How long does canned fruit last?
It depends on the fruit, primarily its acidity. According to the folks at DelMonte foods, most canned fruit should be good for 2-1/2 to 3 years from the date of production. Since you often do not know when the product was actually canned, two years is usually safe bet. After that time, the fruit will still be safe to eat, but its quality will have deteriorated significantly. Some companies (like DelMonte) print “Best by” dates on their labels. These are conservative, but helpful since the packer does know the canning date. Acidic-packed fruits can deteriorate faster than others because the acid can attack the underlying metal of the can through small defects in the coatings. Sometimes these products come with a white inside coating on the can which minimizes this problem. Again, we are not talking health hazard here, just taste. (But acid environments do reduce the chance of botulism growth.) High temperatures can accelerate deterioration processes as well. Dented cans are more risky–
