# Food from cans: the good, the acceptable, the horrifying **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 1, 2020, 7:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734 "2020-01-01T19:12:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 7:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/81 "2020-01-03T07:58:12Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > All we are saying is – Give Peas a Chance > [@running\_coach](#): > > We Are The Whirled. If only we could all visualize whirled peas. To answer the OP, canned peas are just fine. Not as nice as fresh, but better than frozen, in my opinion. Canned tomatoes (diced or whole) and tomato paste make great sauces and stews. Canned pasta (Heinz spaghetti, Beefaroni, and similar) will never win any culinary awards, but are nice comfort foods. ---
**Author:** ![nelliebly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/nelliebly/32/5422_2.png) [@nelliebly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nelliebly)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 9:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/82 "2020-01-03T09:09:08Z")
I have an important question: where can I buy canned brown bread? I’ve been looking for it for years. OK, add to the good: canned clams. No, not as good as fresh, but you can’t keep fresh on hand for emergencies. Linguini with clams is delicious and quick to fix if you forgot to thaw the chicken or burned the grilled cheese. The bad: Just thinking of canned stew makes me queasy. It’s so…gloppy. And I haven’t been able to eat canned hash since my second pregnancy: too much like canned dog food. Corned beef hash from scratch is delicious, though. And Spam is also disgusting. I know I’ve insulted the entire state of Hawaii, but I DON’T LIKE SPAM! ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/83 "2020-01-03T12:56:23Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I DON’T LIKE SPAM! I’ll have your spam. I love it. I’m having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam and spam! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/84 "2020-01-03T13:54:14Z")
> [@Spud](#): > > Red Gold is a brand of tomatoes that have tons of different varieties of diced and seasoned blends (roasted garlic and onions… Basil, Oregano, and Garlic, etc). They are locally produced and I have a friend who is an exec there and I can tell you that they definitely do 90% of their processing in a very short time when the tomatoes are freshly picked. We keep a wide variety in our pantry for all sorts of quick throw together meals after a busy work day. > > Beans (mainly Chili beans) are also always on hand. > > Canned corn… can’t do that. If it isn’t summer when fresh is everywhere then frozen is the only option. Red Gold is great, if you can get the brand. They’re not super common around here like Hunt’s and Contadina are though. There is one of those shows that documents the production of Red Gold tomato products (“How It’s Made” or maybe “Unwrapped”?) and it seemed to be from field to can in like a day or less. ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/85 "2020-01-03T15:37:39Z")
A lot of this is dependant on cooking skills and ability, upbringing etc. I find nothing inherently wrong with canned corn or green beans, some soups, chili, some beans, or some fruits. (Mixed veggies never turn out well when premade in bulk) However, I’ve found that both brand and price are pretty good indications of quality. Not acceptable at all are mixed veggies. Ever. Not even frozen. Only fresh made mixed veggies are acceptable, it’s something about the carrots I think, plus I hate that they are always chopped up into these teeny tiny little cubes. I shouldn’t need a damn spoon to eat veggies. Acceptable, eh, the only thing I’ve ever had from a can that didn’t fall into the binary love/hate category was a korean beverage called sac sac (orange with extra pulp). Not…terrible, but not one I’d choose again(syrupy, so much pulp it was almost chewy) ---
**Author:** ![Rough\_Draft](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@Rough\_Draft](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rough_Draft)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/86 "2020-01-03T16:07:38Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’ll have your spam. I love it. I’m having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam and spam! Has it got much Spam in it? ---
**Author:** ![RioRico](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f04885/32.png) [@RioRico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RioRico)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/87 "2020-01-03T16:58:49Z")
> [@Ukulele\_Ike](#): > > As far as I know, pickled jalapeños ONLY come in cans, and they are a necessary garnish for homemade nachos and pretty much any other homemade Tex Mex dish. Sliced, gutted _xalapeños_ can be found in little jars. But feh. The gallon can of fat green babies is _supremo_. > [@](#): > > They pack ‘em with sliced carrot for some reason, but the carrot is so laden with pickled jalapeño goodness that they are interchangeable with the chiles themselves. [_En escabeche_](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escabeche), a nice marinade. Peppers, carrots, and onions, all the veggies needed to nutritionally bolster the basic protein+fat+carbs of the entree. > [@DorkVader](#): > > A lot of this is dependant on cooking skills and ability, upbringing etc. And process. [XKCD: Learning to cook](https://xkcd.com/854/) ---
**Author:** ![salinqmind](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/3ec8ea/32.png) [@salinqmind](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/salinqmind)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 5:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/88 "2020-01-03T17:21:31Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I have an important question: where can I buy canned brown bread? I’ve been looking for it for years. I’ve seen it at Walmart. I know I’ve seen it (B&M brand) at grocery stores. Have you asked at the service desk if they have it and where it might be found? It’s easy to make. The home-baked version tastes very close to the canned bread. ---
**Author:** ![burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/burpo_the_wonder_mutt/32/365_2.png) [@burpo\_the\_wonder\_mutt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/burpo_the_wonder_mutt)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/89 "2020-01-03T17:27:01Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > I’ll have your spam. I love it. I’m having spam spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans spam spam spam and spam! Baked beans are off. ---
**Author:** ![DrDeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b487fb/32.png) [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/90 "2020-01-03T18:20:32Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > I have an important question: where can I buy canned brown bread? I’ve been looking for it for years. > … Amazon. ---
**Author:** ![NDP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ndp/32/55_2.png) [@NDP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NDP)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/91 "2020-01-03T22:08:05Z")
> [@nelliebly](#): > > The bad: Just thinking of canned stew makes me queasy. It’s so…gloppy. Nalley’s had a canned beef stew that was actually pretty good and vastly superior to Dinty Moore in every way. However, I always ate them out of single-serving microwaveable containers rather than cans so that might’ve made a difference. Also, I haven’t eaten any in years so they may have changed the recipe. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [January 3, 2020, 10:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/92 "2020-01-03T22:49:47Z")
> [@lingyi](#): > > Hey…check the supermarket shelves the next time there’s a hurricane warning. The canned tuna shelves will be empty, at least the Coral tuna, da locals favorite! 😛 I will check that out! ---
**Author:** ![fedman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/278dde/32.png) [@fedman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fedman)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/93 "2020-01-04T00:12:59Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Canned pasta (e.g. Chef-Boy R. D.) is its own thing (and not a subset of “pasta”), and to me counts as occasional comfort and/or convenience food. > > Similarly for canned chili and soups. > > Canned fruit (e.g. fruit cocktail) is useful for putting in jello. But I do _not_ miss the part of my childhood when we had a can of peaches for dessert. > > You say you live in Hawaii? Somehow I was under the impression that Hawaiians love Spam. try fruit cocktail with yogurt ---
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/94 "2020-01-04T00:16:07Z")
yall nuts canned peas are fine i like frozen too but frozen has a different taste than can … ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 3:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/95 "2020-01-04T03:18:08Z")
> [@salinqmind](#): > > I like canned corn and canned green beans, some home-y dishes just cry out for a canned 50’s veg (not peas or carrots!) Not Veg-All…I don’t know how it’s possible to ruin a can of innocuous mixed vegetables, but the Veg-All company did it. Veg-All is unseasoned and not meant to be eaten a cappella; they are meant to be used in soups, casseroles, etc. When I was a kid, my mother would serve canned stewed tomatoes as a side dish. They smelled awful and looked worse, and were one of the few things she prepared (ok, opened a can and heated it up) that I wouldn’t eat. Now, I do buy them but I use them to make spaghetti sauce, cook over a roast in my Instant Pot, or something along those lines. Canned macaroni and cheese just cannot be good; sorry. ---
**Author:** ![nearwildheaven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90db22/32.png) [@nearwildheaven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nearwildheaven)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/96 "2020-01-04T03:27:20Z")
Some years back, Campbell’s reformulated their cream soups, and they do not have the same taste or texture, or effect on my stomach that they used to, and not for the better. (They make me gassy, and I’m burping that for a few hours afterwards.) I don’t have the same issues with Amy’s or Progresso cream soups, or even some of the store brands I’ve tried. 😕 Has anyone here heard of aquafaba? If you haven’t, this is what it is: If you whip the liquid from canned garbanzo beans and flavor it, it can be served as a vegan whipped cream. However, if you’re sensitive to any gas-forming properties of garbanzos, it will affect you because that’s where they go when the beans are cooked in the can. ---
**Author:** ![Ukulele\_Ike](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/df788c/32.png) [@Ukulele\_Ike](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ukulele_Ike)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 3:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/97 "2020-01-04T03:33:56Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > If you search for nacho slices, a lot more jarred ones come up. Possibly. But I prefer the La Morena brand, which are canned. I also prefer to buy the whole chiles and slice em’ myself. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 9:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/98 "2020-01-04T09:45:03Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > The dislike of canned corn is unexpected. I get Kirkland organic, and the kernels are pretty nice: a pleasant crunch and sweet flavor. But now I think I should compare to frozen corn, in case I’m missing something. > > And I did forget sardines/anchovies. I’m not a huge consumer of either, but I’m not averse to having a can or two (or six, if I buy at Costco) around. > > Home canned stuff is a different animal, to me. To me there is a huge aesthetic difference between opening a can and opening a jar. I always feel like I can taste the metal just a little bit. Anyway, I agree with \*\*Anny Middon’s \*\* post - home-canned chutneys, jams, and so on are fantastic. (I make a mean chutney myself but am too lazy to can, so just freeze it.) I used to enjoy canned corn. But then I tried the frozen plastic bags of Green Giants Peaches and Cream corn. I have never tasted any better corn - except for freshly boiled corn on the cob with salt and butter. But since the frozen variety is so tasty, I just can’t see taking the time to get a huge pot of water boiling and then husk and boil corn on the cob. ---
**Author:** ![Charlie\_Wayne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/4bbf92/32.png) [@Charlie\_Wayne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Charlie_Wayne)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 9:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/99 "2020-01-04T09:47:05Z")
> [@nearwildheaven](#): > > Some years back, Campbell’s reformulated their cream soups, and they do not have the same taste or texture, or effect on my stomach that they used to, and not for the better. (They make me gassy, and I’m burping that for a few hours afterwards.) I don’t have the same issues with Amy’s or Progresso cream soups, or even some of the store brands I’ve tried. > > 😕 > > Has anyone here heard of aquafaba? If you haven’t, this is what it is: If you whip the liquid from canned garbanzo beans and flavor it, it can be served as a vegan whipped cream. However, if you’re sensitive to any gas-forming properties of garbanzos, it will affect you because that’s where they go when the beans are cooked in the can. I prepare Camblell’s cream of tomato soup regularly and have done so for years. I have never noticed any change - neither in the taste nor in the effect on my stomach. I find it very delicious and a great accompanyment to a light lunch. ---
**Author:** ![davidm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/davidm/32/225_2.png) [@davidm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/davidm)\ **Post date:** [January 4, 2020, 10:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734/100 "2020-01-04T10:23:52Z")
Tuna, sardines, kippers, salmon. I’ll admit to liking several Campbell’s products: Campbell’s Pork and Beans Campbell’s Bean With Bacon soup Campbell’s Split Pea With Ham soup I keep a few cans of Chef Boyardee around as quick comfort food. Most canned vegetables are disgusting (peas are supposed to be green, not gray) but I will use them in things like soup. And I love canned beets. Tomato paste and sauce for spaghetti sauce. I like canned ham, Hormel or Black Label. I’m sure there’s some other things I’m not thinking of. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/food-from-cans-the-good-the-acceptable-the-horrifying/845734.md?page=6)