Our Chowder, Soup & Bisque has a shelf life of approximately four years unopened, and can be stored for 3-5 days in the fridge once they have been opened. Think of the pouch like a “flexible can” – as long as the pouch is not punctured, leaking or opened, the product inside will stay good for at least 4 years. Even this is conservative, as long as the pouch is intact. 

To find out when your chowder was produced, look on the back of your pouch, either near the top or above the ingredients you'll see a string of letters and numbers. It'll look something like this: 

Example: 64110011 

64 is our smokehouse FDA issued plant number 

11 is the last digit of the year it was produced. 11 would be 2011, 7 would be 2007. 

001 - the Julian Date (Jan 1st, 273 would be Sept 30th) 

1 - the first cook of the day 

You may also see a code that looks like this: 

P19CH 6289A 1332 09 0161M 

P19CH - Product code - CH is Chowder 

6289A - Day & Lot Code - 6 = 2006; 289 = 289th day of the year; A = 1st Lot 

1332 - Military Time; 1:32 PM 

09 - Retort Number (9th cook of the day) 

0161M - Unit Number from the batch 

Directions for Use: 

Empty the pouch into a saucepan or microwave-safe bowl. Stir in 1½ cups of milk or half & half (you can also use low-fat milk). 

OR - Try Something New! Add between 1 and 1½ cups of rice milk, almond milk or soy milk. These are typically of a thinner consistency than dairy products, so start off with at least 1 cup, and add more if you need to, to get your chowder to your desired thickness. You can also add equal parts tomato sauce and chicken broth. 

Heat gently over medium heat, stirring often, or microwave until hot. Let stand for about 3 minutes before serving. 

Note: Do not place pouch in microwave - always empty contents into another container.