Posted: 3/25/2007 1:10:31 PM EDT
| So this afternoon we had a tornado watch going and I was getting some gear together just in case. I was wondering, say if you had a bunch of can goods stashed, packed, etc. can you open and heat over flame or is there a liner of some type that would melt and contaminate your food in the process...? |
That is correct. If you think about it, how do you think they kill the bacteria that causes spoilage? And of course why canned fruits and veggies don't taste like their fresh counterparts, ie because they are cooked in the canning process. |
Yes, but they are generally steamed or autoclaved. I think putting direct flame under them could melt the coatings. (But I could be wrong) <shrug> |
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I've cooked pre cooked soups and beef stew in cans before. First remove the label, then remove the lid. Then heat with a low flame. Stir the food regularly. Its nice because you dont have any dishes afterward. If you dont open the can, it will blow. I saw a can explode in a fire once, and the contents was so hot that when it exploded, the food melted the outer layer of a nearby sleeping bag. The guy who did it didnt know to open the can first. 
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| The lining in the can may burn and come off in your food. Before I cook in cans, I empty them , burn out the lining, scrub out the can and then use it as a pot. If you burn the can in a very hot fire there is very little left to scrub out. You can also burn any food remains out of the can after you've cooked in it, thus conserving water. |
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i've seen a lot of caned food cooked on top of an old woodburning stove.... i've also cooked cans in a waterbath in my titanium cup to keep from having to clean it.... I'm not saying it's a good idea....... but i've never seen anyone die from it or at least it didn't kill them instantly  like others have stated open the can beleive me it's for the children ...... well that and you'll need new drawrs if you leave it on to long 
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When i was in the service, sometimes at lunch the cooks would send out with sandwiches a mermite of hot water with individual sized canned soups and chilis. They wouldn't open the cans, they'd just heat them up in the unopened can in a pot. It was a nice change from green bologna or an MRE. I liked the idea, was a very clean and sterile way to handle food in the field. There is nothing worse than a whole squad of men with the squirts do to mishandled food or poorly cleaned serving containers. of course for our use if you're using gas fuel it's pretty wasteful. If you're in camp with a fire going then you can keep a big pot of water over the coals and toss in the cans a while before you're ready to eat. bonus is you have wash water all ready! Another thing I recall from years ago is a plastics plant cafeteria that had cans of castleberry stew, chili, and campbells soups in a vending machine. When you put your money in the can rolled out hot! Only place I ever saw that from a machine. |
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Do all cans have a lining it them? I have seen some vegetables with a white lining in the cans but it appears not all cans have a lining - unless its a coating you can't see. I've eaten lotsa soup and beans from heated cans with no apparent ill effect. Only thing is the can heats up quick so use low heat and stir alot. |
| this is a good subject...one of the best ways to heat rations/food in a can is to boil the can in a messtin ,pot or pan...simply place your can (YOU MUST PUT A HOLE IN THE TOP OF THE CAN SO IT WON'T EXPLODE) in your pot add water just below the top of the can and boil up your water...this will heat the can of food evenly instead of burning the food in the botom of the can while the top of the can remains cold, if you use a open flame...vince g. 11b inf... |
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I've cooked in cans before.... No ill effects. I can also say that I've blown up more than my share of cans. In fact, its a pastime of my friends and I to place a few cans in the firepit when we are camping. They usually take a min or so to heat up (and bulge). When they do go, its VERY loud. Yes, Its a waste. We typically use very old canned goods that we probably wouldnt eat (and are inexpensive) Best was creamed corn... Landed all over the trailer. Fire smelled like corn for days after it. |
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We always cook in the can. It leaves one less thing to clean. Ranch Style beans and corn, I have cooked on a campfire hundreds of times. Take the corn and pour out the juice and put a bunch of butter in it and some salt.....mmmm good. The only thing you need to remember is to stir the food to make sure it all gets heated. It is possible to burn the bottom and the top be still cool.  Of course you take the label off and cut the top completely off. Oh yeah that hot can will burn your dinner table if you aren't careful
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Quoted: Ranch Style beans and corn, I have cooked on a campfire hundreds of times. Take the corn and pour out the juice and put a bunch of butter in it and some salt.....mmmm good. quote] Most of the nutrition, vitamins, etc., are in the juice. Pouring it out will lose a lot of this nutritional value. Use it for soup or in a survival situation, drink it. 
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I knew someone was going to say that. I like it that way and if I'm jst cooking a meal....I'm going to add the butter. You have to pour out the "juice" to get the butter to melt. |
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I've done this a lot camping, and back in my bachelor days.... never though there would be a problem (and there has't been.) In todays society, if there was even the slightest posibility of an issue there would be a warning on the can. I open the can all the way and bend it back for a handle... it needs to be stired frequently as the bottom will heat much faster. |
| I just compared two cans. One was a can of baked beans and the other a Chef Boyardee product. Both have a inner lining. I lived in a house once that was heated by gas space heaters. I would keep cans of water on the ledge in front of the elements. As the water boiled it would keep a little moisture in the air. I noticed that after two days or so the lining in the can would peel of and float to the surface. Jim |
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