My husband and I are trying to eat in a healthier manner, including the elimination of unecessary salt from our diets. In response to this, we bought several bags of frozen (Birds Eye Steamfresh, actually) vegetables. I was elated by this, as I love the taste of vegetables that have not been canned. The Steamfresh vegetables were convenient, too; I could microwave them.
So, I made them last night, along with some fish. I liked the vegetables a lot, but my husband couldn’t stand them. Apparently, he doesn’t like vegetables that aren’t either canned or. . .erm. . .well-done. They made him gag–which I found ridiculous, since I ate the same bleeding veggies, and they were good. Way better than any canned vegetables I’ve ever had, at any rate.
What kind of preferences do Dopers have regarding their pre-packaged* vegetables? Do you like canned or frozen vegetables better? Why do you have those preferences?
Those of you who like canned veggies. . .is there any simple way that you’d eat fresh or frozen vegetables that doesn’t involve adding salt, adding cheese, or cooking the vegetables until they lose all structural integrity? Note that when I say simple, I mean, “can be done in under five minutes,” not, “simple compared to a souffle.”
*[sub]I’m limiting this to canned or frozen; fresh veggies, while IMNSHO the best of all, aren’t really an option, given that my husband may or may not eat them, and I can’t keep 'em until I want 'em.[/sub]
I used to eat canned veggies as a kid. Now, I prefer frozen. I found canned to be too mushy and salty, not to mention they always tasted faintly metallic. There are more varieties in frozen veggies, they keep just as long, and you can prepare them in approximately the same amount of time.
Pepper Mill won’t eat canned vegetables. All of ours are frozen.
I was brought up on canned vagetables. Even I can taste the difference, but I don’t find it objectionable. Pepper Mill does.
I can eat either canned or frozen. We oftebn add butter or seasoning to t6hem. I often put a dap of maple syrup (!) on frozen carrots. Not so much that it’s obvious, but it can make a difference.
Don’t add salt.
Only canned vegetables I use are peeled Roma tomatoes (lots), beetroot (not available frozen, messy to cook and eaten cold anyway) and processed peas (it’s a British/Aussie thing to do with meat pies). I use frozen peas , beans and spinach (it is real spinach and better than fresh) and sometimes corn if I want lots. Everything else is fresh. Although I also love the jars of New Zealand spiced asparagus - perfectly cooked so that it is crisp and peppery.
Me, too - unfortunately, my spouse prefers canned. I just can’t understand preferring that metallic, salty taste, and the texture - I like my veggies to have at least a bit of crispness (fresh is best), but he really only likes canned. But then, I’m pretty sure it’s because it’s the only thing his mother served, and he really is stuck on having everything domestic (cooking, housework) done the way his mother did. It’s no use arguing with him that his mother’s ways are from the 1930’s & 40’s, and that there are better methods available in the 60-70 years since then. It’s like arguing with the proverbial brick wall.
Frozen is better for just about all veggies. Tomatoes are the major exception around our house. Well, that and mushrooms.
You’d be amazed at what you can do by adding spices to frozen veggies. Want Indian? Add curry powder. Mexican? Cilantro, cumin and red pepper flakes. British? No spices at all and cook into mush.
I’ll disagree here and say I hate frozen veggies; bland and mushy. Canned ones at least have flavor. (I was brought up on frozen veggies, not canned. It wasn’t until I started eating unfrozen veggies that I realized I didn’t actually hate vegetables)
I know you said it wasn’t an option but I didn’t start liking vegetables until I had fresh ones. You might just try experimenting with fresh until you find a few favorites that he likes. My favorites now are kale steamed with lite soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic and brussel sprouts roasted with olive oil and a little salt. My freinds who have sworn that they hate vegetables in general and brussel sprount in particular love these now. Almost all veggies are really tasty roasted with a littel olive oil and salt. (and, yes, these recipes involve adding some salt but it’s not a lot of salt and it’s way less sodium than most people get from processed foods)
Fresh is always better, that’s a given, but the OP wants something fast.
We like frozen peas, brussels sprouts, and corn, and canned green beans and carrots. I’d never eaten canned carrots in my life, but hubby liked them and I gave them a try. They’re not bad – a bit soft, but tasty.
If your canned/frozen veggies are mushy and soft, maybe they’re overcooked. All they need is thawing and a little bit of heat, and they should be okay.
Fresh zucchini and mushrooms cook up fast, once you’re done with the prep. Corn on the cob cooks fast too, once you’ve got the water boiling.
If fresh is impossible I go for the frozen kind. Even nuking frozen veggies (my microwave has that cool button for frozen veggies) is better tasting to me than the stuff in a can.
The only time I use canned veggies at all is when making chili or four bean salad.
Weird. I love canned corn and I hate frozen corn. I also love fresh corn on the cob or canned creamed corn. Something is just very wrong and bad about frozen corn. I like spinach or carrots in any form except raw. I only like canned green beans and canned peas.
Yes, I was raised with all canned vegetables, Hamburger Helper and Rice-A-Roni. Deviled ham, Spam and those little canned weenies were also staples. Gross huh? Oh, and I almost forgot the delightful “Potato Buds.”
As much as I love my canned veggies, I love them fresh and sautéd just as well and your husband might be the same way. They have fresh broccoli, cauliflower and carrot bags at my grocery store that you can just throw in a pan. I think fresh spinach, asparagus and green beans are fast and easy to sauté also and don’t have to be cut up, etc.
I prefer canned corn too. It has more of its sweet flavor and is more crisp. Frozen corn has a bland flavor. I also like canned green beans and peas, but like the frozen versions of these too. But for spinach, Brussels sprouts and asparagus, it’s got to be frozen.
My problem with frozen veggies is freezer burn. Sometimes the veggies look dried out and dessicated and don’t taste good when cooked. So I try to use them as soon as possible after I buy them.
We tried a lot of brands before finding frozen corn that was edible. We’ve settled on Fareway’s store brand, the one labeled Young Sweet Tender, or something like that. It’s the closest to fresh we’ve ever had. Very yummy.
We served it at Thanksgiving, and my finicky daughter-in-law asked where we found fresh corn in November.
The other stuff has no corn taste at all, even the name brands.
I grew up eating either canned or fresh (for most of my childhood: grown in the vegetable garden in the backyard) veggies. Once out on my own, it was canned because they were cheaper than fresh and kept longer…until I picked up some frozen vegetables on sale. They were much better tasting than canned, and often cheaper, too.
I do still pick up canned veggies when there’s a really good sale on. Some butter (not margarine) or cheese sauce or spices perk up the flavor a bit. Nuke them with some minute rice and garlic powder and shredded cheese or some such for a quick side dish.
fresh steamed veggies are the way to go. They’re ready way faster than microwaving. I buy the broccoli and carrots mixed or the stir fry package. The entire bag has only 120 calories in it. I add about 3/4 inch of water to a pot, add the steamer basket and boil, then add veggies for just a few minutes. viola! delicious veggies. I then add an assortment of spices and flavorings like seasoning salt, Molly McButter, etc. etc. yummy.
Also, since you’re trying to eat healthier foods, take a look at the nutritional info on the package. I think in most cases you’ll find that canned vegetables have far less than the frozen ones.
The only canned veggies in the house are tomatos, mushrooms, and creamed corn. Everything else must be fresh or frozen.
I would be willing to put up with the tinny taste, I could live with the over salted taste, but that dead, mushy texture I just cannot deal with. I like my veggies to have a bite to them. Fresh I usually eat raw or just quickly blanched. Frozen is cooked just long enough to be heated through.
I have always loved my veggies. Once, when I was a kid, my Mom got canned green beans. I moaned and complained up a storm (she asked if I’d be calling CPS to report the abusive incident ). (But we never had canned green beans again ).
). (But we never had canned green beans again 
).