# Let us discuss canned meat products **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** food-cooking\ **Created:** [September 10, 2024, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066 "2024-09-10T15:56:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![nightshadea](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/7ba0ec/32.png) [@nightshadea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nightshadea)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/41 "2024-09-10T21:51:21Z")
it still is at most grocery stores ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/42 "2024-09-10T21:56:33Z")
**MrsFtG** had me get a can a Spam a couple months ago. It’s still there. I remind her of it from time to time. A couple weeks ago she had me get some canned chicken. I think the same will apply. Several years back I noticed a local grocery store had potted meat up on the top shelf above the more edible stuff. I picked up a can to read its label. There was a noticeable layer of dust on the lid. That told me something right there. ---
**Author:** ![Hatchie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hatchie/32/3983_2.png) [@Hatchie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hatchie)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/43 "2024-09-10T21:58:56Z")
David Letterman on his old Late Night show discovered the existence of Whole Chicken in a Can to his delight. He had a lot of fun with the concept, and gave one away to an audience member as a “prize / not prize”. I believe the ones he had were a lot more intact than the ones reviewed above. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/44 "2024-09-10T22:18:26Z")
Yeah, the Big Lots across the street from my apartment complex is in the shutdown process. Several years ago, they ditched a lot of the stuff like office/school supplies so they could devote half or more of the store to furniture. In my neighborhood, maybe not the best decision, since most people need sofas, beds, fake fireplaces, etc., a lot less frequently than they need kitchen equipment, household cleaning supplies, etc. Their shutdown isn’t going to do that strip shopping center a lot of good, since the Dollar Tree in the same one is hopelessly awful. As I commented on a thread about DT a while back, “shabby and sketchy would be an improvement”. As for the actual topic of the thread :), I keep various canned meats (ham, Spam, tuna, chicken, chili both with and without beans, roast beef hash, Brunswick kipper snacks) on hand. I think all of the above are at least decent-tasting, and back around 2020 developed some compulsive squirrel tendencies toward keeping reserve supplies on hand in case of supply disruptions, personal financial challenge, etc. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/45 "2024-09-10T22:23:39Z")
> [@dorvann](#): > > At least one company offered a **whole** chicken in a can, I am not sure if it is still available anywhere. I couldn’t find it online via any of my usual grocery sources, but I have fond memories of my mother making quite good chicken soup with those and thick, chewy frozen noodles. I’ve also seen those as a sabotage item on “Cutthroat Kitchen”. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2024, 10:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/46 "2024-09-10T22:26:53Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Thanks for all these great posts. I learned a few things. I think I will buy a can of that Underwood deviled ham just for grins. I think I will too. And some Spam. I’m curious about both. ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/47 "2024-09-10T22:30:07Z")
The secret to Spam is to mix it with a lot of bland stuff, to dilute the salt, and dry stuff, do dilute the grease. It works pretty well in stir-fry. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/48 "2024-09-10T22:30:07Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > And some Spam. I’m curious about both. I do recommend the lower-sodium version, both for health reasons and because with the lower-sodium, I think there’s a bit more meat taste coming through the seasonings. ---
**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:** [September 10, 2024, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/49 "2024-09-10T22:33:57Z")
One step at a time, maybe. A local sports bar occasionally has a Spam sandwich with soup as a lunchtime special. (They’re not really known for their cuisine.) Maybe I’ll try it sometime. If I like it, I can get some, and get more creative at home. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/50 "2024-09-10T22:36:26Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > I saw Big Lots in the news yesterday… bankrupt & closing stores. More depression! To my eye the people of Walmart are way more “normal” than the people of Big Lots. > [@BigT](#): > > I like to make tuna and salmon patties, and the canned stuff works best for that. My gf buys salmon filets for me to grill. Sometimes she’ll buy one large filet that I can cut into two, often after grilling. One time she totally screwed up and bought a filet big enough to feed four. I cut it into three very nice filets. We each had one, and the third went in the refrigerator. I used it to make salmon croquettes on a later date. I wonder what the economics there are. Is it cheaper to start with fresh fish or canned to make croquettes/patties/salad/etc? ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/51 "2024-09-10T22:40:16Z")
> [@kayaker](#): > > I wonder what the economics there are. Is it cheaper to start with fresh fish or canned to make croquettes/patties/salad/etc? It might depend on how much the cans cost. I tend to get them given to me, or buy the very cheap stuff. But some cans can get quite expensive. But I’ve not even tried pricing the fillets. The canned stuff is much lower in fat usually. I’m not entirely sure it’s the same fish, really. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/52 "2024-09-10T22:44:51Z")
> [@BigT](#): > > I’m not entirely sure it’s the same fish, really. Heh, it should say on the label. Sodium benzoate, and something along the lines of Farmed Atlantic Salmon. I doubt the “good stuff” is available in cans. My gf always looks for very specific types of salmon. King, Coho, specific bays, etc. ---
**Author:** ![kenobi\_65](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kenobi_65/32/13178_2.png) [@kenobi\_65](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kenobi_65)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/53 "2024-09-10T22:47:32Z")
> [@ThelmaLou](#): > > Those teeny Underwood cans, wrapped neatly in white paper, are so _cute_. They look like they would taste good. I’ve stared at the Underwood cans in the grocery story but have never bought one. Should I? Are they tasty? I am 100% biased, but I’ve eaten Underwood Deviled Ham since I was about 5 years old, usually as a sandwich spread. It’s finely-chopped ham, with some (very mild) spices. I think it tastes good. While I remember seeing other Underwood items in the store, years ago, the only item I ever see now is the Deviled Ham. Just FYI, within the last year or so, they changed their packaging: the cans are no longer fully wrapped in paper (as they had been for decades), but now just have a more traditional paper label around them. [![](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Underwood-Deviled-Ham-Spread-4-25-oz_f3035241-baa9-4108-9a3a-b8a579eeb8ce.988c150af32dd7b716a117cb6f1da60d.jpeg) ](https://i5.walmartimages.com/seo/Underwood-Deviled-Ham-Spread-4-25-oz_f3035241-baa9-4108-9a3a-b8a579eeb8ce.988c150af32dd7b716a117cb6f1da60d.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/54 "2024-09-10T22:47:35Z")
> [@Seanette](#): > > …there’s a bit more meat taste coming through the seasonings. The question is, is that a good thing or not? Every now and then I go to McDonald’s, but I only ever get the small original cheeseburger. Because you can’t taste the meat. > [@kenobi\_65](#): > > I think it tastes good. Glad to hear that! I feel optimistic about my experiment. ---
**Author:** ![Seanette](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/seanette/32/9139_2.png) [@Seanette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Seanette)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/55 "2024-09-10T22:48:37Z")
Must be a personal taste thing, since I consider McD’s burgers acceptable and usually get a double or a quarter-pounder so I CAN taste meat. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/56 "2024-09-10T22:50:48Z")
That little can of Underwood Deviled Ham in the white paper wrapper, was what you made for kids who were complaining about too many tunafish sandwiches. Three days of that, and they will be begging for tuna. ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/57 "2024-09-10T22:52:41Z")
> [@kenobi\_65](#): > > Just FYI, within the last year or so, they changed their packaging: the cans are no longer fully wrapped in paper (as they had been for decades), but now just have a more traditional paper label around them. Well, damn! Part of my motivation was the cute paper wrapping. 🤨 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/58 "2024-09-10T22:54:47Z")
It’s still in paper around here. Not long ago they had a anniversary package with a birthday balloon by the devil. And I remember a camo paper wrapped one. The Armour brand is unwrapped and cheaper. Tastes the same. I guess. It’s been a while. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 10:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/59 "2024-09-10T22:57:19Z")
There are lots of recipes for them on YouTube (and elsewhere). ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [September 10, 2024, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066/60 "2024-09-10T23:05:28Z")
I bought a canned whole chicken once. It was fun trying to pull it out of the can in one piece. Canned whole chicken is worth fighting for: [![](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/RcN9sqLa0aA/hqdefault.jpg "Charles Bronson and Elizabeth Montgomery.") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RcN9sqLa0aA) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/let-us-discuss-canned-meat-products/1007066.md?page=4)