Why Canned Ribs Failed As A Concept

Go to just about any grocery store and you can spot canned veggies, canned fruit, canned soups, and various canned meats and fish. But look closely among them, and chances are you can't find any canned ribs. While other canned meats have flourished — especially in times of economic downturn — both spare ribs and baby back ribs have had a harder turn finding success under the metal lid. Humans have been canning food since Nicolas Appert developed the method in early 1800s France (though earlier forms of food preservation existed around the world for thousands of years), so there have been various attempts to make canned ribs popular over the years.

One of the more notable efforts was in the mid-20th century. According to a vintage print ad from the early 1960s, Chicago-based canned foods giant Armour Star introduced the "meaty new idea" of ribs in a can. These bone-in ribs even came with barbecue sauce, but they were evidently not a hit with consumers. After years of financial and organizational struggles, the Armour brand was sold in the early 1980s and its assets were split up. Today, canned ribs are nowhere to be found among either of the companies who currently sell Armour's products, although one, Conagra Foodservice, does still offer Armour Star "Potted Meat."

Despite evidently not passing the test of time, posts of the old Armour Star canned ribs ad have drawn the interest of some Reddit users who say they would gladly try them. Even so, others made unfavorable comparisons to the questionable meat of the McDonald's McRib, suggesting low quality. Additional commenters discussed whether these ribs were actually meant for Crock-Pots or sandwiches rather than intended to emulate traditional barbecue, but concluded that pulled pork was automatically the more logical option there.

On that note, it's worth considering that ribs might not be the most practical choice for canning and the cost may not have been worth it to consumers. In addition to not being able to cram as much in there, and possibly requiring more painstaking steps to measure everything out and make it fit properly (especially with bones), Armour Star's version may simply have been priced too high for the canned goods market. While this may have just been poor wording, the ad says "if you're looking for the cheapest ribs, forget ours." However, none of this means you can't get canned ribs anywhere in the world. It's unclear just how readily available canned ribs are outside of North America, but there are at least a few kinds sold in the United Kingdom, both in boneless and bone-in varieties. One brand is Gulong, a type of canned bone-in ribs also available in various Asian countries.

Canned meat might not be everyone's favorite, but the truth is, when done right, canned meat can be a quick, budget-friendly item to add to your grocery list. We're not saying you have to pounce on the next tin of canned ribs you see (if any are even available anywhere near you), but it's worth stocking up on a few different canned meats in general. Since they last a long time, they can be highly versatile and make for quick meals on days when you don't have time to get to the store — or simply would rather not waste a lot of time in front of the oven.

Canned beef (shredded or in chunks) can be easily added to stews and stir frys while canned chicken works wonders as a pot pie filling or salad topper. Another obvious go-to here is Spam, which you shouldn't turn your nose up at it even if you haven't liked it in the past. There are so many different ways you can elevate Spam into a delicious meal! We haven't even touched canned fish, of which there are many varieties and offer just as much versatility as their meat counterparts. So, while ribs may not have made it big as a mainstay canned good in today's market, there's still plenty to love about this unique section of the grocery store.