Fresh food may have achieved near-deity status, but even certified foodies open cans, often more than they realize. Sheila Lukins, the cookbook author, when asked what canned foods she uses, said: "Bumblebee white tuna in water and B&M baked beans. Those are about it."
Then she thought a bit. "Garbanzos," she added, "kidney beans, tomato paste, plum tomatoes and olives."What foods in cans lack in cachet, they make up for in convenience - beans on demand and tomatoes in the off season, for example. Canned foods like these may merely be pinch-hitters, but others are irreplaceable: coconut milk, tuna, Crisco.
"Some consumers will say they never use canned foods, but if you pry a bit, they remember tomatoes, beans, tuna and corn," said Kelly Gibson, a spokeswoman for the Canned Food Information Council.
Sales of food in cans have fallen by 3 percent to 4 percent a year, said Brian Todd, a vice president of the Food Institute. The lowest use is among college-educated women, 35 to 54.
In focus group discussions for the canning industry in Chicago and Pittsburgh two years ago, women said they were buying less canned food and more fresh food because, although they like the convenience, they aren't happy with the taste or texture.