With all the news about cyclospora and the warnings about fresh vegetables I have searched for recipes that use canned vegetables. Most of mine are from the 70’s and 80’s.
My mom was a big believer in canned vegetables. They were cheap and available year-round. Also, she could stock up on cans and use them when she got home from a long day at work. She also had a favorite trick of buying dented cans and cans that had lost their labels. So, at least once a month we had a surprise dinner. She would open the can and then fix dinner based on what was inside. I had a lot of weird vegetable soup growing up!
In the 1970s, a tin of pale canned green beans wasn’t just a dinner shortcut; it was genuinely superior in quality to the bruised, out-of-season fresh alternatives. As the ’70s went on the range of produce became wider. Most global supply chains matured well into the 1990s. Now we can get fresh fruits and vegetables year-round and out-of-season.
Canned vegetables tend to get a bad rap. And while there is nothing like eating farmers’ market fresh veggies, there is a time and a place for canned vegetables. It’s an easy way to increase your vegetable intake, and canned veggies can be a real dinner-saver when fresh versions of your favorites might be too expensive or unavailable. Plus, canned veggies keep in your pantry for months, so you won’t waste money on a bunch of green beans that go bad before you get to eat them.
Canned vegetables are highly nutritious and just as healthy as fresh produce. They retain essential minerals, fiber, and fat-soluble vitamins (A, E, and K). While some water-soluble vitamins (like C and B) degrade slightly from heat, this same process can enhance other antioxidants, like lycopene in tomatoes.
Traditional canning processes often use salt as a preservative, which can result in up to 1,000 mg of sodium per serving. Always check the label and opt for “no salt added” or “low sodium” options. Alternatively, simply drain and rinse the vegetables under cold water to wash away about 30-40% of the added salt.
Canned vegetables are safe from Cyclospora because the high-heat commercial canning process kills the parasite.
The history of the tin can spans over two centuries, driven by military need, French innovation, and British patents.
In 1795, Napoleon had a problem. His military campaigns were being disrupted by food. It would spoil before reaching the front lines. The French government offered a 12,000-franc prize to anyone who could preserve food for Napoleon’s marching armies. In 1809, Nicolas Appert, a Parisian confectioner succeeded by sealing food in glass jars and boiling them, inventing the base concept of canning. He made his discovery a half century before Pasteur’s work on germ theory.
British merchant Peter Durand took the concept and patented the use of tin-coated iron containers in 1810, creating the first true tin canister. The earliest tin-plated cans looked a lot like today’s, a flat sheet of metal wrapped to form a cylinder, with circular cutouts fastened onto each end.
Cans were originally made by hand. The process of making the can and sterilizing the food was expensive and as a result canned food was consumed mostly by the military. Canned food found a home in the United States during the Civil War.
It took another fifty years from the invention of the can to the invention of the can opener. Prior to that, hammers, chisels, and bayonets were the openers of choice. It’s not difficult to imagine that can opening was a frequent cause of injury.
It’s also not entirely clear why the invention of the can opener took so long. The earliest can-making craftsmen could complete sixty cans per day.
According to the Can Manufacturers Institute, over 130 billion cans are now manufactured every year just in the United States. That’s over four hundred cans per person.
Of course, tin plated cans have ceded shelf space to aluminum cans, especially for beverages. And that has its advantages. Aluminum cans are one of the most efficiently recycled containers of any kind.
Modern “tin cans” are made of tin-plated steel or lightweight aluminum, which emerged strongly in the mid-20th century for beverages and preserved foods.
Some of my favorite canned vegetables are corn, tomatoes, and green beans. Canned corn tastes sweet but is packed in nutrients without added sugar. And though corn is sweet, it has a moderate glycemic index, meaning its carbs are released more slowly into your bloodstream and are unlikely to spike blood sugar levels, especially as part of a meal.
Canned tomatoes are available crushed, diced, whole and flavored. Lycopene, found in fresh tomatoes and even more in cooked tomatoes, helps protect your skin from damaging UV rays and may reduce your risk of some cancers.
Even if canned green beans aren’t your favorite of all canned vegetables, they are great to have on hand. You can’t go wrong adding them to a soup, especially when fresh green beans aren’t so fresh, and they’re a classic star in green bean casserole. Green beans are a good source of silicon, a mineral that’s critical for strong bones.
As you know I am a fan of casseroles so here are two I have made recently.
Mixed Vegetable Casserole
Ingredients
2 (15 ounce) cans mixed vegetables, drained
1 small onion, diced
1 (10.75 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup
1 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded white Cheddar cheese
36 buttery round crackers, crushed
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). In a medium bowl combine the mixed vegetables, onion, soup, mayonnaise and cheese.
Mix well and spread mixture into a 9×13 inch baking dish. Top with the cracker crumbs. Bake about 30 minutes, or until browned and bubbly.
Canned Green Bean Soup
A hearty vegetable soup made with canned green beans comes together in about 30 minutes and eats like a full meal. This is the kind of recipe you’ll reach for on cold fall evenings when you need something warm and satisfying without a lot of effort.
Heat olive oil in a large pot and sauté one diced onion, two diced carrots, and two diced celery stalks until softened, about six minutes. Add three minced garlic cloves and cook another minute.
Pour in four cups of chicken or vegetable broth, one can of diced tomatoes with their juices, and two drained cans of green beans. Season with Italian seasoning, salt, pepper, and a bay leaf.
Simmer the soup for 20 minutes to let the flavors meld. Add a can of drained white beans or a cup of small pasta like ditalini in the last ten minutes if you want more substance.
The green beans hold up well to simmering without turning mushy, which makes canned versions particularly suited to soup. They add color, mild flavor, and a pleasant texture that balances the heartier vegetables around them.
Finish with fresh parsley, a drizzle of good olive oil, and grated Parmesan if you have it. This soup stores well in the fridge for four days and actually improves as the flavors continue to develop overnight.
Green Bean and Potato Casserole
Ingredients
2 cans (15 oz each) sliced potatoes (drained)
2 cans (14 oz each) green beans (drained)
1 can (10.5 oz) cream of chicken soup
1 pound shredded cheddar or Colby cheese.
¼ tsp garlic powder
¼ tsp onion powder
Salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Heat your oven to 350°F (175°C) and grease a small baking dish. Layer the drained potatoes and green beans in the dish. Stir together soup, seasonings, and half the cheese. Pour over potatoes and beans.
Top with remaining cheese. Cover with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Uncover, top with the rest of the cheese, and bake for 15 more minutes until bubbly and golden.
Add Meat: Mix in sliced smoked sausage, kielbasa, or cooked bacon bits for a hearty meal.
Crunchy Topping: Add French fried onions or breadcrumbs on top during the last few minutes of baking.
