Can It!

The world is filled with food oddities: some good, some bad, and some...well...just odd.  Here are a few canned foods that fall into the "odd" category.

CANDWICH
When you think of canning, you think of convenience and a long shelf life.  Canned tuna, canned tomatoes, canned beans...these things make life easier.  But you can also think of things like deviled ham (barf) or canned veggies (that usually lack flavor, texture or nutrients).  Well, now you can have the convenience of lunch in a can with this invention: the Candwich.  Coming this fall, you can pop open a can and have either a grape PB&J, a strawberry PB&J, or a BBQ chicken sandwich.  Think I'm kidding?  Click on this site to see for yourself.


THANKS, VERMONT
Vermont is the home of many awesome things in the culinary world.  Ben & Jerry's, Cabot Creamery, and King Arthur Flour instantly come to mind when thinking of deliciousness of yum in the Green Mountain State.  Vermont is also home to the Vermont Country Store--a place I visit every time I head back east.  If you can't get to the Vermont Country Store any time soon, you're in luck!  You can get their amazing catalog sent to you, so you can shop for everything from Mumus to obscure makeup, maple syrup to vibrators (I'm not kidding).

You can also check out these canned culinary delights from the Vermont Country Store: 

Canned Date Nut Bread: Open the can, slice the round loaf of date bread, and serve!  Yum, yum?  My mom says she remembers canned date nut bread from her childhood.  I'd have to try this before I pass judgement.  Of all the things that can go in a can, a loaf of bread doesn't immediately come to mind.  I wonder if it's metallic tasting... 

Canned, Cooked, Ground Beef: I don't know about you, but I find browning ground beef to be one of the easier kitchen tasks.  The worst part is draining off the fat, but still....cooking ground beef is a snap.  Apparently, though, some people find it a bit too taxing.  Vermont Country Store's canned ground beef is fully cooked, lean, and farm raised here in the good old USA.  But at almost $15 for just shy of 2 pounds, this seems like a pricey convenience product (and I'm not sold on the flavor aspect!). 

Canned, Cooked, Bacon: Yes, you read that right: canned bacon.  On the plus side, using canned bacon means not having to deal with bacon splatter when you fry it up.  On the down side, it's CANNED BACON!  How could this even taste good?  Or have the right texture? Or be shelf-stable for long periods of time?  Bacon's very trendy right now, so good for Vermont Country Store for jumping on the trend.  Me?  I think I'll pass.

These are just a few of the interesting items Vermont Country Store sells in cans.  I will say this: If you're preparing for the zombie apocalypse (or are just anticipating suffering through harsh storms that will leave you without power for days on end), these canned goods could serve a purpose.  For now, though, I think I'll stick with fresher products.

But that's just me.