We found some cans of dried apples in a cellar at an old farmhouse once that were from WWII, so we opened em up and ok, they were a tad tough, but heck, they tasted like dried apples for sure. I didnt die from it. My girlfriend won't eat ANYTHING past its expiration date, and it drives me crazy!
Without having to spend a whole lot of money...check this guys smoker out. I think it would work really good, you could make it fairly cheap and with stuff you might be able to get free or already have on hand. I have a monster smoker, but it's all steel and took a long time to weld together...