You make a claim to your insurance company



That's where a microwave comes in handy. Seafood, on the other hand, defrosts very fast, without a microwave. Most of the time you don't even need to defrost it as you can cook it from a frozen state. Meat can be partially defrosted and cooked. Only thing I would plan ahead is a whole roast or chicken. But then, you don't get whole chicken from cans

I've never had any luck defrosting meat in the microwave, it always comes out a little bit cooked, when it's prime beef, that's a scandalous shame!

...and anyway, that still takes a lot longer than opening a can!

now if I can just talk my gf into doing the canning for me....

I tried Sam's Club's Member's Mark canned Chicken for lunch today in my salad. Although there are no additives, it is a bit dry... canned salmon is like that as well. It screams for mayonnaise, or potentially to be stewed up nicely with some cream and veggies. But it does have a real chicken chunk texture and flavor.

Although similar to the meat found in beef stew or chicken noodle soup, this type of meat is very much more dry (probably due to no additives and thorough cooking), but it does taste like boiled chicken (which I make sometimes... but I cook it to tenderness instead and use skinned leg quarters).

Normally what I do with meat for grilling, dicing, or chinese food is purchase a large tray of chicken breasts or steaks from Sam's club. Then I get out my George Foreman grill and grill 'em all up to the juiciness and seasonings (or none) that I like best (usually just barely cooked through but grilled nicely on the outside). Then I freeze in packages of 3 or 4 what doesn't get eaten for dinner. That way, I have a nice instant grilled piece of chicken or beef to dice up in a salad, make stir fry with, or to eat as a steak with melted cheese, et al. It lasts a long time in the freezer if it is frozen in a ziploc-type bag with the air pressed out.

I do the same sort of thing with chicken wings... I buy a 4-5 lb bag of wings, defrost them in the refrigerator, then use a big pan to fry 'em up with grapeseed oil and hot sauce, then put 6-8 segments in a baggy and freeze them.

When I read that, I got this flash of a bull on the john.....

Hello? Do all you people think that everyone, who is low-carbing, is as affluent as you are? Some of us live on limited budgets, in small apartments, with small apartment sized fridges, with even smaller freezer compartments. We can't buy in bulk, cook in bulk, freeze in bulk, and can in bulk. On the brighter side, we end up taking the bus to the supermarket more often, eating fresher (because we can't store anything) and getting our exercise by lugging those bags of fresh items from the bus stop to our apartment building and up three flights of stairs.
Sorry, needed to get that off my chest. As for canned beef, don't have an opinion yet. How heavy is the can?

I live 1 mi from the plant if you want to call it that(very small). My dad, a local business man and farmer, bought some at the local grocery store. I haven't tasted it yet nor has he opened a can yet but I was suprised it only has beef. I think they have a website but I don't have the label around to tell you what it is. The can sounds liquidy so it must just be natural juices. I think the price will drop when they become more widespread. It will be popular for some and not others. Supposed to be high quality meat. I'll let ya know when I try it.

Grandma used to can everything! She had a big garden, so we all helped can a lot of produce. Before they had electricity, she used to can chicken and beef (if they had to kill a cow when the weather wasn't cold enough for "nature's freezer", the back shed) I remember very clearly the tender canned meat when she'd use it to whip up a quick supper.

The biggest advantage that canned would have over frozen is you can keep it in the pantry. I have a small freezer, and the local grocery store is still closed, so a trip to the store means 20 miles one way! I wish I'd have paid attention when Grandma was trying to teach me all her "tricks of the trade"...

The canned beef we had years ago was awsome. None of the flavor escaped while cooking it I guess. I would love to have some on hand if it tastes like what I remember. The rich gravy would come pouring out with it. It was a very fast supper!