You’ve heard of aged beef, but this takes the concept to a whole new level.

On Tuesday a Swedish pensioner invited his neighbours around to his garage for a  meal with a difference.

On the menu was a 70 year old cut of beef that had been stored in a glass jar since World War II.

Eskil Carlsson explained to the European media that his wife’s family had stored a 3kg piece of brisket in a glass jar when food rationing was in place in 1939/40.

By the time he married his wife 10 years later, her family had developed respect for the jar and it had become like a member of the family.

It stayed sealed for more than 70 years until Mr Carlsson decided after his wife’s recent death that it was time to give it a try.

"I figured that 70 years was enough and that it would be a catastrophe if it started to leak and was thus destroyed. So I decided to make a bit an occasion and invited the neighbours for the opening," he told Sweden’s Local news.

He consulted food authorities about what might happen but was told there should not be a problem.

Just to be safe he gave the first piece of meat to his cat. When it survived Mr Carlsson and his neighbours tried the 70 year old beef for themselves.

"It didn't smell much, it didn't smell bad anyway,” he said.

“It was as if it had been meat from this week.

“I shouldn't exaggerate though, it was no delicacy.”

More details: http://www.thelocal.se/35742/20110824/
 

Watch the video of the opening here:  http://ekuriren.se/nyheter/eskilstuna/1.1160522-webb-tv-oxbringa-fran-1940-oppnas