Home canned peppers - will they go bad?

[jp1]

In searching for something in the back of our pantry I came across a jar of peppers I canned with a date of October 2012 on the lid. The lid is still sealed and they look fine. Are they likely safe to eat or am I risking a trip to the ER?

[Packy]

I am sitting here, thinking they are safe. Don't quote me on that. Try giving one to a neighbor to sample, first. If you live in Canada, a neighbour. After an hour or so, and you don't hear sirens, I would think that it should be OK.

[Blackdog Lin]

You don't say what kind of peppers or how they were canned.....but we are currently eating pints of pickled jalapenos dated September and October of '12. Got about 10 of them left. No worries here.....

[Packy]

If they are packed in vinegar, with a vacuum seal or airtight canning jar, and the lid is in good shape, seal unbroken, they definitely should be good. October 2012 isn't that long--the "use by" date on grocery-store canned goods is usually two years away, and they are good for much longer--many years longer. Also, vinegar is a highly-effective antibacterial agent. What you're going to see in unopened canned items is a very gradual decline in quality insofar as texture, and in some items, blandness. < I've noticed that with commercially-canned tomatoes. I was researching this very topic maybe two months ago, because I was about to open a large can of kidney beans that was about 6 years past the "Use by" date. One of the items I ran across was an article about canned goods that were lost in a shipwreck in a river back in the 1800's. The canned peaches were recovered after 90+ years; and except for being a little mushier than peaches usually are, they were perfectly wholesome to eat. The people that opened them were doing so in a laboratory, with the means to check them for any sign of bacteria, such as botulin. Hope that helps you some.