Are Canned Vegetables the Next “It” Food?

The yassification of tinned fish needs to be studied. It feels like until recently, reaching for a can of tuna or sardines felt functional, but not necessarily that bougie. Yes, these fish were always there to those in the know, but they could often take a backseat to fresh options in many consumers’ minds. 

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Then, tinned fish became trendy (which coincided with everything getting so much more expensive), and we began to see a lot more grocery stores stocking smaller-scale, artisanal options that promised higher quality and superior flavor. Honestly? We weren’t mad about it. And now, it looks like that’s happening with canned vegetables. Producers like Row 7 Seed Company are pushing canned veggies into a new realm, and the release of the latter’s fancy tinned produce feels like a bit of a gear shift. 

Canned Garleek, Anyone?

Row 7 Seed Company was founded in 2018 by chef Dan Barber, and up until now, it’s focused on its namesake: Seeds. Now, though, it’s dropping its new canned vegetable selection, which is a step up from the grey tinned peas that are sitting at the back of your pantry. These vegetables, which come in the rectangular tins that are typically used to house sardines or mackerel, are cooked confit-style and packed in extra virgin olive oil and vinaigrette. The result of all this is vegetables that feel like they were made in a restaurant, straight out of a tin.

At present, Row 7 Seed Company is offering three varieties:

Badger Flame Beets

Orange-red beets are cubed and slow-cooked before being packed with extra virgin olive oil and white balsamic vinegar. These have a mild, sweet, bright flavor, and would be great on a salad. 

Sweet Prince Tomatoes

Slow-roasted cherry tomatoes, cooked with red wine vinegar and extra virgin olive oil. We reckon these will be a lot more flavorful than your regular canned tomatoes, folks. 

Sweet Garleek

Row 7 Seed Company’s garlic-leek hybrid is prepared confit-style and flavored with balsamic vinegar and piquant Dijon mustard. This veggie might sound bespoke, but it’ll have a lot of uses.

Okay, We’ll Bite: How Much Do These Canned Vegetables Cost?

A lot of money! At the moment, a three-pack of these cans of vegetables will set you back $29, according to the Row 7 Seed Company website. Obviously, that’s waaaay more expensive than most of us would spend on canned vegetables (or, indeed, fresh ones), but it is worth pointing out that these are pretty carefully crafted products. We’d save ‘em for a dinner party, though.

It’ll be interesting to see whether Row 7 Seed Company’s new vegetables will usher in a full-blown movement towards fancied tinned produce. For now, it remains to be seen, but we wouldn’t be surprised. We kinda hope not, though. We could do without everything getting pricier.