Why I think SPAM is a must add to the prep larder. It lasts a long time in the can. One 12oz can is 1080 calories. In a disaster if you’re working, your caloric needs will increase to a range of 3000 to 5000+ calories a day.
SPAM is fairly calorie dense. Add to that some rice/beans and hopefully some vegetables and you’ll not just survive, you’ll thrive.
The Russian Political Commissar Nikita Kruschev said that without SPAM the Russian troops wouldn’t have been fed.
In Hawaii, SPAM Musubi is (teriyaki cooked SPAM on sushi rice wrapped in seaweed) is one of the most served quick lunches.
On any number of South Pacific islands, SPAM is considered a delicacy.
Taste Test – SPAM Hickory Smoke, 12 oz can
Taste Test – SPAM Hickory Smoke, 12 oz can
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 oz (56g);
Servings: 6;
Calories: 180
Total Calories 12 oz can – 1080
Total Fat: 16g (24.62);
Saturated Fat: 6g (30);
Cholesterol: 40mg (13.33);
Sodium: 790mg (32.92);
Total Carbohydrates: 1g (0.33);
Dietary Fiber: 0g ;
Sugars: 0g ;
Protein: 7g ;
The taste test:
Open a can, slice a slice ¼ to ½ inch in width, cut it half, fry one of the halves.
Dice both halves into quarters.
Uncooked – Spam Hickory has a smoke taste. I’ve had other Hickory smoke things and the SPAM didn’t taste like them. It just tasted of smoke. The texture is pretty much like regular SPAM.
Cooked – not much changes from uncooked. The texture is a bit better. The smoke tastes like smoke, not like what other Hickory smoke foodstuffs taste like.
Not going to make the cut to be added to my larder.
Taste Test – SPAM Lite, 12 oz can
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 oz (56g);
Servings: 6;
Calories: 110
Total Calories 12 oz can – 660 – 420 calories less than the same sized original SPAM
Total Fat: 8g (12%);
Saturated Fat: 3g (15);
Cholesterol: 40mg (13.33);
Sodium: 580mg (24);
Total Carbohydrates: 1g (0.33);
Dietary Fiber: 0g ;
Sugars: 0g ;
Protein: 9g ;
The taste test:
Open a can, slice a slice ¼ to ½ inch in width, cut it half, fry one of the halves.
Dice both halves into quarters.
Uncooked – SPAM Lite has a slightly denser texture, it takes just a bit more tooth to chew it. Not as significant salt aftertaste at the end of a bite as regular SPAM
Cooked – not much changes from uncooked. The texture is a bit more noticeable and to me the Salt aftertaste is not as strong as SPAM Original.
Magnolia Blossom – I cut a second slice and diced it to about the same size as what I ate. I put it in her food bowl and called her over. She sniffed it and looked at me. I told her Go ahead and she looked at me and then took a cube. She ate the slice like she does the few times we’ve given her other human food.
My opinion – if the cost is the same and you’re worrying about calories and/or salt then this one is a pick.
You will lose 400+ calories per can for each SPAM Lite you store. For what I store SPAM for, even though it is not as salty tasting and it’s uncooked/cooked texture is a little better, I will not consciously pick SPAM Lite.
Taste Test – SPAM original, 12 oz can
Nutrition Facts
Serving Size: 2 oz (56g);
Servings: 6;
Calories: 180
Total Calorires 12 oz can – 1080
Total Fat: 16g (24.62);
Saturated Fat: 6g (30);
Cholesterol: 40mg (13.33);
Sodium: 790mg (32.92);
Total Carbohydrates: 1g (0.33);
Dietary Fiber: 0g ;
Sugars: 0g ;
Protein: 7g ;
The taste test:
Open a can, slice a slice ¼ to ½ inch in width, cut it half, fry one of the halves.
Dice both halves into quarters.
Uncooked – Spam has a distinctive taste and texture, it really doesn’t take much tooth to chew it. I’ve always noticed that the ending taste to any bite has salt aftertaste to it.
Cooked – not much changes from uncooked. The texture is a bit more noticeable and to me the Salt aftertaste seems to be stronger.
Magnolia Blossom – I cut a second slice and diced it to about the same size as what I ate. I put it in her food bowl and called her over. She sniffed it and looked at me. I told her Go ahead and she looked at me and then took a cube. She ate the slice like she does the few times we’ve given her other human food. My apologies, I neglected to take a photo or two of her part of the test.
If you can find it, try the SPAM with Chorizo. We like it diced, fried and add scrambled eggs. Nice change, nice flavor, and it’s one that we’ll keep in storage.
Chorizo spam is the bomb!!
Spam singles reside in the pack and are a staple during hunting season.
Smoked spam is off the chain too. I like a heavy smoke like mesquite but the wife prefers mulberry
A poor mans substitute for classic Spam is the Treet you can buy at the Dollar Store for a dollar per can. A mix of pork and chicken, softer texture not as good flavor but same calories, salt and fat per oz. Yes I prefer classic Spam but I can buy almost 3 times the calories for the price with Treet. Made into noodle/potato casseroles and rice extender dishes quite acceptable.
Aldis has a cheaper off brand of spam too that isn’t bad. It has a 7 yr shelf life stamped on it.
I don’t have anything to contribute here except to say thanks for posting this. It is an excellent idea and one I hadn’t considered up until now. Sometimes the simplest solutions are right in our face and we don’t even recognize them. I plan on stocking up some SPAM very soon.
Spice and Salty It been a while but I used to go to Wal-Mart and build a 5 gallon bucket with lid food storage kit and give the kit and information to friends who need a push to prep. Would anybody find this information useful on BBB? It’s a tad basic but shows how cheaply you can have for about 60.00 a man months worth of 2000 calorie and 90+ grams protein put away. All is stuff I eat anyway so putting a three year plus storage life kit together is not painful.
Sure, we get daily reads on stuff that is some of the most basic information we’ve posted. We are really into inclusiveness, we want to bring everybody from prepper-curious all the way to experts to the table.
I absolutely love bacon flavored spam! I eat at least one can a week. I keep a large stock of bacon spam and the small canned hams available from Walmart in my preps.
I have stocked Spam for quite awhile. At the moment, I am rotating some older stock. It has remained good for over 5 years and I have some on the shelf that is 8 years old. I plan on opening that at ten years as a storage test. So far no problems.
Not a fan of Spam. WWWaaayyy too much salt and other shelf life extending chemicals for my taste. I was actually repulsed by the taste and texture when trying it recently after not having eaten any for 30-40 years.
Note on “shelf life”: The best by date stamped on canned food cans is the manufacturers suggestion of when the contents may, I repeat MAY, begin to taste a little “off”. The contents will NOT harm you if you eat it after that date, as long as the can is still vacuum sealed when you open it.
The British Explorers Club put this to the test with canned food that one of the South Pole explorers had left behind. The cans were purported to be 50 years old. No one got sick from eating the food, however it was reported that the food consumed had little taste.
A slice of sourdough bread, lightly buttered, with a slice of cheese. Toast same under broiler in oven or whatever. When toasted spread home canned choke cherry jelly. Top with two slices of fried Spam. Squeeze some Sriracha Hot Chili Sause. Pepper. No salt. You can thank me later.