some cans in a plastic topped container that was great for use in the refrigerator. Just store the can inside the container and use as needed – I wonder if they still do that, its been around 10 years since I remember seeing that.

  27. How do you get the dam Spam out of the can ma’am?

    I find the best way to slice Spam is with a cheese cutter, the kind with a roller and thin wire. And the regular is way too salty, don’t care much for the flavored varieties, the ‘light’ is my choice.

    If you’re looking for a vacation destination or want to use up some frequent flyer credits you can visit the Spam museum in Austin Mn re-opening in 2016.

    And then there is Spammo;
    http://www.sgammo.com/product/wolf-or-wpa/800-round-spam-can-9mm-luger-115-grain-fmj-steel-case-wolf-wpa-ammo-made-russia-

  28. First time I had Spam was when I joined the Navy….had it regularly for 27 years there – and have it a couple times a year now. I like it, my wife, really hasn’t decided yet, ha!

  29. We had not bought spam in years. Since we won’t be buying canned tuna anymore due to the contamination from Japan, we have looked at other canned meats to store. The canned chicken is awesome as well as the canned roast beef. After a while I decided to try stocking spam. I was buying 1 to 3 cans a week as funds would allow. Unfortunately my husband has been eating it as fast as I buy it. He said he forgot how good it tasted. I may just have to bite the bullet so to speak and make a large purchase as I feel time is short. I know that I can can my own meat, but I always feel uneasy with doing meat, afraid I will screw up and kill us all. Although I will be canning bacon next week.

  30. HAHAHA, Ok Ok, A guy mentions a can of Spam in a post and we get an article on it, I LIKE the service around this restaurant. HAHAHA One of the major reasons this Blog is so popular. Thank you Ken.

    Ok, back to the “Spam” (pun intended) :-) I will admit I have several 12 pack cases in the “storage/prep” meat department. I believe there is something like a 500 year shelf life, the packaging WILL sustain it’s integrity at over 4000 degree centigrade, and one can will maintain a squad of hungry Marines for 3 weeks. This according to local advertisement of course…

    Personally I like the “flavored” spam a little more, the Black Pepper is actually quite good, just don’t forget to wash it down with Gin or Vodka. Fried with some eggs and some homemade biscuits (make the Spam “drippings” into a little gravy) and you got yar-self a good solid meal there.

    If your setting up your preps, get a couple cases of Spam, as bad as it “might” sound, you can survive on Spam and Beer, guaranteed, well maybe a few other things, but…..

    NRP

    PS; Yes, I have actually seen a recipe for,,,, are you ready for this??????
    —- Spam Sushi —- Ok God I can die now, I have seen everything. HAHAHAHA

  32. Spam, canned corned beef, sardines.
    What more could you need for emergency meats!
    I eat spam at least once a month or so, usually cook it with teriyaki sauce or char siu, then hot rice, mmmm mmmm good!

    1. @ Kula
      I would add some canned Ham, some pre-Fukushima tuna, Chicken, and maybe 1000 cans of Smoked Oysters, Maybe even a few cases of Kippers and Herring in cream sauce. Can anyone say Caviar? What the heck, if we’re going out with a boom, might as well go out eating well huh?
      NRP

  34. Green Eggs and Spam I Am.
    I love the flavored Spams and Hawaiian recipes with pineapple. I also boil smashed spam with onions, green peppers and potatoes until potatoes are mostly done, then drain and into the fry pan for hash. This removes the salty taste and distributes it into the whole meal. Yumm!

        1. No matter HOW hungry I am or was, I could not in good conscience EVER eat a politician. They have Cooties and will give you worms no matter how long you stew them up. Leave the political-hoes for the FSA types to eat.

  36. But Sam, I don’t like green eggs and spam! Seriously though it’s more fat than meat kind of like coronary artery disease in a can. My wife won’t eat it. However… I do like it and have more than a few cans on the shelf (I used to live in Hawaii). The turkey spam has a lot more meat than fat and tastes pretty good also. DAK canned hams are more honest about the fat, you can see big chunks of it in the can. NRP, have you tried the dollar store smoked mussels? Delicious!

    1. @ me, I have not, but may give them a try at your suggestion. Again probably something that will store for 200-300 years. :-)

      Something to remember, when (not if) the SHTF fat intake will be of a concern once the crash subsides some and we’re all eating from a garden, most “hunted” meat will contain little to no fat.
      NRP

  37. I have some recipes:

    6 medium potatoes-diced (I use red)
    6 carrots, sliced or 2 cups thawed frozen
    2 medium sized yellow onions, chopped
    2 cups peas
    1 can low-sodium tomato soup
    1 can low-sodium SPAM, cubed
    Mrs. Dash to taste
    —-
    350* oven
    Mix all ingredients and pour into 13×9 casserole dish. Bake one to one and a quarter hours, or until potatoes are fork tender.

    ____________

    1 pound package baby lima beans-soaked according to package directions
    1 small yellow onion, diced
    1 can low-sodium SPAM, cubed
    cumin to taste
    garlic to taste
    oregano to taste
    1/8 tsp. liquid smoke flavor
    —-
    Following cooking directions for beans on package, combine beans and all ingredients, EXCEPT SPAM. Continue cooking until the last half hour when you will add the SPAM. (The salt in the SPAM will slow the bean cook time, so add last!)

    ___________

    I never liked SPAM until I tried it in the low-sodium version in these recipes. My husband likes his fried right from the can. ick. :)

  39. There is a lot of different spam out there now. Spam with jalapeños, lite,turkey definitely as staple in food storage along with Vienna sausages, tuna, and salmon. I hear Damon has the longest shelf life.

  40. A thick slice of SPAM sizzling in a skillet – just the thought of it makes my mouth water. I am looking for the Jalapenos and Turkey flavors tonight!

  41. Can’t believe no one mentioned our Spam recipe of choice!

    Sliced Spam with Velveeta cheese on top and ketchup squiggle on the cheese. Broil and enjoy!

  42. Spam resides proudly along side the rest of my supplies.

    Also try DAK Ham. You can get it in 1 lb. cans.

    In addition, Werling Meats has some great offerings.

    We also have lots of canned sardines, and anchovies.

    All good sources of protein.

    1. Yep, TPS
      Its funny, ive had a few folks turn their nose up at spam dishes,,
      Cant wait till everything comes un glued and some of these folks come around because they know i grow veggies, ill give em the 4 year expired cans of spam!

  47. And then read them again and edited (for the recipes).

    Seems a lot of people are concerned about the ingredients that allow these products to last along time on your shelf (given proper storage).

    People, either God gave you the genes for a long life or he didn’t. Call it luck, but none of us determined our parental legacy.

    Those that lived not that long ago preserved their food with salt, and smoke,,,, there was no refrigeration.

    Many died earlier then what we are used to (mainly from disease), but many lived to a ripe old age as well.

    These people ate raw milk and all of it’s products, eggs, red meats of all kinds, and drank large quantities of beer (water) because it was the best way to prevent disease.

    We have advantages these people never could have imagined.

    The point?

    After the ‘Shift’ if you choose your storage as a result of what’s on the label. You may die ‘Healthy’.

    1. After the ‘Shift’ if you choose your storage as a result of what’s on the label. You may die ‘Healthy’.

      Yep,

      I should have said “before the shift if you had chosen your storage as a result of,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

      You get my point now?

      Good catch.

  49. Just checked my Spam@ supply, only 4 cans!! It used to be $1.89 a can, now it is $2.59, and I’ve seen it for a dollar more. It’s worth it.

  50. The best SPAM creation I have experienced was in South Korea. A “sandwich” made from fried SPAM (a rather thick slice too) with a bit of cabbage, cucumber slices, cheese (I did not inquire on it’s origin, but it was quite nice), a fried egg (genre unknown), and strangely sliced carrots. At some single-digit hour in the AM, and after several bottles of OB (Oriental Beer) these tid bits of sustenance are very nice. I believe the cost was around 500 Won (about 25 cents at the time) each. These were not acquired from a ‘store’ but the generic carts roaming the streets. We spent an interestingly large amount of time keeping these people in business.

  51. I love spam and my wife hates it. I gave it to the grandkids with their scrambled eggs. Cut it into littlecubes and cookedit lightly in the fryingpan. I told them it was ham and they loved it. My wife was going through contortions to not say anything that might scare the kiddies away from it.

  52. LOL@Look&lern. I remember having the SPAM sandwich in Korea as well, and from a cart now that you mention it. Ah, Soju and OB and SPAM.

    Recipe.
    Add a tablespoon of olive oil to a hot skillet. Stir 3 eggs into a cup and add a small bit of cold water. Add it to the skillet. Chop a tomato and a white onion and add it the skillet. Sprinkle on some garlic and some red pepper. Cube half of a SPAM straight from a can and add it to the skillet. Stir and flip and fiddle with the entire mess until it congeals together slightly brown. Sprinkle on a little tobacco (7 tablespoons) and enjoy with a big cup of black coffee. Life is good.

  56. I’ve finally gotten my other half to act less repulsed by Spam, I’m working on him! I love the stuff, and ate a lot of it when I lived in Hawaii for a year. Spam, rice and eggs are a staple breakfast over there.

    You can also fry up some Spam, add it to the mac n’ cheese, add extra milk and shredded cheese. Then, put the whole mess into a glass pan and sprinkle it with some panko crumbs and bake until brown. It has flavor and texture. Makes a hardy meal on the fly. Treet, on the other hand…to me…is NO treat. Yech! I tried that stuff and I just can’t get past the weird, “fleshy” texture.

    With Dak, I’ve actually experimented with it on my BBQ grill, but it does fall apart and fall through the grate. However, if you slap a piece of foil on the grill and poke holes in it, you can successfully BBQ it.

  57. Recipe: Take entire SPAM cube out of can and dice it into smaller cubes. Drop into bacon grease until cubes turn nearly black. Then, open a can of Cream of Mushroom and a package of Velveeta cheese. Add Velveeta, cream of mushroom and Spam cubes to a blender. Add a pinch of garlic and red pepper to your liking. Turn on blender. Spread on toast, or other healthy bread.

  58. Sysiphus

    had to smile at your last three words “other healthy bread”..

    now I do understand all the positives, so to speak, of spam, including cheap and survival, but to lump it somehow with “other healthy bread”
    seems a stretch..None the less, grin inducing.

  62. my Favorite spam meal, is breakfast. Slice about 1/8 thick cooked on a hot griddle with no oil. Followed with home made home fries and scramble or fried eggs. Followed by my second meal.

    Spam fried 1/8 thick on a hot griddle till lightly golden, on toast and tomato with a hint of mustard.

  63. Thanks Uncle B and Thox. Come to think of it, a hint of mustard is the one thing I forgot to add when I wrote before. Mustard seems to go with SPAM like butter on popcorn.

  64. 1-can of Spam diced and fried
    2-cups rice (cooked)
    1-can Ro-tel you pick the heat level
    Season to taste
    Mix all together re-heat and bamm gourmet meal $5.99 at any self respecting truck stop.

    I will add canned corn or seasoned creamed corn too?.

  65. Took a weekend off from the Grid, was very very nice.
    I did stop at the local “unhealthy food store” on the way home Friday, picked up 8 different flavors of Spam (who knew ‘8’ HAHAHA), I was surprised Safeway had that many. SO over the next few weeks going to do an actual taste test just for the heck of it, I mean ya gota eat anyways right? I’m not so sure how the Spam Lite is going to fair, I mean how do you take fat out of a can of fat and have anything left? :-)

    I was also surprised to see the cost of that stuff, $2.99 at Safeway, $2.66 at Sam’s Club and $2.89 at the dollar store, it’s a dollar store for crying out loud, go figure. I also remember this stuff at $1.39. Times are a changing folks.
    NRP

  66. I’m hoping for a topic on other cheap food stores. I’ve been wondering about ramen noodles and just how long I can keep them. Sounds like it’s about 1 or 2 years and then they are garbage.

    Spam cubes in ramen noodles… I think I just made myself hungry…

  67. The secret to good sushi is in the rice: add rice vinegar with sugar and stir it into the hot rice rapidly in order to coat evenly. Toast the Nori prior to cutting and wrapping the Spam and rice cake. Spam Sushi is proof that good sushi made with inferior ingredients and attention to small details is better than bad sushi made with great ingredients and a sense of indifference. In addition to a small amount of Teriyaki sauce on the spam, I also like a bit of Wasabi between the rice cake and the spam.

    Islanders became very creative with Spam during the War Years (WW-2) and some of those recipes can be found in their cookbooks handed down to their kids. Spam is good when heated up and mixed with fresh vegetables, potatoes, rice and/or noodles. The saltiness and congealed fat needs to be diluted with these fresh ingredients in order to taste good.

  68. My favorite spam treat:

    cube spam into 1 inch squares
    get chunked pineapple in unsweetened juice
    get bacon

    place a chunk of pineapple on top of a cube of spam wrap them in bacon and skewer the whole thing with a toothpick, fry it till bacon is done and serve on a plate as an appetizer on Hawaiian or Caribbean nights. For a bit of fun add dark rum to the frying pan.

  69. I’m going to try braising some Spam. And internet search for this interesting recipe:SPAM® Fries with Spicy Garlic Sriracha Dipping Sauce

  70. I remember a time when I was in the US Army that a storehouse containing SPAM was discovered that was quite old. For two weeks all we had was SPAM for meat. SPAM fried, baked and out of the can with rice, pineapple, dried eggs, canned veggies, over noodles with tomato sauce and SPAM hash. Still like the stuff, especially fried with eggs or pineapple. A great American camping food!

  71. Re Shelf Life: We visited the SPAM museum in Austin, MI, in 2014. BTW, it was outstanding! Much better than anything I would have imagined. I asked the lady in the store how long the product could be expected to last. She said she didn’t know, but her friend opened a can that was 14 years old, and it tasted perfectly fine. I’m not surprised, considering the canning process that kills the micro-organisms, the vacuum sealing, and the amount of salt in the product.

  73. I used to think Spam was junk and never tried it. However, one of my coworkers makes Spam breakfast burritos. They are very very good! Whenever we have food days, that is the #1 request. I hate to say it but I may becoming more open-minded about Spam.

  74. I remember reading about how someone found a can of meat from, I think it was the Perry expedition, although I could be wrong. The can was over 100 years old and when they opened the can, the meat was STILL EDIBLE!! The process of canning was new technology at the time, and it still lasted 100 years, so I’d bet Spam will last that long.

  75. It’s not indicated best by / on it’s packed on date/month / year there is no such best before. That’s the question how will know if it is expired or not there is no expiration or best before it’s only packed by. Can you helped me to understand

  76. I need to buy a case of Spam at Costco, I noticed the other day they carry a low sodium Spam as well. My favorite use for Spam is in fried rice. Dice up the Spam in small cubes, saute with green onions and bell pepper…then add cooked rice and blend, add a desired amount of soy sauce..to finish add one raw egg and stir until the egg is cooked. Tasty.

  77. Well what I’ve made for years is always the same.. SPAM candy or also known as candied Spam. I’ve used every kind made under the sun including the TREET and DAK . The DAK works very well but street is my least favorite thing to make spam candy.
    Chilled can of SPAM in fridge (slices easier). Wife likes thin and crisp and I likes thicker and flimsy.
    Pre heat Teflon pan or cast iron few drops cook oil. Teflon pan works best to avoid sticky mess.
    Add slices and fry till juices start to form on top of the meet.
    Now the goods sprinkle dark brown sugar and season with cyanne pepper. When sugar melts flip over. The sugar will melt down and sweeten th other side of the meat.
    Continue frying till the consistency you desire. I use just below medium heat as I can’t stand burnt food and especially when cooking with sugar.
    Let cool as it will be very hot then enjoy.
    I like to use the low sodium, jalapeno, and the garlic flavored the most but bacon flavor works well also. The black pepper flavor done this way just doesn’t turn out as good IMO.
    DAK and Dubuque ham done up the same disappears even faster in my household so buy it in the 5lb. Can-tubs.

  78. I keep Spam, Treet, and Dak (Danish canned ham) in my inventory. All are the same, all are different. I buy according to which is cheaper when I shop.

    Sliced and fried or BBQ’ed in a smoker/grill for sandwiches, diced in omelettes, stir fried with rice and veggies, the list of recipes is endless.

  79. Wow but I do love the re-runs. Local Wally world SPAM is $2.64 a can and they have 9 flavors. Store brand Great Value $1.89 a can and as always Dollar Tree charge a dollar for their stuff. It is somewhat less nutritious but heck, for every 4 cans of SPAM you can get 10 of theirs with change leftover. INMHO it tastes just as good.

  80. We love spam so I stocked up on cases when it was on sale for $1 something. After several years I had to throw some away as the lids went up and down showing they lost their seal. Very sad day,

  82. Spam ChiliMAc for hiking or survival feeds a family of 4
    2 cans Spam
    1 lb Macaroni Pasta
    1 man sized handful of chili powder
    2 cans of cheese soup.
    Hot Sauce on the side.
    Cook pasta combine all ingredients heat and serve.
    Delicious when camping and hiking after a long hard day.
    Don’t worry about salt content you need to replace those electrolytes with high sodium Spam and Cheese Soup.

  83. If prepping on a tight budget is easy to pick up a few cans of this or that every trip to the store, SPAM is an easy protein/fats combo that will add to the stores,
    I store what i eat, i can take a can of spam, juliene spam and veggies and make one hell of a stirfry from stuff that i got out of my garden, extends the spam and spam gives me fats and protein. My favorite is to teriyaki the spam while cooking it, over hot white rice with some veggies.
    Can make some really good won tons with it, chopped real fine with water chesnuts bamboo shoots and green onions wraped in won ton pi then fried, dont even need to get fancy with wrapping, just put a spoon of the mixture on the center of wrapper and fold it over into a triangle, you seal it with a little watter wiped along the edges then pressed together, simple, then deep fry it,
    One thing i dont get,
    People whining about food burn out or having to eat the same stuff over and over, or being picky about their organic, gluten free, whatever foods they absolutely have to have,
    If things go sideways and you need to eat your survival stash, a full belly will be the only concern, all that touchy feely BuLL S hiT goes out the window

  84. I don’t eat it regularly, but have over the years every great once in while use it to make fried rice with. I dice it up in small pieces and saute iti add it to the rice along with various vegetables (peas, carrots, mushrooms if I gave them)… Stir all together in a fry pan with some soy sauce and add an egg in and cook. It’s pretty tasty, the Spam is diced small enough that it gives nice flavor but it’s not like eating a thick slice of it (which I ain’t crazy about)

  85. Ha Ha Ha Ha LOL how funny all the post on Spam and from folks I have not seen before!!! Well, it is ok and some won’t be picky should the SHTF. My 1st father in law said in Korea he ate so much Spam that when he got home he would never have another bite of Spam ever. We buy some corned beef from Dollar General. I is ok. Fat and salt will be needed if SHTF happens.

  86. – Personal favorite is Spam sliced thin and browned in a cast iron pan. i can eat a whole can by myself.

    The only way DW likes it is sliced thin and cut to fit on a Captain’s wafer cracker, then run through slow oven until it gets crispy. Haven’t seen that particular recipe here today.

    – Papa S.

  87. And all this time, I thought a “Spam” was a small rectangular creature, that after removal of the head, tail and legs, fit perfectly in that little blue can.

  88. I’ve seen cans of Spam lined up one after another as a way of gauging firepower of various rifles. The thing metal can plus the meat inside simulates clothing and flesh. I don’t know if they ate it afterwards or not.

  90. Sam’s Club, $18.48 for 8 aka, $2.31 a can, thats 6 servings. That right there is cheep Post-SHTF Food my friends.
    Add 1/2 pound rice or beans and some Garden Greens….. there ya go, OR ypu can wait on FEMA to show up and feed you and your family…. Give it a week and that little Blue Can is gona look mighty good

  91. Anybody have a Red Beans and Rice recipe using SPAM? Been enjoying the SPAM thread.

    Some wise soul said “Happiness is not from buying things but wanting (Treasuring) the things you have”

    For most of us a whole lot of funding for more storage foods could be found by eating simple foods from your storage a couple times a week. Store what you eat, eat what you store. When I took my lady out for Mexican food we spent a mild 40.00 including tips. That could have been using Sam’s Club above 8 full sized cans of SPAM, and a whole lot of dried beans and rice.

    So How about that Red Beans and Rice recipe using SPAM folks?

    1. NH Michael,

      I’m a simple man. I like red beans ladled over a bed of white rice with half inch diced spam seared in a skillet until semi-blackened sprinkled on top, then a layer of shredded cheddar cheese and diced onions and a dollop of sour cream or salsa, or both. Don’t know if that qualifies as a recipe or not.

      Darn it, now I’m hungry.

      1. Dennis we have similar tastes and yes I too am getting hungry :-)

        I like to boil up and simmer my red beans with my butter cooked onions until nice and soft and half smash them for better gravy effect.

        Ever make sour cream from raw whole milk? Easy, just set it out in a bowl with a towel over it. Raw milk has the enzymes already in it you just let it do it’s thing and keep flies out. SO Much better than store bought but will not store for more than a day.

        1. Never tried to make my own sour cream. Sounds easy enough.

          Forgot to mention jalapeno slices on my dish.You can mash up the cooked beans (I too saute onions to put in my beans while cooking, plus enough red pepper or chili powder to flavor enhance, not overpower) blend the rice in making a paste, add the chopped onions, spam, jalapenos and cheese and fold up in a flour tortilla and dip it in the sour cream and salsa as you munch it down.

  92. Love a SPAM and cheese patty melt every now and then. I need to add more SPAM to my food storage, heck SPAM would even be really good with the rice and beans we all put back.bpar.kypd.

  93. Regarding red beans and rice:

    I like using the canned and salty meats as a primary flavoring in my batch of beans. ( beans being red, black or pintos. Your favorite added here.). By adding fresh onions and other vegetables, that one small portion of salted meat can fill many bowls of nutrient rich and filling food to keep me going.

    By chopping small and cooking down, my wife and relatives eat spam or other salted meats in a batch of beans and are none the wiser. They get grossed out when I tell them afterwards.

    The only ones that do not eat spam in this house are – my cats and they eat Friskies brand cat food prior to spinning on the wood floor.

  94. As I’m a Jew spam is not large in our canned good supply list. The Rabbi did tell me I could eat it if it was the last can of food we could find. As always a little extra donation on Saturday helps make it O.K. with the Big guy.

  95. I LOVE Spam, Got several cans in storage. My sister and I are the only two in the family that eats it regularly. DH will tolerate it once in awhile but does not like all that much.So I get the little packs that have a couple of slices in it for my “treat”, Sis told me about them.

  97. We have been buying low sodium Spam for awhile but no more! I just checked the ingredients and they are not the same as the original, as posted by Ken. The low sodium recipe is pork AND MECHANICALLY SEPARATED CHICKEN!! Yuck!
    From now on, it will be the original recipe brand of Spam for us.

  98. I love Spa. I eat it at least once a month on my eat whatever day. I fix it with Mac and cheese and English peas. It is so good!

Leave a Reply