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travisimo | 06-21-2006 09:45 PM
Is cold canned food ok? I don't eat canned food much, but sometimes I find myself with nothing else around and I just need something in my stomach to keep going. I also take it camping. Is there any downside to having it cold straight from the can? It seems like those few minutes it spends on my stove just heat it up, and the cooking was already done. I really don't care about the taste part of hot vs. cold.

hoarder | 06-21-2006 09:49 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? I eat sardines and tuna out of a can without cooking it. I would think anything canned can be eaten cold unless it directs you to serve hot or maybe if it has pork in it.

Book | 06-21-2006 09:54 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? For minimalist car camping just put one in the engine compartment for a warm meal at your destination. :smile:

eric2075 | 06-21-2006 09:55 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? I think as long as it's pre-cooked it's ok. I sometimes eat canned stew, Chef Boyardee, etc. straight out of the can when I don't want to bother with heating it.

Fiat Mutiny | 06-21-2006 11:16 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? Quote:
Originally Posted by eric2075 (Post 280374) I sometimes eat canned stew, Chef Boyardee, etc. straight out of the can when I don't want to bother with heating it.
:puke: Only after TSHTF scenario would I eat any of the above cold from the can. At least you are saving on your energy bill.

Q.E.D | 06-22-2006 10:38 AM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? A bunch of certified "chefs" around here. All canned food is cooked. Typical canning processing uses very high heat; heat so high, in fact, that much food value is destroyed; in other words, canned food is overcooked (processors don't want to be sued by anyone they've poisoned with undercooked food). The only time you might have to wonder about the safety of the canning process is if the food is processed using a "water bath", which does not cook the food at high temps, but this process isn't used commercially as far as I know. You can still find bad food inside a can, of course, but it probably won't have anything to do with whether or not it's been cooked properly (usually due to cracks in the can, etc, allowing air into the container). Typically, you can tell if the food inside a can is ok just by examining the can itself; if the lid is bulging, even a little, throw it away (that's a sign of possible botulism contamination)! But if the food is discolored or tastes funny, I'd toss it as well. Remember that canned food does not have a very long shelf life (maybe a year), especially when it comes to preserving its nutrients.

wallew | 06-22-2006 01:33 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? As long as the can is not dented, cracked or bent it SHOULD be OK. Car cooking... Works OK for some items. Not so well for others. If you 'heat up' a canned item, it CAN blow up inside the engine compartment. Unless you set it up so you can punch a small hole in the can to release the steam. But then the food generally becomes dehydrated within a couple of hours. And you risk contanimation of engine products into the can. Not a good thing. Two cannibals are eating a clown. One cannibal looks at the other and says "Does this taste FUNNY to you?" If it doesn't taste right, take your own chances. And eating it out of the can when it's still cold. Only when the situation FORCES me to. :eek:

keehah | 06-22-2006 03:22 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? Quote:
Only after TSHTF scenario would I eat any of the above cold from the can. At least you are saving on your energy bill.
Besides saving on an energy bill the less your food is heated before eating the more nutrition it will contain. Heating destroys enzymes and vitamins and high heat can denature unsaturated fats. Now that can of pasta with orange sauce likely does not have many nutrients left anyway, but canned freeze-dried vegetables will be a lot more nutritious if they are only re-hydrated before eating and not boiled for a half hour (as my parents always cook vegetables).

Mercury Rising | 06-22-2006 04:31 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? If you like nasty cold canned food..yes it is ok.:applause_

Book | 06-22-2006 11:50 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? Quote:
Car cooking... Works OK for some items. Not so well for others. If you 'heat up' a canned item, it CAN blow up inside the engine compartment. Unless you set it up so you can punch a small hole in the can to release the steam. But then the food generally becomes dehydrated within a couple of hours. And you risk contanimation of engine products into the can. Not a good thing. -wallew
Been doing it for many years without one incident. The battery doesn't "explode" either because it just doesn't get that hot in the compartment. I didn't say put it on the exhaust manafold. :rolleyes:

ASG | 06-29-2006 01:11 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? You risk botulism poisoning eating it straight from the can. I boil my home canned foods very well before eating to reduce the risk of botulism/bacteria, and I sure as heck wouldn't skip that eating commercially prepared stuff--you want to put your life in the hands of someone paid min. wage at a canning factory? Or worse yet, an illegal paid even less who could care less what happens to the food... Sure, you might be okay eating it, but then again, you don't really know and it only takes one bad can/jar to kill you if you eat it cold. And then that's it for you. Botulism has a very poor survival rate.

Gray Ghost | 06-29-2006 03:56 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? I also dislike having to heat canned items. Heating in most cases doesn't make canned food taste any better. I've been eating canned goods without heat them since i was around 14 years old without any ill effects. I say go for it.

Maddie | 06-30-2006 04:31 PM
Re: Is cold canned food ok? I've been eating cold canned food for years, too, especially on hiking trips. Sometimes I just don't want to take the time to set up a stove. I've never had a problem with it, nor have I heard of anyone who has. As others have said, the food should be safe if the can isn't damaged, expanded, or too far out of date.

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