# Frozen or Canned Veggies? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 14, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665 "2006-04-14T15:05:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/21 "2006-04-16T00:03:42Z")
> [@UrbanChic](#): > > If I can’t get fresh, I’ll eat frozen or nothing. The ONLY canned vegetables I’ll buy are tomatoes. I also agree this is spot on. ---
**Author:** ![hawksgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ed655f/32.png) [@hawksgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hawksgirl)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/22 "2006-04-16T00:04:03Z")
Definitely frozen only. Canned ones just taste icky, and the discoloration and texture usually puts me off real fast if I was being fooled. ---
**Author:** ![Ice\_Wolf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/dfb087/32.png) [@Ice\_Wolf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ice_Wolf)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/23 "2006-04-16T00:04:15Z")
Canned. I was brought up on canned peas, beans, tomatoes, various others. I prefer canned to frozen – but fresh is best. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/24 "2006-04-16T00:53:34Z")
> [@MLS](#): > > 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**. Less…nutritional info? Less package! Less… 😉😃 ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/25 "2006-04-16T00:53:43Z")
Depends on the veggie. I like canned green beans, but I like fresh steamed better. I don’t like frozen. I like canned “small petite baby” peas as a side dish (mixed into mashed potatoes! mmm,) but I also like frozen baby peas in different recipes. I prefer canned corn to frozen corn, but fresh on the cob is best. I also will use canned mushrooms in a pinch, but I MUCH prefer fresh. I use canned tomatoes, of course. I buy frozen mixtures a lot, and frozen broccoli and asparagus. They are usually just staples to have on hand - if I’m planning menus I’ll buy fresh. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/26 "2006-04-16T01:03:52Z")
> [@tremorviolet](#): > > I’ll disagree here and say I _hate_ frozen veggies; bland and mushy. Mushy? Something that started out frozen? Considering when in their life cycle frozen vegetables are frozen, I have a feeling you’re doing something wrong defrosting them. At the very least, the wrong brands! ---
**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/27 "2006-04-16T04:51:05Z")
If you’re trying to cut down on salt, you will do a great service to yourself to cut out canned veggies. And canned veggies are g-r-o-s-s!!! 😉 Have you checked out No Salt Added canned veg? My dog eats a can of no salt green beans every day. I haven’t looked much but there’s also no salt peas, I’ve noticed. See if hubby likes those. Also, there are salt substitutes like Mrs. Dash, and I like that Smart Balance butter substitute. And like others have said, there’s tons of other spices you can add to make the veggies taste better other than salt and real butter. Frozen veggies can be found cheap enough that you two can buy small bags and experiment with seasoning until you find something he likes. If it comes down to a texture problem, you might need to just remove half of the veggies from the pot once they’re to the texture you want, and leave the rest to cook longer to soften them up for him. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/28 "2006-04-16T04:53:30Z")
> [@silenus](#): > > 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. Hee hee. But FTAR, curry really isn’t a popular Indian spice and is actually rarely used in Indian cooking. It’s sort of Brit thing…we use a lot of coriander and cumin, cayenne pepper, and chilis. And frozen, baby! I tried canned mushrooms once and nearly barfed, they were so tinny and so bad. Yuck. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 7:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/29 "2006-04-16T07:06:27Z")
> [@panache45](#): > > The only canned veggies I’ll eat are tomatoes and corn (especially creamed corn). > > Has anyone here ever canned their own veggies or fruits (actually in jars, not cans)? My mother used to, and I think I’m gonna start doing this. My mother goes into a canning frenzy once the fruit seasons start, making jams, jellies, and canning fruits. Its relatively easy to do, and not only tastes good, but also adds a nice blue or red color to all of your wooden spoons 😉 . There are books on canning in most bookstores, and mason jars are easy to find in bulk around this time. Shes never tried veggies, since we don’t have any fresh veggies growing in the back yard, or any fields nearby. Once I get an apartment, I plan to start canning some on my own. Canning is not that terribly expensive, and there are nice memories surrounding it. ---
**Author:** ![Tamryne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/3e96dc/32.png) [@Tamryne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamryne)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 7:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/30 "2006-04-16T07:09:24Z")
Also, to stay more on topic with the thread, frozen is SO much better than canned. Except frozen spinach. I HATE trying to drain that stuff! Smells bad on your hands, smells up the kitchen, makes a mess, and doesn’t taste very good anyways. Ive never had problems with frozen corn, although I have never eaten it on its own, only mixed into stir fry’s or in casseroles or the like. Canned corn is quite good, however. Peas and mixed veggies are usually much preferred over canned. ---
**Author:** ![tremorviolet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/e47774/32.png) [@tremorviolet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tremorviolet)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2006, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/31 "2006-04-16T16:39:11Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Mushy? Something that started out frozen? > > Considering when in their life cycle frozen vegetables are frozen, I have a feeling you’re doing something wrong defrosting them. At the very least, the wrong brands! I dunno, it seems like the texture changes. (my private theory is that the freezing damages the cellulat structure of the vegetables but that’s probably completely) I don’t mind frozen fruits but vegetables are just icky. Canned at least have the right “mouth feel” although they’re usually overly salted. But I live a few blocks from a grocery store so I just eat fresh now anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 1:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/32 "2006-04-17T01:36:58Z")
How does one eat veggies w/o the crispness to them? Frozen or fresh is the only way to go. As others have said tomatos are the only canned veggie I’ll eat. And technically speaking that’s not really a veggie but rather a fruit!! For a board that fights ignorance I’m surprized no one else has mentioned this. Shame on you guys! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/33 "2006-04-17T14:33:42Z")
I’m a fresh-frozen-or-nothin’ kind of gal when it comes to vegetables – but I must share with the Doper masses the lusciousness that is [Allen’s Italian Green Beans](http://www.allensitalianbeans.com/). Cut up some onion and saute in a little oil, add a can of these and heat for about 10 minutes. DELICIOUS I tell you. They’re probably loaded with salt. I don’t care. I don’t particularly like green beans and I could eat _platefuls_ of these things. Thank you, in-laws from the Deep South! 😃 Anyway, try petite frozen peas. They are like crack. Just nuke them in the microwave for two minutes. Add nothing but water. Every single time I make these, my children say, “And you mean there’s no butter in these? No sugar? No salt?” They can’t get over it. I buy the store brand, too. Meijer or Kroger. ---
**Author:** ![Ellen\_Cherry](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellen_cherry/32/3600_2.png) [@Ellen\_Cherry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellen_Cherry)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/34 "2006-04-17T14:36:28Z")
Ugh! I hate the “tomato is a fruit” debate! [Ask Oxford](http://www.askoxford.com/asktheexperts/faq/aboutother/tomato) ---
**Author:** ![The\_Swan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/a87d85/32.png) [@The\_Swan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Swan)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 3:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/35 "2006-04-17T15:37:02Z")
> [@SHAKES](#): > > As others have said tomatos are the only canned veggie I’ll eat. And technically speaking that’s not really a veggie but rather a fruit!! > > For a board that fights ignorance I’m surprized no one else has mentioned this. Shame on you guys! 😃 Technically, you’re dead wrong. The two terms are not mutually exclusive. One is a scientific term, the other is a kitchen term. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/36 "2006-04-17T17:11:41Z")
> [@Tamryne](#): > > Also, to stay more on topic with the thread, frozen is SO much better than canned. Except frozen spinach. I HATE trying to drain that stuff! Smells bad on your hands, smells up the kitchen, makes a mess, and doesn’t taste very good anyways. I don’t usually drain frozen spinach. But we’ve done a few recipes that required doing that. I use a collander, and a clean dishrag, put them into the sink and squeeze. Takes a bit of elbow grease, but no mess. When I had a bigger garden that produced far more than we could use, we canned things - actually froze them. You blanch the veggies first, then rinse them quickly in cold water and put them in a freezer bag. Near the end of the summer we buy cases of corn on the cob, cook them, but the kernels off the cob, and freeze them. This gives us fresh frozen corn most of the winter. We use canned tomatoes for cooking. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen frozen tomatoes - I can’t imagine they’d be very good. Unless fresh tomatoes are required for a recipe, I seldom get them - the ones from my garden are so much better than store-bought ones, I’ve been spoiled. Canned cream corn is okay - but after seeing hundreds of gallons of it being sprayed on Adam West, I’'m right off it. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 5:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/37 "2006-04-17T17:40:48Z")
If not fresh, I usually get frozen, except for corn - that’s canned. As for spicing veggies up, I usually just go with a little garlic or onion powder, some red pepper maybe, or some teriyaki glaze. EVERYTHING is better with teriyaki glaze! 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 8:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/38 "2006-04-17T20:07:19Z")
I prefer canned veggies… it’s what I was raised on. They are the only holdout from my mothers cooking style. “Prepacked, premade, precooked” was a mantra of my Mother’s. Mrs. Butler doesn’t like the canned varieties, and will really only eat the frozen ones. We often have to cook 2 different vegetables with dinner to satisfy both of us. There are a few things that I’ll eat frozen though. Snow/Snap peas, and corn… everything else comes from a can. Except in soup. Then we use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 8:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/39 "2006-04-17T20:30:17Z")
I prefer canned veggies… it’s what I was raised on. They are the only holdout from my mothers cooking style. “Prepacked, premade, precooked” was a mantra of my Mother’s. Mrs. Butler doesn’t like the canned varieties, and will really only eat the frozen ones. We often have to cook 2 different vegetables with dinner to satisfy both of us. There are a few things that I’ll eat frozen though. Snow/Snap peas, and corn… everything else comes from a can. Except in soup. Then we use a bag of frozen mixed vegetables. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2006, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665/40 "2006-04-17T20:44:57Z")
For the most part, if I’m not using fresh veggies, I prefer frozen. Having said that, there are certain veggies I’ll get canned: stewed tomatos, baby corn, straw mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. If I’ve canned it myself, however, I’ll use it. I’ve done homemade salsa and tomato sauce, and that’s often the best of both worlds. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/frozen-or-canned-veggies/352665.md?page=1)