One of the themes of vintage magazines and cookbooks is that life as a mid-century housewife is busy and any convenience that can be found should be taken full advantage of. Using canned food was lauded as a way to save valuable time ( no cleaning and chopping and cooking) and equally as important, money. In the years before everyone had freezers and microwaves canned foods were the “fast food ” of the era.
Hidden away in the hype you often find the claim that canned foods are actually better than fresh. In terms of freshness and getting all the nutrients possible we tend to think fresh is healthiest, frozen is next best and canned is last. But the canned food people were making big claims about the new canned foods of the 1950s.
I have no real way to tell if their claims were true. But, they claim that canned foods actually have more vitamins than some fresh foods because they are canned at the peak of freshness not shipped on a truck for a week. Also the canning factory only buys the biggest and juiciest fruit and vegetables at that peak. Finally, the new packaging materials and techniques preserve the colour and flavour of foods better than old fashioned methods. Apparently, the canned foods of the 1950s were way better than earlier times.
One full spread ad , an extreme example in my opinion, offers an option if you have nothing in the fridge and “the gang stops by”- a meal made entirely from canned food. What’s on the menu called a “football supper” ?
There are carrots, green beans, corn, asparagus and little spears of spam on one tray. All of the vegetables seem to have been dressed up with some butter. It is suggested that you give your guests a bowl and have them pick their favourites and top with salad dressing with optional non-canned salad greens.
On another platter is a “chili casserole ” made with canned chili and canned tamales. You mix a can of chili and a can of kidney beans and spread on the bottom of the casserole. Top with tamales and bake at 375 for 25 minutes. Sprinkle parmesan on top. That was a novel recipe to me. Do they make canned tamales these days?
The last item on the photo spread is a “celebration pie”. Again it is made from only canned goods and a pre-made pie shell.
It seems odd to think of making a feast for guests from canned food. But it would be a fast solution to feed hungry people. No Uber Eats in 1955. Are you game to try an all canned goods meal?
My biggest hesitation is that I don’t have many compatible canned goods in my pantry. If the gang stops by unexpectedly I would have to serve soup, evaporated milk, fruit cups and tomato sauce. They might not come back after that dinner. Pizza delivery is a godsend!