#4 Pumpkin
When it comes to baking, you generally want fresh ingredients. Take key lime pie, you wouldn’t dream of making a delicious pie using bottled lime juice, same with making a cherry pie: using the canned or preserved fruits is just going to ruin your experience. Many that haven’t yet had experience with baking would think that for pumpkin pie it would be the same thing: fresh pumpkin, great pie, no? Unfortunately for them, not really.
Fresh pumpkin is actually packed with too much water, which can in turn ruin your filling and definitely ruin your crust when you bake it. Not to mention that if you plan to substitute it in a recipe that calls for canned pumpkin, you would ruin the dish as the proportions are made with the canned food in mind.
Moreover, using canned pumpkin will result in a smoother texture and a better pumpkin flavor than the ones that use the fresh pumpkin in their filling. Keep the fresh variety for a hearty stew or puree it for an amazing soup, but far away from baking.
36 thoughts on “5 Canned Foods You Should Have In Your Pantry At All Times”
What kinds of soup are the most nutritious? I happen to loathe tomato soup, as well as minestrone. Can’t I get by just fine without them? Thanks for your advice.
Lol me too buddy. I HATE tomato soup. I’d rather starve to death than to eat it.
You’ve obviously have never been starved – really starved!!
That’s always an option. I suggest you don’t buy it,but buy soup you will eat.
Have you tried pouring a half can of milk in with the soup? It makes the soup creamy… And the can taste and strong tomato taste go away. Only way I will eat tomato soup anymore.
Milk does make tomato soup taste creamy. Lucky for me it’s my favorite soup, made with water or milk. Nothing better on a cold day than steamy tomato soup.
I would suggest canned Chicken and wild Rice, a can of Rotel, can of chicken and a can of pinto beans. Open and heat together you have made a delicious Chicken tortilla soup. Think of soups to add with noodles or rice. A soup of Beef and vegetables heated and served over cooked noodles or rice makes a hearty meal. If you also have some dried soup mixes, like Knorrs white cheese pasta and mix with a can of tuna. you have a hearty dish.
Great suggestions
I would highly recommend soups such as Minestrone (full of veggies and high nutrition content), if you eat meat….chicken noodle and lastly you can’t go wrong with a broccolli cheese or other cheese soup.
Great…informative
I have used fresh pumpkin to make pies that were even better than with the canned version which is what I use most often – and easier, to be totally truthful. 😉
I disagree with your negative description of fixing dried beans. The amount from a package makes way more than from one can, therefore cheaper, and tastes much better! I have canned beans used for chili, taco soup & the like. I have used leftover, cooked kidney beans in chili with better tasting results than canned.
I keep both kinds of beans for the same reason as you. I love making a pot of dried beans for dinner in the winter (I cook mine in a crock pot) and keep the canned ones for adding to recipes.
I have always made dried beans, I cook them with ham. It does take a few hours to make so canned beans are good in a pinch but they can’t compare to home made.
Agree, fresh is best but sometimes canned may be used for EMERGENCY PANTRY support–a reserve…hmmm
If you have a dog or cat, pumpkin (just pumpkin not canned pie filling) is good for digestion and to keep them regular. Just a tablespoon will suffice.
I dont agree with that. My canned Pumpkin is just pumpkin-no fillers. My pup loves it. Picked right off the vine and canned,it doesnt lose its nutrish value as with fresh sitting in a store being hauled on a truck to get there for god knows how long…
I believe she was saying not to use pumpkin pie filling to feed to the pets and I would agree with that.
Great ideas, especially the canned chicken soup. Tuna is also a good idea as long as one also stocks mayonnaise.
Great article.
I have been using sour cream instead of mayo lately. I enjoy it better than mayo now.
I sometimes eat tuna right out of the can. And I don’t like mayonnaise–I use Miracle Whip. When I make tuna for sandwiches I chip up a couple of midget Gherkin pickles to add crunch.
Tomato or anything made with it is causative for arthritis or gout..both conditions are precursors to heart attack and stroke so doing without delicious tomato items can be a good move.
You hate tomato soup… have you added some spices and herbs and a pat of butter…. Or try Progresso Tomato Soups… lighter texture but flavored and I never leave anything plain…. I grow my own herbs… so I use freely..and always have a stock of Penzeys spices…. A good white canned tuna is great on hand… as well as ramen… which can be taken to another level… i always have Better than Boullion on hand… and Mac and cheese and evaporated milk…. Canned mushrooms add to many things too… beans both canned and dry …. Its endless…………sorry I’m a foodie…..
I may suggest some canned meats also. I am not a true hard-core prepper, but like to have some extra stuff “just in case.” I have used the small canned hams in casseroles and you can crumble some into your scrambled eggs. Ditto on the chicken. Home made chicken pot pie casserole is easy and delicious, or chicken quesadillas are quick and easy too. I have used the canned corned beef and finely diced potatoes and onions to make a hash for breakfast or a quick dinner.
I keep several cans of canned roast beef with gravy on hand. I can use it to make hot beef sandwiches, or mix vegetables into it for a nice beef stew. I keep the small cans of vegetables on hand for that purpose–green beans, corn, peas, mixed vegetables, etc. A couple of them and a can of beef makes a very hearty meal (or 2).
I feel canned fruit should be included. Especially a manual can opener that is easy to operate.
So true. I mix a small amount of pumpkin in kitty’s food for constipation.
Salmon for making Salmon patties (Same for Asparagas) Peas and apple sauce to complete your Salmon Patty dinner. Asparagas patties topped with a slice of cheese (Provolone) or your choice can be the entree for another meal …. adding whatever sides you prefer…i.e. stewed apples /sliced tomatoes, etc. Being born during the depression years and being taught to be frugal–one can concoct some meals fit for a KING.
I like buying soup like Cream of mushroom, cream of chicken, chicken noodle and many other types
I also buy Dinty Moore and I try to buy many types of canned corn, peas and I do buy Machuran soup all you need is water and a microwave too plus I buy canned fruit like peaches, pears and fruit cocktail
I stretch a can of Campbells Noodle soup by adding more spaghetti. It has a good broth after adding water and will feed more then 2-3 more kids. They love the spaghetti!! I will cook up spaghetti and just have it in the refrig ready to add to many things throughout the weeks.
I keep all of these on hand, along with dried beans and spilt peas. I also dehydrate fruits, sauces, and jerky to round out the diet if there is an emergency. We’ve lived through a few hurricanes, tropical and without power. Also, gas/charcoal grills come in handy too.
I love salmon patties! I grew up eating jack mackerel, but now I try to eat only pink salmon. When monies are tight and also for a change, I substitute canned tuna (preferably in oil for flavor). Try it sometime; you might like it too!🐬🐳🦂
No we don’t buy canned foods but I usually have canned milk around for emergencies when I am out of milk and need some for a recipe. I have canned tuna too.
I keep many of these items on hand. Tuna, canned vegetables, and several varieties of canned soup and chili. Canned fruits, too, but those are mostly used in making my “famous” fruit salad.
I suggest we keep cans of small white Navy Beans in or cabinets. There are extremely nutritional! They help rid the body of radiation which we deal with on a daily basis. And they can be made into soup or into burritos or enchiladas and a myriad of other dishes. I enjoy be them just plain with salt and pepper and butter, their delicious!
Would it be possible for articles such as this to simply list the 5 items in consecutive order? Clicking to go to the next page over and over is frustrating and extremely time consuming. Make it easy…please!!!
If you never have to go hungry, good, but when your food shelf is empty, tomato soup will taste really good