The Easy Method For Removing Metallic Taste From Canned Vegetables

Drab, metallic, and limp. That's how most people think of veggies from a can. But those cans can also represent a way to get a quick and relatively nutritious meal on the table. So, how can you take advantage of the convenience of this food while also helping it to taste its best? All you may need to do is quickly boil those tinny-tasting veggies.

A quick parboil removes the metallic taste that's too often associated with canned vegetables. After draining the veggies and bringing the water to a boil, place the produce in the pot for just about two minutes. Remove the vegetables and plunge them into the ice water to quickly stop the cooking process. 

While this works wonders for many canned items, blanching isn't recommended for tomatoes, as the fruit (yes, they're botanically fruit) doesn't hold up very well to boiling. Used on other foods, however, this can be a powerful method for using up those canned veggies that you've so carefully stored in the pantry.

That un-delightful bitter taste is a byproduct of the canning process. Manufacturers fill cans with a mixture of salt and water along with the vegetables or other contents, before heating the mixture to cook and sterilize. Some foods — such as kidney beans, green beans, tomatoes, and corn — soak up more metal flavor from the can than others just by sitting in the vessel. Another round of heating can be a key food safety step, but also means that the metallic flavor permeates the vegetables even further. However, not everything undergoes this double cooking, as some products are vacuum-sealed or pressed into the cans. Yet this action also encourages that often unwanted tinny taste.

Is there any way to avoid the metallic tang in the first place? Other than buying fresh or frozen products, you could also try canning your own produce, though that's admittedly more time-consuming than simply plucking a can off a shelf. If that's not an option and you don't care to blanch your veggies, try adding spices or lemon juice, or even roasting the contents. Canned peas can be dressed up nicely when cooked with a buttery sauce, too. Although canned goods will rarely taste just like fresh, these methods can dramatically improve the flavor.