Why water was canned in the USSR: what it tasted like

It may seem strange now, but in the USSR, not only were common foods such as meat, fish, vegetables, etc. canned, but also water. Despite the fact that there was no shortage of drinking water, many citizens of the former Soviet states remember these tin cans.

Find out why water was canned in the Soviet Union and what it tasted like in the article from OBOZ.UA.

Canned water was sold in 250 ml cans. The shelf life was 2 years, provided that it was stored at a temperature of 35 to 66 degrees.

For whom was canned water produced?

Oddly enough, you couldn't buy such canned food in a regular store because it was intended for a special category of people, namely sailors and submariners. Ships and submarines always had an extra supply of water to last for several days in case of emergency. Cans were also part of the dry rations for lifeboats.

However, according to the instructions, canned water was recommended to be used only as a last resort if fresh water could not be obtained in any other way.

"Do not drink on the first day. Collect and drink rainwater, fill all containers at your disposal with it. Use canned water as a last resort," the packaging said.

It is worth noting that cans were chosen for water storage rather than plastic or glass because they are airtight, durable, UV-resistant and relatively light.

There is no exact date for the start of production of such cans, but the first state standard for such cans appeared in 1962.

You can probably guess, but the cans did not contain ordinary tap water. First, it was boiled, then ascorbic acid was added, and only then was it sealed.

What did the canned water taste like?

Nowadays, the shelf life of any canned water has definitely expired, so it would be a dubious decision to buy it now. However, Soviet citizens who had a chance to try this water before the collapse of the Soviet system say that it had a specific taste.

At the same time, some say that the canned water was similar to distilled water. It was also completely tasteless, but it performed its function properly.

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