Not as Primitive as It Used to Be

Every year around Thanksgiving I go through the ritual of ordering America foods so I can make a halfway decent 'traditional' Thanksgiving dinner.  This always involves Creamed Corn because that was always part of our Thanksgiving meal and it was unavailable—indeed, unheard of—in Britain.  This made it rather special and something to look forward to.

Yesterday, while shopping in Sainsbury's, I found Creamed Corn in the canned vegetable isle.

It's sort of disappointing, and it's another sign that the UK is 'going American.'

*sigh*

They still don't have canned beets, however.

Sainsburys has stocked Creamed Corn for years. 

I think even our Spar shop has creamed corn! Can't say I've ever looked for tinned beets, though. 

My Sainsbury (a large one, too) doesn't have creamed corn!  Which is sad, because it's been a staple in my diet for years.  I've checked Morrisons, Tesco and Kwik-Save, too - no creamed corn.  Woe!  I finally gave up and ordered a couple of cans from Skyco for Thanksgiving.

you can get cooked beets in the vacumn pack bags.  usually in the veggie fridge section... what are you trying to do with the canned beets?

there's a long thread quite recently in food on what to do with canned corn, whether its worth it to make your own, etc...

My Sainsbury's had never stocked creamed corn, but then I saw it last week.  I don't eat it though except for a casserole I used it for.

Meg would you like me to send you a can?

Meg would you like me to send you a can?

  Thanks so much for the offer!  My Skyco order arrived yesterday, including four cans of Del Monte creamed corn, so I should be set for a little while.  I'm pretty sure I'm not going to use but one at Thanksgiving - DF doesn't even like corn on the cob, so I'm pretty sure he's not going to eat up all my creamed corn. 

When I go home for Christmas, I'm going to ship a huge box of things back - not having familiar foods is hitting me harder than the sudden cold weather or anything else!

They still don't have canned beets, however.

Look where the olives are.  They have them at our Sainsbury's but they come in a jar. 

You find the most unexpected things in unexpected places here, like canned beets in a jar, or when you are looking for canned pumpkin, you will find it in a jar in some places. But what takes the cake for me is hot dogs in a tin, that always makes me laugh, especially the All American Style Canned Hot Dogs. I am not brave enough to try the Breafast in a Tin yet.

Nothing to do with creamed corn, but if you are looking for cornbread, try the African import shops, I have found Aunt Jemima's cornbread mix there for cheap enough.

I guess canned corn is a elusive item.  I have never seen it and I shopped at that Sainsbury's for years.  We switched to Waitrose about a year ago but were in the Sainsbury's buying milk when I saw the creamed corn.  This, of course, was just days after my Skyco package arrived. 

It must be rare because my wife had never heard of it and couldn't imagine what it was when I tried to explain it to her.  My dinner guests last Thanksgiving were clueless about creamed corn as well.  They all liked it but later confessed that, when I put it on the table, they all thought it looked like something someone had already eaten.

Beets in a can would be nice.  My wife doesn't like them so when I bought a bundle of fresh beets at the farmer's market, I had an awful lot of beets to eat.  On the other hand, real beets are not hard to cook up and they taste just as good (or better) than the canned variety.  But having just a can of beets to eat would be better than a whole batch, and the kitchen wouldn't end up looking like we'd slaughtered a hog in it.

I found corn meal in an Indian shop, so I have enough of that for a while.

Thanks to the creamed corn and big bag o' stuffing (hate those little boxes of crumbs they pass off as stuffing here) my Thanksgiving will be nearly traditional.  What I cannot have is an actual, stuffed turkey, as even a small one won't fit in our EasyBake(tm) oven.  Also, I have to use substitute good cranberry sauce from a jar in place of that awful bitter canned cranberry sauce that tastes vaguely of tin--it just won't be Thanksgiving without it.

It's just not Thanksgiving if you don't have cranberry from a can on the table where you can still see the rings indented on it, is it? 

Ah, someone who understands!! 

When I try to explain that to my wife, she like, "If it's so awful, why do you want it?" 

It's tradition.

Look where the olives are.  They have them at our Sainsbury's but they come in a jar. 

Just bought some last week.  I'll be trying them out today.  They're pickled, however, which seems to be the way all packaged beets (or, beetroot, as the locals call it) are prepared here.  I don't object to picked beets, but it's still not the same.  The test will come when I eat them.  You never know, I may be surprised; I finally broke down and bought hot dogs in a jar and they weren't bad, so bottled beets might be all right, as well.

Just bought some last week.  I'll be trying them out today.  They're pickled, however, which seems to be the way all packaged beets (or, beetroot, as the locals call it) are prepared here.

There are non-pickled beets wrapped in plastic in the salad section in my Tesco. Near the lettuce. Have a look there! Or, as you said, buy some fresh and boil up your own.

It's just not Thanksgiving if you don't have cranberry from a can on the table where you can still see the rings indented on it, is it? 

YES! How funny! So true at my house, too!