Is Canned Fruit Good for You? These Peaches Definitely Are

Can I or Can’t I? That’s what MacBeth should have been asking. But I won’t dare rewrite Shakespeare, instead, I will ask is canned fruit good for you and allowed back into your healthy gourmet kitchen?

I am working with the California Cling Peach Board so I wanted to figure out their health benefits. I already know that I love peaches, I have since I was 6 and waiting 11 months for my fix isn’t fair so I do put canned peaches through their paces especially this time of year!

Here is what I discovered; canned peaches deliver a promising amount of nutrients that are actually enhanced by the canning process. Vitamin A, folate, lycopene and some anti-oxidants are made more bio available by the heating and canning process. But the truly impressive nutrient is Vitamin E.

Vitamin E is a fat soluble anti-inflammatory, anti-aging nutrient that is usually associated with nuts and seeds. And while those little nuggets are great for you, a small handful is all you can eat each day because of their caloric punch. Fruit sources, on the other hand, can be layered in without worry and consumed in satisfyingly high amounts.

There is even support that the canning process actually enhances the eye protecting nutrients of leutin and zeaxanthan and we know lycopene (also high in peaches)benefits from the heat of tomatoes into sauce which is a prostate cancer protector. Canned peaches are picked ripe and preserved at their peak.

Some of the other cans that I always have on hand include:

• evaporated milk for coffee, hot chocolate and smoothies. It has all the creaminess and twice the amount of calcium and protein but none of the fat in cream.
• Low sodium chicken broth for quick soups.
• Refried beans for quick burritos or nachos.
• Clams for stirring into pasta with garlic and parmesan cheese

February was National Canned Food Month and this month is Nutrition Month, I see no reason why the two can’t get along.

This is one of those mildly curried dishes that takes no time to prepare and is a family friendly quickie.

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Curried Peach Pork Tenderloin

Total Time 30 minutes

Servings 4

Author Theresa Albert

Ingredients

• 1 -1.5 pound pork tenderloin cut into 4 equal pieces
• 1 tbsp curry powder
• 1 tsp chili powder
• 2 cloves garlic minced and divided
• 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 1 can clingstone peach slices juice reserved
• 1 cup sweet white wine
• ½ cup apple cider vinegar
• Pea shoots for garnish optional

Instructions

1. Place pork tenderloin in a large freezer bag, combine curry and chili powders, one clove of garlic and olive oil and rub well. Set aside on counter for a few minutes or place in fridge to marinate for up to 24 hours.
2. In a small pot combine juice from clingstone peaches (but set aside peaches themselves until later), wine, vinegar and remaining garlic. Bring to a boil and simmer to reduce into a sauce for 10-20 minutes. Stir in peaches and keep warm until pork is cooked.
3. Empty pork into a casserole dish and bake at 400F for 20 or so minutes until cooked through to 130 F. Add peach sauce and cook for 5-10 more minutes. Garnish with pea shoots or other herb greens.

Image Source: California Cling Peaches, Flickr.