Ease of use: Why canned goods are the secret to delicious dinners

When you're short on time and looking to save money, cooking delicious and healthy meals at home can feel impossible. But with canned goods as your secret ingredient, you can quickly whip up tasty home-cooked meals.

Canning has been a reliable preservation method since the 1800s. Whether in commercial or home canning, the process requires heating fruits, vegetables or meats to a high temperature that kills the microorganisms that cause food to spoil. Once hermetically sealed in tin cans, these shelf-stable goods can last for years, making them a useful addition to any pantry.

How canned goods came to be pantry staples

Canned goods were first developed for the French military under Napoleon Bonaparte in 1810. The Canning Diva notes this was a valuable method of getting food to the front lines without it rotting. During World War II, they also provided nutritious food to Americans dealing with rationing at home.

Today, canned goods remain popular. PR Newswire cited a 2013 study that found that 98% of American households have canned goods in their pantries, with 24 cans as the average number. After the COVID-19 pandemic highlighted the need for shelf-stable foods, the canned food market grew 3.3%, according to Tasting Table, and has remained high since the pandemic.

As more households look to save money amid rising food costs, relying on the canned goods in your pantry can be the ultimate solution. Far beyond their uses as wartime rations and emergency supplies, canned foods can be a delicious solution to the question of what's for dinner.

Making nutritious food affordable with canned goods

Canned foods offer an alternative to fresh fruits, vegetables, meats and prepared foods. For many foods, the canned option will be significantly more affordable than fresh or frozen choices. This is a result of the long shelf life removing the need to transport foods quickly before they can spoil.

At the same time, canned foods are also high in nutrients. According to Canstruction, tinned fruits and vegetables have similar nutrient contents to fresh or frozen produce. Food companies typically can fruits and veggies shortly after harvest when they are at their ripest, preserving all the nutrients.

How eating canned goods can cut grocery costs

If your goal is saving money at the grocery store, try replacing fresh items on your list with their canned alternatives. According to data collected by the USDA, cut green beans, sweet corn, carrots, peas and tomatoes are cheapest in canned form. For fruits, peaches, strawberries, apricots and raspberries are cheaper canned than frozen or fresh.

Prepared foods, like canned soups, can trend higher than homemade versions per serving. Some of the cost here is convenience and many of these can provide a quick, single-serving meal. For added savings, however, consider making your own soups. You can use canned vegetables to make a hearty vegetable soup or canned tomato sauce to make pasta. This will result in an overall lower cost and also gives you the option of tailoring the flavors to your tastes.

Canned foods for sustainable eating

Purchasing canned foods can be far more sustainable than fresh foods. By eating canned produce, you can enjoy fruits and vegetables throughout the year, even when they are out of season locally. This reduces the amount of produce imported from distant locations.

Canned foods also reduce waste. While the average American household throws out more than 30% of fresh foods, the USDA confirms that shelf-stable food remains safe to eat as long as the cans are not dented, rusted or swelling. This means you can keep food on hand to use when you're ready. Once you have opened a can, however, be sure to store contents in an airtight container in the fridge and use them within four days.

Challenging the myth about high sodium in canned foods

Canned goods often have a reputation for being high in sodium. The Hawaii Food Bank notes that, although producers will often add salt for flavor during the canning process, canned foods do not appear on the Center for Disease Control's list of high-sodium foods. If you are worried about salt intake, opt for low-sodium canned goods. You can also rinse canned vegetables before eating to remove about 40% of the salt.

Recipe ideas for canned goods

In addition to saving money, canned food can bring convenience to cooking. Tinned items, including meats, are cooked and ready to eat. Some canned items, like fruits, tuna or other canned fish are delightful all on their own. Enjoy a tin of fruit as a healthier dessert or add a tin of fish to your charcuterie board for a boost of protein.

You can also add canned beans to salads or pastas. Try chickpeas in your next pasta dish or black beans on a salad for a Mexican-inspired dish. Canned beans provide protein, fiber and additional flavor to your favorite dishes.

If the texture of canned items is less appealing, the right recipe can mask it. Barbecued green beans, for example, dress up canned green beans for a tasty side dish. You can also mix canned vegetables into soups or casseroles for a nutritious and filling meal.

You can also make desserts with canned fruits. In the winter, rely on canned fruits if you're craving a fruit pie. In summer, try grilled pineapple upside-down cakes with canned pineapple for a simple dessert.

Home canning: How to prep your own canned foods

Buying canned ingredients, soups, pastas and other foods is a convenient and affordable way to grocery shop, but you can also can foods yourself. This is a great way to preserve fruits and vegetables from your own garden or in-season produce you've bought in bulk.

Home canning requires the right tools and knowledge to get started. The canning process itself can also be time-consuming. But home-canned goods can be extremely affordable and help you make the most of a summer garden or farmers market run.

From pantry to plate: Revamp your dinners with canned goods

If the canned goods in your kitchen have shifted to the forgotten corners of your pantry, now is the time to add them to your dinner menu. Full of nutrients and flavor, you might find that canned goods are the ideal way to make your meals more convenient and cost effective.

• Jere' Cassidy is the writer and recipe developer behind the blog One Hot Oven. Her passion for all things related to food led her to culinary school, where she expanded her baking skills and now shares easy recipes for home cooks and bakers of all skill levels. When not in the kitchen, Jere likes to travel far and wide to find delicious food.

Barbecued Green Bean with Ham

Tender fresh green beans and ham are smothered in a sweet and tangy barbecue sauce that makes a delicious side-dish for your summer meals and cookouts. You’ll need six staub mini casserole dishes.

1 pound Green beans fresh or canned

1/3 cup barbecue sauce

1 tablespoon olive oil

4 ounces ham, diced

½ cup onion, diced

1 clove garlic, diced

1 tablespoons butter

¼ cup water

salt & pepper to taste

Clean and stem the green beans. Slice or snap in half if they are too long

Heat a large skillet over medium high heat then add the oil and sauté the diced ham, onion, and garlic until the ham is cooked and lightly browned and the onions are soft. Remove the mixture to a medium sized bowl.

In the same skillet, add the green beans and water. Stir and cover with a lid to steam until tender-crisp, about 7-10 minutes. Stir the green beans around a few times during steaming.

Stir in the barbecue sauce and add the ham, onions, and garlic to the green beans. Cook over medium-low heat until the barbecue sauce has thickened and coated the green beans for about 10 minutes. Spoon into casserole dishes. I prefer to put the beans in a 350 degrees oven and bake for about 15 minutes to caramelize the barbecue sauce.

Serve hot.

Store all leftovers in the refrigerator for up to three days.

Notes

You can substitute 2 cans of green beans and add them to the cooked ham and onion mixture. No need to steam the beans.

Bacon can be substituted for ham. If using bacon you will need to drain off the excess bacon grease after frying.

Serves 6

— Jere’ Cassidy

Grilled Pineapple Upside Down Cakes

These are super easy pineapple upside-down cakes cooked on the grill. Build these cakes with pineapple, sponge cakes, brown sugar, butter and a red cherry and seal in a foil packet for grilling.

8 ounces can sliced pineapple

1 package premade dessert sponge cakes 6 to a pack

6 maraschino cherries

6 tablespoons butter

6 tablespoons brown sugar

Turn on the grill for preheat.

Make foil squares that are 8- x 8-inch (approximately)

In the middle of a foil square place a small pat of butter, about 1 tablespoon

Put a tablespoon of brown sugar on top of the butter

Put one pineapple slice on top of the brown sugar

Put a maraschino cherry in the center of the pineapple slice

Place the sponge cake upside down over the pineapple slice.

Take the second pieces of foil and lay over the cake and lightly press around the cake then crimp the edges of both pieces of foil to make a packet Try not to make the packet too little as this grills better with an airier packet.

Turn the grill burners on low and place the packets on the grates and grill for 10 to 12 minutes or until you can hear the butter and brown sugar sizzling. Move the packets around occasionally to avoid any hot spots.

Remove the cake packets from the grill with tongs and let cool about 10 minutes.

Turn the foil pack over and carefully open to reveal your cake. You can serve the cake in the foil or serve on a plate.

Notes

All grills vary in how hot they get. I am using a Weber Genesis grill which gets very hot. I turn my grill to low, but you may need to make adjustments to yours.

If using a charcoal grill adjust the briquettes for the proper amount of heat.

You can also bake these cakes at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes.

You will hear the butter, brown sugar, and pineapple juices sizzling in the packets as they cook. It is helpful to move the packets around the grill so they aren't sitting on a hot spot.

These foil packets will be very hot. Use tongs and oven mitts to move from the grill when done cooking.

Serves 6

— Jere’ Cassidy