You Might Want To Rinse Canned Fruit Before Eating It

Canned fruit is often thought to be less nutritious than fresh when it comes to sugar content. And while fruit that has been canned does absorb some of the sugar present in the syrup or juice, there is an easy method for removing a significant portion of this sweet liquid if you so desire. Before eating fruit straight out of the can, you might want to give it a quick rinse.

When fruit is canned, it is stored in liquid to preserve its flavor and texture and elongate its shelf life. The various liquids in canned fruit range from light or heavy syrup to fruit juice, all of which contain additional sugar content. Light syrup is a mixture of sugar and water while heavy syrup contains corn syrup and sugar. Fruit juice concentrate is also used in canning. This mixture is diluted with water and provides slightly less sugar than heavy syrup. Indeed, well-drained and rinsed canned foods are less impacted by sugar and sodium content than those that are eaten as-is, straight from the can.

Rinsing your canned fruit with water will not adversely affect the texture or flavor. In fact, it might help to eliminate any tin-like taste and extra-sweet syrupiness. You can also buy canned fruit that is stored in water rather than syrup as a nutritious alternative. At the end of the day, adding canned fruit to your diet is better than no fruit.

Fresh fruit is tasty and refreshing, but it isn't the only type of fruit that provides nutrition. In fact, there is no evidence to support that canning produce destroys nutrients. Canned fruit is processed and packaged when it is at peak freshness, and provides many of our necessary daily carbs, fiber, and vitamins.

Canned fruit makes quick work of mealtime because there is so little prep involved in comparison to fresh fruit. The contents have already been skinned, sliced, and de-pitted. And there are so many ways to incorporate this pre-packaged fruit into your meals. Canned peaches or pears are both great additions to a morning breakfast smoothie or a jar of overnight oats. Mandarin oranges straight out of a can make for an extra fresh salad topping, providing a burst of sweetness and vitamin C.

Don't just think of sweet applications, either. You can incorporate canned pineapples, both the fruit and the juice, into an Asian-inspired stir-fry with a touch of soy. If you enjoy the controversial pineapple on your pizza, the tinned version is typically the preferred style when combined with marinara sauce and cheese. In fact, the canning process destroys the mouth-burning enzyme bromelain, making it easier to eat in general.