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Anyone getting away from canned goods

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canned goods
2K views 21 replies 19 participants last post by  Grainlady 
#1 · (Edited)
Well I am. Part of my shopping and stocking up was shopping at Aldis and buying a ton of canned food. I find some frozen veggies that I buy can last my family three meals and taste sooo much better, not to mention the lack of sodium. This year I've been using up a lot of canned food so my pantry looks a little less stocked, so to say.

I cook beans in the pressure cooker or slow cooker, buy fresh or frozen veggies and fruits, use frozen fruits in smoothies, make my own broth or soup, etc. (I can't believe I bought canned potatoes at Aldis sometimes because I was too lazy to cook them. heh. Nasty,but dh ate them.)

Now some basics that I will always have on hand will be simple tomato products(can't seem to get around that one) a few tomato or cream of mushroom soups, and those gross canned mushrooms from Aldis that my dh loves. lol. Any veggie is fresh or frozen now. I can get a frozen pack at 77 cents or even 99 cents is a good deal and I don't use the whole bag at dinner and can put the rest back in the freezer.

I know it's not rocket science or anything but I'm really turned off by canned food now and doing my best to avoid and yet save at the same time. :) I think I can actually save more by not buying/stocking up on canned stuff and stocking my pantry with way more healthier stuff that I cook/make from scratch.

Anyone else.
 
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#2 ·
We do canned in winter and fresh in summer. Climate rules. I wish i canned at home. i save the freezer space for meat w/ the exception of green peppers as they sky rocket here in winter cost wise. i also lose things because of power outages in the winter so i can't cook on the grill too well. We have an electric stove.
 
#3 ·
We eat almost nothing canned. Tomatoes are one exception. I also keep pineapple and coconut milk, and black beans. Oh, and condensed/evaporated milk. That's not really food.

Everything else we get fresh or frozen. I prefer the taste and texture. I can't remember the last time I had canned soup, just that it was incredibly salty. And I used to like that stuff...
 
#4 ·
We are also trying to get away from canned goods and go frozen or fresh...so much better. :)
 
#5 ·
I agree - and still have tomato products, beans, mushrooms, water chestnuts - will change the beans over to dried ones as I use the canned ones up - a friend recently gave me 5 lbs. of dried beans!!
 
#8 ·
I like frozen so much better for the same reasons as the op. You can take out only what you need and save the rest , and they taste better.
I can not eat canned peas or carrot's because the canning processes over cooks them.
 
#10 ·
I keep canned mushrooms, tomato products and a few cans of corn and beans (so I can add to a dish and not have to think the day ahead of time to soak and cook). Most of our produce is frozen or fresh and many of my stew/soup veggies will have been dehydrated. :)
 
#12 · (Edited)
I keep canned goods in our third layer of food storage, "Emergency Foods", and hope we never need to use them, but would be thankful to have them if we DID need them. These foods are generally donated to the Food Bank before the use-by dates expire.

I DO use cans of pickled beets which I get for 67-cents. I couldn't grow and home-can them for that price. I also use canned tuna/salmon.

I can make "evaporated milk" using the powdered whey-based milk substitute I use instead of store-bought milk - by making it double-strength - add sugar (or agave nectar) for Sweetened Condensed Milk. I make my own cream-based soups, so I don't keep cans of cream of mushroom soup, etc., on hand either.

I prefer fresh/frozen/dehydrated foods, instead.

For all you out there saying you still use canned tomato products, let me introduce you to TOMATO POWDER - http://www.thespicehouse.com/spices/tomato-powder

I no longer keep canned tomato products on hand AT ALL. Between tomato powder, frozen and dehydrated tomatoes from the garden, I can cover all my bases in the tomato products division.

For example:

Thick tomato paste - 3 parts water to 1 part tomato powder
Tomato Sauce - mix 4:1
Pizza Sauce - 3 t. tomato powder, 3 T. water, "shot" of agave nectar (or honey) and vinegar, and Italian or Pizza Spices

Now I can make what I want, in the amounts I need - and no leftovers.

We only have the limited freezer space of our side-by-side refrigerator/freezer, so when I find great veggie bargains in the freezer case, I'll dehydrate them and store them vacuum-sealed using a FoodSaver jar sealer, for longer storage. A favorite is Parched Corn made with frozen corn - http://www.ehow.com/how_2100129_make-parched-corn.html.

I quit using canned goods years ago when the cans started to get smaller and the contents were about 1/2 water.
 
#13 ·
We're also using less canned veggies & more frozen (some fresh). I'm trying to get use to the longer cooking times & such. I'm a little concerned about lossing frozen items during power outages. I plan to keep some canned items on hand until I come up w/a better solution. Not to the dehydrating stage yet.
 
#15 ·
We do our best to completely stay away from canned foods. We found it surprisingly easy to get away from it!

About the only "canned" food I buy is peanut butter.

Anything else we eat "canned" is home canned.

Canned tomatoes are super easy to get away from! Just watch for tomatoes to go on sale (or grow your own). If you don't want to can them, simply blanch and freeze in serving sizes. Then pull one out, and you can put it into anything you would put canned tomatoes in. Chili, soup, tacos, etc.
 
#16 ·
We are going away from all processed food's canned and boxed. I bought only the main aisles few weeks ago just how the menu plan worked and only spent under 45.00 for my family of 4 that eats like 6 only thing processed was the ice cream and we ate very well that week lots of fresh fruit and veggies and protein. Think going forward we will be doing that as much as possible and thanks for the tip on tomato's i have 20 tomato plants starting to bloom now was wondering what to do with the one's we don't eat.
 
#22 ·
If you have never considered, or used, dehydrated tomatoes, it's an easy way to preserve those extra tomatoes!!! You can literally get a hundred tomatoes in one quart jar, so they are GREAT for storage.

How to:
Steam or dip tomatoes in boiling water to loosen skins. Chill in cold water. Peel. Slice 1/2” thick or cut in 3/4” sections or cubes (removing the seedy pulp). Dip in solution of 1 tsp. citric acid/quart water for 10 minutes. (This step is necessary to help prevent the potential for bacterial growth, and is a new step suggested for home dehydrating.)

Lay in a single layer. Dehydrate at 120°F (50°C) until hard and crisp - 6-24 hours. Turn slices and stir pieces and rotate trays once or twice.

To use:
Refresh slices by placing on a shallow plate or platter and spraying with warm water. Let soak for 1-hour, spraying with water occasionally, as needed. Refresh smaller pieces by soaking in water to cover for 1-hour (or more if needed). Add DRIED slices or cubes without refreshing to salads, soups, and casseroles. One cup dried yields about 1-1/2 c. refreshed tomatoes.

SPICY PASTA SAUCE
(Source: Making and Using Dried Foods - by Phyllis Hobson)

1 c. chopped onion
2 T. olive oil
3 c. boiling water
2 c. dried tomato
2 sliced cloves of garlic
1 t. salt
1/4 t. pepper
3/4 t. dried parsley
1 t. dried basil
3/4 t. dried oregano leaves
2 t. lemon juice

In large skillet over medium heat, saute onion in oil for 5 minutes. Meanwhile, combine water and tomatoes in bowl; set aside 2-3 minutes. With slotted spoon remove and set aside 1/3 of the tomatoes. With an electric blender or food processor puree the remaining tomato/water mixture and garlic. Add puree and reserved tomatos to skillet. Bring to boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10-minutes. Stir in remaining ingredients; simmer 1 minute. Remove from heat. Serve over hot cooked pasta. Makes 4-6 servings.
 
#17 ·
~I stopped buying canned goods about two years ago because they were no longer a good value compared to fresh in-season items, dried beans and frozen foods.
I'm now using up the last of my cans of tuna(white tuna I got for $.40 can!) and I'm going to try not to replace them. I love tuna but I think I'll eat the frozen fish fillets I've been buying lately instead.
I will continue to buy canned pineapple though because for some reason I'm allergic to fresh.
Evaporated and condensed milk can be made at home.
Tomatoes can be dried or frozen.
Dried beans can be rehydrated and frozen in baggies in the freezer for quick use.
I also can't remember the last time I had canned soup. :scratch:
I think the only way I'd ever buy canned goods again is for camping trips. They are great for that!~
 
#18 ·
Well I always use canned tomato products and canned mushrooms. We all prefer canned mushrooms here believe it or not. We also eat the canned beans with shellies here . They are hard to find but Kroger usually has them. I do occasionally make fresh green beans but the cooking times are something I havent mastered yet. I do buy frozen corn and peas. I am the only one who really likes peas so a bag can last me for a long time. I buy fresh corn on the cob of course when its in season . I am trying to buy my other beans dry and soak them in larger quantities but again I am really the only one who eats the Northern beans as a side . Every little bit helps though and I am trying.
 
#19 ·
My grandmother use to make canned potato dish that i remember was actually quiet nice.
She would slice the potato's in thin slices, put to the side, in a bowl she would take olive oil just small amount and paprika and salt. Mix well together then add to potato's and layer on a baking dish. then bake in a preheated oven of 425 for 15 to 20 min. It's very good that i can remember.
 
#20 · (Edited)
Nope, I keep canned foods especially vegetables in the pantry at all times. The ingredients are exactly like what I would be canning myself. We eat in season as much as possible and I freeze or dry extra but I will always have the canned foods available.
 
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