peas?
spinach?
vienna sausage?
anything by Chef Boy-ar-dee or Franco-American?
I enjoy a can of Green Giant Niblets and Libby’s corned beef hash once or twice a year, along with the occasional can of soup…and thank the Lord for canned black olives…
But is there anything else out there that’s actually palatible?
I like canned veggies, white meat chicken chunks, fruit, and soups. I will NOT eat that canned corned beef hash, SPAM, and stuff like that.
Michi
Are canned goods supposed to be edible?
Yes.
BY THE FUCKEN BACTERIA THAT COMES PACKED IN THE CANS!!!
Canned tomatoes.
Otherwise, you’d have no tomato sauces between late October and early July. I sure as hell ain’t gonna make sauce out of those orange-ish things they sell for fresh tomatoes during those months.
I also keep Goya canned beans around the house…pink and black and garbanzo. Sometimes you just got to have some beans and rice, or refried beans, and you don’t have the time to soak and simmer dry beans for hours.
I consider canned things to be a base…not something I open up and eat directly.
A quick survey of the larders revealed about 10 cans of Campbell’s soup of varying varieties, one can of beans, one can of pineapple, and some tomato paste. The remainder is boxed stuff like Jello and pudding and hot chocolate mix. Canned veggies are banned at my house.
Once, tho, I had a can of SPAM, which I ate in one sitting while talking to my mother. This is probably significant in a Freudian sort of way.
Robin
In my pantry I have cans of Tuna Fish (yummy on toast with lots of Mayo), 4 different kinds of soup, and tomatoe sauce.
I also have a few cans of veggies, but they are gathering dust. We prefer fresh.
The story of food preservation goes back a ways, I suppose.
IIRC, Sea voyages were problematic for a number of reasons, and attempts were made, and continue to be made, to discover a method of preserving food goods for longer periods of time without requiring refrigeration. Both aerobic and anaerobic critters are the bane of long term storage.
Military requirements have also spurred research of various techniques of food preservation. During the “Civil War” Union soldiers were issued, among other things, Hardtack, bacon, beans, tobacco, coffee, etc. etc. Salt has been used for centuries to preserve food, and some research indicates that many spices we all enjoy today are the result of initial food preservation techniques. Further, some research also indicates that Red Peppers, Chilis, Habenaro, etc etc …, For example, helped provide protection from parasitic (nematodes?) things like tapeworms. Interestingly enough certain survival guides suggest just such a remedy in situations where modern pharmaceuticals are unavailable or nonexistent. The theory is that some of the ingredients inherent to “hot” stuff is especially repugnant to the critters who are introduced to our systems. What was the question again? Oh yeah, canned goods.
A few good things in cans/tins come to mind.
Tomatoes, as Ike mentioned, especially those from Italy. You know a canned product has to be good when Marcella Hazan (the Marcella Hazan!) suggests its use in a recipe. Also, Contadina tomato paste, which really comes to the fore in chili recipes.
Tuna, preferably line-caught. I swear, canned tuna is the national dish of Spain. And it’s not bad when used properly, and if it’s a good brand.
Olives, as the OP said.
Dog food. My dog won’t eat anything else 
You guys are obviusly not choosing the right vintage of canned foods.
From the Batchelor’s Canned Foods site:
Yes. Where else would I get my corn from?
I’m not a snob, I’ll eat canned or freshly killed.
I got a T-shirt-in-a-can one Christmas. It had a picture of Twisted Sister on it.
More edible than Chef Boyardee, I guess.
Along with beans and tomatoes, my pantry usually has coconut milk, baked beans, Bernie-0s (like Spaghetti-Os, but a little healthier) and one of my favorite snacks, hearts of palm. I don’t believe I’ve ever bought any other canned vegetables. Canned fruit is good to have around in the winter when the fresh selection isn’t as good and we don’t make as many impromptu trips to the store.
Other types of fish can be okay, too: Salmon, sardines, even clams for certain recipes. In addition to the things other peopple have mentioned, I always keep canned green chiles and some Asian-type veggies (baby corn, bamboo shoots). Once I found some canned stuffed grape leaves and they actually weren’t too bad.
Tuna fish, soup (the two kinds of it I eat), fruit.
Other than that, if its canned I can use it as an ingredient in a “mix up a bunch of stuff quickly and bake for an hour” recipe, but by itself it is not food.
We like canned veggies at my house. Actually, I prefer most of mine frozen, but da boys won’t touch 'em. I much prefer frozen spinach over canned. And there’s tuna, canned chili, canned beans, tomatoes, tomato sauce, fruit, tomato juice, jalapenos, soups. I just wish they had more lower sodium choices.
What does this means?!? A little healthier than Spaghetti-O’s…isn’t heroin a little healthier than Spaghetti-O’s?
Got a personal jones for Campbell’s Chunky Sirloin Burger. Not that I’m proud of it, you understand.
Otherwise, pretty much stick to canned tuna, corn, red beans and tomatos, and use them as bases when necessary. I like to have a couple of cans of ravioli or spaghetti around as well, but I always sautee some onion and garlic before dumping the canned stuff into the pot, to make it more palatable.
In France I used to get tiny little cans of various pickled vegetables at the local asian supermarkets. That stuff was great.
Canned goods in my cupboard:
Diced Tomatoes - used for all sorts of things
Black Beans & Pinto Beans - Most days, I don’t have time to cook dried beans. So a can it is.
Jalepenos - I like pickled jalepenos. They’re a nice alternative to fresh every once in a while.
Coconut Milk - for when I have to have a curry
Bamboo Shoots - the ones in the 16 oz cans from the asian store, not the little ones you buy in a standard grocery store.
Artichoke hearts - for pizzas, pastas, anything I feel like tossing them in
Black Olives - I confess, I love canned black olives. I like the real ones, too. They’re such different things I don’t even consider them related.
Tuna - Even Julia says you can’t make a real Salade Nicoise with fresh tuna. Gotta have canned.
Anchovies - Gotta have 'em.
Corn - Niblets are just about as good as frozen corn, neither of which is as good as fresh, but I’m not shucking fresh corn when I want to throw a can in the Rice & Beans.
Canned Chicken and Beef stock - I usually have homemade stock in the freezer, but when I don’t I want a can. Also, canned Beef stock is necessary for French Dips. Homemade beef broth is never salty enough.
Various Progresso Soups - for a quick lunch/dinner
Garbanzo beans - bought 'em 5 years ago to make hummus, they’re still there.
Clams - for quick clam sauce.
Last, but not least, several cans of green beans, carrots, and other unmentionable mushy vegetables. For some godawful reason, Mr. Athena enjoys these. I think they are reminiscent of childhood for him. I won’t eat 'em. They’re gross. But ya gotta make the Mr. happy every once in a while.
One of my favorites;
Hearts of Palm
Also, Green Giant Shopeg Corn. Beats the heck out of the regular types. I try to keep around a tinned ham for emergencies. Ortega roasted green chilies are hard to beat when you’re in a hurry. I would be remiss if I didn’t mention Herdez’s salsa casera. Some white asparagus is useful too. Can’t forget Las Palmas green enchilada sauce and Rotel tomatoes and chilies.
Campbell’s vegetable soup and corn with vienna sausage (cold, straight from the can) are two can-based meals I had often as a kid. In fact, my mom has a recipe for a cream of mushroom-based stew whose ingredients all come from cans. It tastes great served hot over rice.