I met a friend I hadn’t seen for a long time in the grocery store while I was scoping out the case lot sale. She thought she should buy some things to have on hand, but then she remembered she had purchased a case of something a while back and it was forgotten and past the expiration date. She also worried about the aluminum in cans. Her kids were getting older and they preferred grabbing things that could be microwaved from the freezer. Cooking sit-down-as-a-family meals was not their mode of operation. Last, she commiserated that she really liked to cook fresh or eat out. She had listed off all these negative reasons she should not store canned goods and talked herself out of getting any without even considering one of the advantages. By that time her mind was made up. She was not going to buy anything at this sale. She could have purchased a bag of flour and she would have at least had that before the flour shortage hit a few weeks later, but because of indecision she did not add anything to her storage or pantry. I hope that she doesn’t keep up that pattern until the opportunity is gone and her pantry is bare.
I wish I had told my friend that most of the cans now have a special lining that reduces exposure to aluminum. I wish I had told her that when stored in a cool, dark place most things can go 3 years past expiration dates (tomato products and baby formula excluded). I wish I had told her that at most case lot sales you don’t have to buy a whole case to get the sale price. I wish I had told her that if she isn’t using her cans fast enough it gives her something good to donate to the next food drive, and I wish I had told her that it is better to have a little bit on hand than nothing at all even if it does expire and she throws it out. Having something is much better hunger insurance than having nothing.
Cans don’t have to be your favorite. While I never have been a fan of canned peas I did watch a video of depression cooking in which I probably could have eaten them in the dish the cook was making. Once I accidentally bought a case of mixed vegetables instead of re-fried beans I thought I was getting. Surprisingly, I have found some ways to use these despite the fact I dislike them plain. Blended, they are nice to add moisture to meatloaf. I also found a yummy recipe for rice balls that uses them. I can also add them to soups and casseroles.
*Challenge for this article – Let your family be in on the challenge to find ways they like shelf-stable foods. Work together to prepare.
*Did you know that canned tuna has one of the highest protein counts oz for oz and tuna casserole is one of the simplest things to make from shelf-stable foods?