The Origins Of Canned Baked Beans
Canned baked beans appear so ubiquitously that it's tough to imagine they haven't always been around. After all, glance into your pantry, and — more likely than not — there's a can gathering dust. Well, as with other manufactured foodstuffs, a dish this satisfying tells a rich story.
Before the arrival of European colonizers and the Industrial Revolution, this food was enjoyed by Native Americans. Through subsequent centuries, consumption continued among indigenous communities and also expanded to colonists, hence recipes like Boston baked beans. However, it was once the beans became canned that a whole new chapter in commercial eating emerged.
Intriguingly, it was none other than Heinz — yes, the famous ketchup brand — that first commercially mass-produced tinned beans in 1895. Manufacturing started in a facility in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, although the concept had been in the works for several decades. In 1869, businessman and food innovator Henry John Heinz launched his first company, producing foodstuffs like pickles and sauerkraut. From the start, Heinz was captivated by the idea of canned beans, and even brought samples of the product to the U.K. in 1869. Although this venture didn't pan out, he'd eventually pioneer the mass production of canned legumes.
Canned baked beans rapidly grew in popularity during the 20th century
By the turn of the century, Heinz started exporting the foodstuff to the U.K., thereby paving the way for the inclusion of baked beans in a full English breakfast. Despite initially expensive costs per can, the export proved fortuitous and led to the establishment of several Heinz factories across the pond.
As the 20th century rolled along, prices fell; the canned baked bean became a wartime staple during World War II, and later an emergency food during the Cold War. For decades, the dish never lost popularity in the U.K. and comprised a significant portion of Heinz's commercial success. The product attained even new levels of ubiquity in the 1950s, when readymade and commercial foods defined dining habits. More and more brands entered the market, thus establishing the modern prevalence of the dish. So, although you may want to think twice before buying canned baked beans due to their artificial flavors, it remains hard to deny the allure of their convenience.