Canned? Or frozen?

[js]

If I can't have fresh , then I prefer frozen. Canned vegetables just don't do it for me

Ditto.

 

[mjkacmom]

I got curious about how one could steam in the bag. I bought some frozen assorted vegetables recently and I noticed that the bag had a lot of small slits cut into it. Not sure what this does for freezer burn.

I get edamame steam in the bag all of the time, no slits. I really only do fresh vegetables, grew up on them, went to a relatives for thanksgiving, had frozen broccoli, my kids asked me later what was up with the broccoli, they never had frozen before.

 

[tvguy]

Fresh first. I'm in California, and pretty much everything is available year round fresh.
Frozen second.
Canned third, no salt added when possible.
The only exception is peas. My wife and I both grew up with canned peas. I prefer fresh or frozen, my wife won't eat either. So peas are always Lesueur canned peas in our house.

 

[Searc]

Tomatoes and beans are the only canned I will eat. I prefer fresh but frozen is much better than canned.

Same.

 

[ronandannette]

Both - it depends on the item. During winter months here where nothing locally grown is available, fresh produce is often of disappointing quality and alarming prices. Both frozen and canned are arguably more nutritious than something that's traveled in cold storage across the world and was harvested weeks before it's sold.

Canned: tomatoes, corn, beans (the starchy kind, not string beans)
Frozen: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, spinach
Fresh only: potatoes, carrots and all other root vegetables, onions, mushrooms

 

[leebee]

I much prefer canned, but that's probably because it's what I grew up with. I really can't stand the flavor of most frozen veggies (corn, green beans, carrots, Brussels sprouts, lima beans- they all taste waxy and watery to me), although we eat frozen broccoli and frozen cauliflower.

 

[GoingSince1990]

Canned for doomsday prep. Frozen otherwise.

 

[Hikergirl]

Fresh or frozen
The only canned vegetable I will eat is green beans and only in one recipe.

 

[disneychrista]

Frozen. Almost always frozen. Exception is zucchini, onions, peppers, poptatoes and lettuce (of course).

 

[bcla]

Both - it depends on the item. During winter months here where nothing locally grown is available, fresh produce is often of disappointing quality and alarming prices. Both frozen and canned are arguably more nutritious than something that's traveled in cold storage across the world and was harvested weeks before it's sold.

Canned: tomatoes, corn, beans (the starchy kind, not string beans)
Frozen: peas, broccoli, cauliflower, string beans, spinach
Fresh only: potatoes, carrots and all other root vegetables, onions, mushrooms

"Fresh" tomatoes are rarely any good. A true vine-ripened tomato is rare, as most are picked green and gassed to turn red. And a good vine ripened tomato will bruise easily. It's not really that it's a big deal when most people cook them to point where you can't tell, but most buyers select based on appearance.

I'm not sure where I've seen fresh peas in the pods. I see a lot of fresh snow peas or snap peas. It would seem like a lot of work to shell peas. I have no idea how to remove sweet corn kernels.

I've found that frozen carrots aren't that bad. Especially if it's going to be cooked long enough, the consistency is about the same.

The weirdest thing I've ever had are Chinese button mushrooms. I'm used to European white button and crimini mushrooms. These are somewhat yellow, and almost invariably come out of a can. I even remember Pizza Hut on a vacation in China, and the combo pizza had them. They have this odd chewiness to them.

And nobody mentioned dried foods. I have a lot of Chinese friends, and they swear that dried is much better for certain things - especially with something like shiitake mushrooms.

 

[ronandannette]

"Fresh" tomatoes are rarely any good. A true vine-ripened tomato is rare, as most are picked green and gassed to turn red. And a good vine ripened tomato will bruise easily. It's not really that it's a big deal when most people cook them to point where you can't tell, but most buyers select based on appearance.

I'm not sure where I've seen fresh peas in the pods. I see a lot of fresh snow peas or snap peas. It would seem like a lot of work to shell peas. I have no idea how to remove sweet corn kernels.

I've found that frozen carrots aren't that bad. Especially if it's going to be cooked long enough, the consistency is about the same.

The weirdest thing I've ever had are Chinese button mushrooms. I'm used to European white button and crimini mushrooms. These are somewhat yellow, and almost invariably come out of a can. I even remember Pizza Hut on a vacation in China, and the combo pizza had them. They have this odd chewiness to them.

And nobody mentioned dried foods. I have a lot of Chinese friends, and they swear that dried is much better for certain things - especially with something like shiitake mushrooms.

Coming from a farm, both these things are very familiar to me. Peas need to be shelled and cooked/frozen very shortly after picking or even the most tender of them get starchy and gross. I don't know how commercial processing works to actually get the kernels off whole, but simply cutting them off the cob is the common way to do it at home. As for those canned mushrooms? I LOVE them. They're a real throwback to my childhood.

 

[bcla]

Coming from a farm, both these things are very familiar to me. Peas need to be shelled and cooked/frozen very shortly after picking or even the most tender of them get starchy and gross. I don't know how commercial processing works to actually get the kernels off whole, but simply cutting them off the cob is the common way to do it at home. As for those canned mushrooms? I LOVE them. They're a real throwback to my childhood.

Strangely enough, I'm not sure exactly what's up with those mushrooms. I think they may just be European white button mushrooms that are just bleached or something before they're canned. They're almost devoid of any mushroom flavor.

There's bound to be mechanical equipment that separates peas and corn kernels. This article says corn gets shoved into a hole with rotary blades to cut them off.

 

[SteveH]

Growing up in the 70s I still have bad memories of canned veggies. Maybe it was because of the economic rough times, but I remember my dads canned spinach and yellow wax beans We also used to buy the dented cans to save money as well as the ones without the label which were most always yellow wax beans or carrots.

With Costco nearby we stick to mostly fresh, but some frozen vegetables.

 

[mousefan73]

I agree, beans and tomatoes are the only canned vegetables I use. Frozen are easy and convenient much of the time, but I will only steam them in a steamer pan, never in the package in the microwave. I cannot bring myself to trust that it is healthy to heat plastic in that way and then consume the food. I haven't a starry eyed clue if I'm at all correct, but I don't think I'm hurting anyone if I'm wrong.

I am the same too. There is good and bad plastic. And there have been studies on this. Glass is always best.

 

[Cogswel_Cogs]

Pees in can
All else fresh or frozen

 

[loves to dive]

Depends on the season, my mood and what I'm using them for.
I always have frozen veggies and fruit in the freezer for last minute I need something. I used to belong to a co-op and got fresh veggies all year round but they tended to go bad since my honey hates veggies and will only eat green beans and corn and there was always too much for me to eat before it went bad.
We buy canned veggies for the RV since they are easier to transport and cook.

 

[goofyintoronto]

Definitely frozen! If i cant buy fresh, i always buy frozen. The only canned veg i'll get is corn. And thats once in a blue moon.

 

[RangerPooh]

Frozen. Don't cared for canned veggies with the exception of canned corn.

 

[bcla]

It sounds like the only thumbs up for cans are for corn. I guess it makes sense, since sweet corn kernels are mostly water, and they don't really suffer from being soaked in water.

The other deal with canned stuff is that it's pretty much cooked before canning to give it that shelf life. Corn can be cooked again (I've reheated corn on the cob) without getting mushy. Overcook peas and it's the consistency of baby food.

 

[MickeyWaffles]

Frozen!
Depending on where you live, frozen vegetables can even be more nutrient-rich than off season fresh veggies that have traveled a long distance to get to you. Frozen veggies are frozen in their prime!

We don’t eat any canned veggies. We do as much fresh as possible locally in season and eat lots of frozen veggies during the colder months.