# Frozen, Canned Or Fresh Foods



## Lee (Mar 15, 2020)

I don't buy canned vegetables, only Frozen or fresh in season. But do buy canned peaches or pears and love fruit cocktail.

Pork and beans, canned tuna, a few soups stews n the pantry.

Canned meat....Spam is called that for a reason


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## Catlady (Mar 15, 2020)

There's only a few items that I buy in cans regularly, but now because of the new virus I've bought a few veggies and fruits and beans in cans to tide me over in case I have to isolate myself.  I prefer frozen or fresh, I always cook my own beans and cook my own soups.  But, in case of a possible power disruption, I feel safer having a few cans of food to last me a week or so.


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## JaniceM (Mar 15, 2020)

I initially started to buy frozen most of the time because fresh and canned are heavier and harder to carry on the bus.  But I also prefer them because in local store there's more variety with frozen veggies.  I do get canned or fresh occasionally, though.  

Topic puts me in mind of t.v. show I saw last night-  the husband got into "couponing" and bought quantities of "canned bananas."  His wife replied:  Bananas don't need cans-  they're already wrapped by God!!


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## SeaBreeze (Mar 15, 2020)

Lee said:


> I don't buy canned vegetables, only Frozen or fresh in season. But do buy canned peaches or pears and love fruit cocktail.
> 
> Pork and beans, canned tuna, a few soups stews n the pantry.
> 
> Canned meat....Spam is called that for a reason


We use either fresh or frozen veggies at home, when we go camping we buy canned.  Fruits are always fresh or canned.  Soups, tuna, chicken, sardines, etc. are canned.  Don't really buy canned meats, definitely not Spam, but for camping we'll buy some Hormel tamales, and a few things like that which don't need refrigeration.  We always have left over cans of various items that we buy for vacation in the house, so we have a bit extra if there's an emergency at home.


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## toffee (Mar 15, 2020)

I buy frozen/and fresh/  and cans for back up '


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## JustBonee (Mar 15, 2020)

My first choice is frozen,  especially for vegetables for myself  ...   I prefer fresh fruit,   but buy that frozen for some things, like berries.
And I love that Dole  has fruit  in plastic jars  these days.


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## Wren (Mar 15, 2020)

I prefer all fresh produce but use cans of baked beans, tuna and frozen peas


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## JaniceM (Mar 15, 2020)

One thing I noticed not long ago:  going by the labels, canned vegetables have virtually no nutritional value.  Any input on this?


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## Lee (Mar 15, 2020)

Wren said:


> I prefer all fresh produce but use cans of baked beans, tuna and frozen peas



Love Baked beans, someone once told me they made a big home made batch and portion froze them. 

I would think they would be mushy, not sure though.


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## JaniceM (Mar 15, 2020)

Lee said:


> Love Baked beans, someone once told me they made a big home made batch and portion froze them.
> 
> I would think they would be mushy, not sure though.


Then you could thaw them, use a potato masher, and make refried beans


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## Lee (Mar 15, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> Then you could thaw them, use a potato masher, and make refried beans



Now there's a good idea.


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## Wren (Mar 15, 2020)

I’d never heard of home made baked beans ! I’m sure I couldn’t do them as nice as Heinz .....


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 15, 2020)

It depends on the item, time of year, price, etc...

I've been studying and experimenting with more shelf-stable foods in cans, pouches, and boxes.

I need to do a better job of managing a combination of fresh, frozen and shelf-stable items.

This experiment with social distancing will be a good test for me as to how I will manage if I need to start buying less frequently and begin depending on delivery services if I give up driving, lose my mobility, etc...

The good news is that the options available to us are better now than they've ever been.


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## Aunt Bea (Mar 15, 2020)

JaniceM said:


> One thing I noticed not long ago:  going by the labels, canned vegetables have virtually no nutritional value.  Any input on this?


I haven't noticed it but now you've piqued my curiosity and I'll have to read a few labels.

I have noticed that more salt-free and sugar-free options are beginning to appear in canned foods and that is helpful to me.


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## StarSong (Mar 15, 2020)

I buy fresh or frozen fruits, berries, and vegetables.  Almost no canned produce except pineapple.    

Just checked the pantry.  My canned foods include soup and beans (also dried beans but cans are more convenient), enchilada sauce, diced tomatoes - plain or with other stuff in them, peanuts, black olives, and pumpkin.    

On the other hand, my refrigerators and freezers are stuffed with all manner fruits, veggies and other foods.


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## RadishRose (Mar 15, 2020)

Frozen and fresh.
I prefer canned Italian tomatoes for sauce or homemade soup.
Also canned tuna and beans, but not those "baked beans"; I never liked them. Cannellini, black and kidney beans; yes.
Never canned fruit.


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## Ruth n Jersey (Mar 15, 2020)

I buy a little of everything. If I have a productive garden most of my veggies come from that and I freeze a lot.
I get so turned off by the produce in our supermarkets, they call it fresh but you can see by looking at it that its been laying around for quite awhile.
We only have two supermarkets to choose from and one is very expensive. They know they can get away with inferior quality.


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## C'est Moi (Mar 15, 2020)

I buy a few canned staples...different varieties of beans, Paul Newman pasta sauce, canned tomatoes, tuna, salmon, green chilies, etc.  I prefer fresh or frozen vegetables for the most part.

I also keep a stash of different pastas, white and brown rice, and spices.


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## C'est Moi (Mar 15, 2020)

Oh, and I also keep baking supplies... 3 types of flour, sugar, oil, yeast, etc.  I have a bread machine and can whip up a loaf in a couple of hours.   

Also hot and cold cereals... oats, raisin bran, etc.


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## hollydolly (Mar 15, 2020)

Like most of you my veggies are all  fresh or frozen... except canned corn, Herats of Palm,  and beans ( of all types)... 

I have canned or jars of  Sauces...  Canned Tuna, Crab,  and smoked  Oysters 

 I Don't buy canned meat...  nor do I buy canned soups..( I make my own soup )  however even though I don't like the taste of canned carrots or peas on their own ,  that's where canned carrots and peas come in useful in conditions that we' re in now where fresh food shortages are a problem, because you can make your stock for your soup as you usually would , and add your lentils and beans or whatever into it, then drop a can or 2 of carrots and peas into it to bulk it out 

I buy canned fruit.. but only fibrous fruits, like Prunes, apricots  and blackberries, so they can be added to porridge oats for breakfast or  to Moroccan  style stews .. I also buy Vacuum packed pitted prunes, currants  and dates... 

Like you C'est Moi...I also have several types of flour and yeast so I can make bread  relatively quickly  if needed  ( by hand , no bread maker here)

Currently tho' in my store prepper  style spare   cupboard due to the Covid-19 situation I've stocked up mainly with Canned beans, Carrots and peas,   Packet Rices..  Dried Pastas, and Jars of sauces.. as well as Canned fish..


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## charry (Mar 15, 2020)

i buy tinned , peas, sweetcorn and baked beans.....other veg fresh


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## RadishRose (Mar 15, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> so I can make bread relatively quickly if *needed* ( by hand , no bread maker here)


Do you mean "kneaded" ?!.. LOL, couldn't help it, it fit so nicely.


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## hollydolly (Mar 15, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> Do you mean "kneaded" ?!.. LOL, couldn't help it, it fit so nicely.


 ha !! very quick... I shoulda thought of that myself....


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## RadishRose (Mar 15, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> ha !! very quick... I shoulda thought of that myself....


You probably would have sooner or later.


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## hollydolly (Mar 15, 2020)

RadishRose said:


> You probably would have sooner or later.


 LOL...you tryin' to say I'm a bit on the slow side....


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## RadishRose (Mar 15, 2020)

hollydolly said:


> LOL...you tryin' to say I'm a bit on the slow side....


LOL, no- Sólo que eres una chica loca.


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## OneEyedDiva (Mar 15, 2020)

I just bought a variety of canned vegetables for the first time in about a decade. I prefer frozen for most produce except bananas, onions and peppers. But I wash, cut my peppers into slices, then freeze them. I gave up on finding a decent tasting apple a couple of years ago so now I buy Motts organic, unsweetened apple sauce. We get freshly cooked potatoes as part of some of our meals at the senior center. I usually bring home leftovers, so I don't buy potatoes except the instant mashed which I hook up so they taste like the real deal.  We often get fruit cups at the senior center and sometimes fresh fruit.


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## fmdog44 (Mar 15, 2020)

Got this from The International Food Information Council Foundation:
Looking at the nutrition information between canned and fresh green beans revealed that the nutritional content is pretty similar between the two. However, one of the primary differences is sodium content, with canned green beans having more than fresh vegetables. Sodium is used in canned foods to “enhance flavor and texture, prevent microbial growth, and increase shelf life.” You can reduce the sodium content of canned vegetables by draining and rinsing with water prior to cooking. This can reduce sodium by as much as 41 percent.
Canned fruit and vegetable consumption is associated with  “higher-quality diet, lower body weight, and lower blood pressure.” Canned vegetables have just as much nutritional value as fresh vegetables and can taste just as good. Canned vegetables are picked at the peak of ripeness and immediately canned, locking in flavor and nutrients.

IMO: Frozen is the best way to go because we never know how long it takes for the fresh produce to arrive at the stores especially when so much comes from Mexico. Freezing takes place immediately after harvesting now and so does canning. Either way the difference is not a life or death issue.


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