Tempeh, a fermented product, is a mixture of whole soybeans and a grain, such as rice. The flavor of this tender, chunky cake of soybeans has been described as smoky, nutty or similar to mushrooms. Spring floodwater seeped into our pantry. Very little, unfortunately, says Sandy McCurdy, University of Idaho extension food safety coordinator. Flood waters that have covered or even dropped onto foods can carry silt, raw sewage, oil and chemical wastes.
Contaminants can even enter cans through weakened seams or seals.
All you can really salvage are commercially canned foods in undamaged metal cans that are not bulging, leaking, rusty or badly dented. And, you'll want to sanitize even these cans before you open them. Then, wash the cans with a scrub brush in a strong detergent solution, carefully cleaning around lids and seams. Rinse in clean water. Next, soak cans for 15 minutes in a solution of two teaspoons of 5.25 percent household chlorine bleach per quart of room-temperature water.