17 Canned Foods from the Past That No One Eats Anymore
These once-popular canned foods have vanished from dinner tables—and for good reason.
- Chris Graciano
- 3 min read
From mystery meats to gelatin-covered vegetables, canned food in the past was nothing if not creative. While some of these items were born from wartime necessity or 1950s convenience culture, they’ve since fallen out of favor. Let’s take a nostalgic (and sometimes gross) stroll through the canned goods aisle of yesteryear.
1. Canned Whole Chicken
chilie on Wikimedia Commons
Yes, they actually canned entire chickens—bones, skin, and all. It looked like a jelly-soaked science experiment and smelled even worse.
2. Canned Tongue
Chris Devers on Flickr
Beef tongue was once a delicacy in a can. Its rubbery texture and grayish hue turned off future generations. Now, it’s just a weird memory in vintage cookbooks.
3. Canned Cheeseburger
Mounir Salah on Pexels
This bizarre German novelty food somehow made its way stateside. A burger, bun and all, squished into a can—need we say more?
4. Canned Macaroni and Cheese Loaf
zenmasterdod on Flickr
Not to be confused with the creamy boxed version, this was more like orange glue molded into a brick. It was sliced, served cold, and absolutely terrifying.
5. Canned Spaghetti Sandwiches
my_amii on Flickr
Why combine spaghetti and bread in one gelatinous can? No one really knows. These carb-loaded horrors never made it past the experimental phase for good reason.
6. Canned Brown Bread
Mike McCune on Flickr
A New England classic, this molasses-based bread was steamed and packed in cans. While it still exists, few outside niche circles eat it today.
7. Canned Potato Salad
Rachel Claire on Pexels
Potato salad should be creamy, cold, and fresh—not mushy and metallic. The canned version had all the appeal of leftovers gone wrong.
8. Canned Fish Balls
Jeffrey_Allen on Flickr
Popular in some Asian cuisines, but the American canned versions were bland and rubbery. They never caught on outside ethnic markets.
9. Canned Hamburger Patties in Gravy
jyllish on Flickr
Swimming in oily brown sauce, these meat pucks were once military rations. Greasy, salty, and unnaturally chewy—they were nobody’s favorite.
10. Canned Liver Loaf
Ron Lach on Pexels
Think meatloaf, but made from organ meat and soaked in fat. It was a budget-friendly protein option that vanished for obvious reasons.
11. Canned Rice Pudding
Shivangisj on Wikimedia Commons
Too sweet, too gloopy, and with the shelf life of eternity. While homemade rice pudding still has fans, the canned version didn’t age well—literally or figuratively.
12. Canned Jellied Consommé
Lorie Shaull on Flickr
A clear meat broth, jellied and canned for reasons no one truly understands. It was used in aspics and gelatin salads—foods best left in the past.
13. Canned Pork Brains in Milk Gravy
num lok on Flickr
Yes, this was real. Found mostly in Southern pantries, it was high in cholesterol and low in appeal. Even die-hard foodies skip this retro horror.
14. Canned Salisbury Steak
Robert Loescher on Wikimedia Commons
Oversalted, overcooked, and oddly spongy—this TV dinner staple was a low point in culinary history. While still made in frozen form, the canned version has been largely forgotten.
15. Canned Creamed Possum
chapstickaddict on Flickr
This was a joke product that was, at one point, actually sold in the South. It was more novelty than nourishment. Thankfully, no one took it seriously.
16. Canned Fruitcake
Jenny Cestnik on Flickr
Already polarizing in its regular form, canned fruitcake was basically a sugar-soaked brick. It was dense, dry, and tough to swallow—literally.
17. Canned Mock Turtle Soup
TummyRumble on Flickr
This was an old-timey delicacy made from calf brains and organ meat as a substitute for turtle meat. Even when it was trendy, it was an acquired taste.