17 Consistently Most Expensive Canned Foods To Buy

Many of us rely on canned pantry items for a number of reasons — longevity, storage space, and more often than not, affordability. Like everything on the market, canned foods also come in a range of prices from cheap chickpeas to eye-wateringly expensive pâtés. But there has to be a middle ground in there, for home cooks looking for ways to upgrade dinner without wasting loads of money while still saving time.

Canned food has long been a timesaver in the kitchen, along with all the aforementioned benefits. While there is still something to be said for taking the time to perfect a pot of enchilada sauce or clean and prepare a bag of mussels, we don't always have that kind of room in our schedules. Splashing out on a few more expensive items when stocking your pantry can give you an easy way to give yourself a little luxury without spending too much time or money.

If you've never heard of canned cheese, we have news for you. There are a few brands on the market but none as beloved as Washington State University Creamery's Cougar Gold. Honestly, this stuff has a diehard following online, where people rave about the product's perfect meltability, tanginess, and longevity. This isn't the only canned cheese on the market, either. India has a version called Amul that's well-known and just as well-loved, although a little harder to find stateside.

This entry is definitely on the more expensive side, with a 30-ounce can costing you upwards of $30, according to the WSU website, but this doesn't stop fans from ordering it by the boxful. It lasts forever, works in any number of recipes, and seems like an ideal addition to our next cocktail hour spread.

Coconut milk is the savior of your pantry for a number of reasons. A great alternative for those living a dairy-free life, coconut milk adds a lovely creaminess to anything lacking a richer mouthfeel. On top of that, it's a fundamental ingredient in all sorts of regional cuisines including most Southeast Asian countries. Having a tin on hand means you're always ready to whip up a tasty dessert too, including rice pudding or a simple ice cream.

One thing to keep in mind when using canned coconut milk is how you store it, once you've opened it. Don't make the storing mistake of simply putting the opened can into your fridge and forgetting about it. An opened can of coconut milk will easily absorb flavors from other things in the fridge, as well as take on a hint of metal from the can itself. Do yourself a favor and transfer any leftovers to an airtight container, which will also help to increase the longevity.

Real canned crab is pretty expensive when compared to the imitation stuff, but we think it definitely has a place in your pantry. So what is canned crab, anyway? Generally speaking, it will be all crab but you'll likely be getting a mixture of jumbo lump meat, lump meat, or backfin. Check the list of ingredients if you're looking for a specific part of the crab, but be aware that a can of pure jumbo lump is going to be the most expensive. Claw meat, however, is considered dark meat and will usually be canned on its own, as it has a pretty strong flavor.

Canned crab is great to have on hand when you're looking for an upgraded meal without having to clean and prepare crab on your own. For crab cakes, salad, bisque, or nearly anything else you'd use fresh crab meat is fair game but with less hassle.

Foie gras isn't for everyone but if you indulge in it, you'll know that it's a great thing to have on hand for an impromptu afternoon snack of picky bits and cocktails. Open a jar, put out some fresh baguette, and a few pieces of cheese and you're set. Maybe even a crack open some tinned oysters and you'll be living your best life.

Foie gras is expensive, so you'll want to make sure that you're getting the best product for your money. The best quality stuff shouldn't have many ingredients — duck or goose liver plus a little salt and pepper is the standard. If you want to add something else like a fig jam or some caramelized onions, it's better to use something separate rather than buying a flavored spread.

Jackfruit has been the vegan darling for a while now and it's about time the rest of us caught up. A pretty great substitute for meat — lots of people compare the cooked stuff to pulled pork — it makes a great addition to dishes that could use a little bulk without animal protein or fat.

However, one of the biggest problems with this tasty fruit is finding and preparing it. Depending on where you live, you may not have an occasion to find one in your local produce department and canned ones will have to do. Even if you did find one, prepping this massive fruit is another struggle entirely. If you're new to jackfruit, we highly suggest that you try the canned stuff first before wrestling with a fresh piece.

Canned oysters are another way to instantly take dinner up a notch. Adding them to a creamy pasta dish is a quick and tasty addition to another otherwise everyday dish, with the briny tang perfectly complimenting cheesy cream sauce. Oysters and mussels also work terrifically well with any pasta dressed with garlicky olive oil or a light tomato-based sauce. And opening a can of ready-to-eat seafood is miles easier than preparing all those sandy little mollusks yourself. While tinned seafood is ready to eat immediately, gently warm oysters before adding to your pasta dish, being careful not to overheat and giving it a rubbery texture.

Like other tinned fish, oysters are high in nutritional value, including a decent dose of Omega-3s, zinc, and B12. All good reasons to start experimenting with ways to get more of them into your diet.

Roasted red peppers add zip to anything so we always have a can nearby. Easy to use in hummus, omelets, on a charcuterie board, or whizzed into pasta sauce, the uses are endless. We suggest buying whole peppers rather than the pre-sliced versions; pre-sliced ones have a tendency to get a little stringy whereas the full peppers retain their firmness longer without going slimy or squishy.

Peppers can be found preserved in either oil or water — which you choose depends on a few things. Peppers packed in water have no added fat but they can go bad more quickly once opened. Peppers preserved in oil will have the added flavor of the oil, but also all the fat that comes with it. However, once you've opened the jar, if the peppers stay below the surface of the oil, you'll likely get a week or two more life out of them. Remember that canned red peppers contain a lot more water than something like an olive and will deteriorate much more quickly. Once opened, use them up as soon as you can.

Canned sweet potatoes aren't common all over the country but they're definitely something you'll see in most of the Southern states. Much like canned pumpkin, canned sweet potatoes are used in baking, casseroles, and soups. If you've ever searched out a can, you might have noticed something — the price difference between the varieties. You might have even noticed the discrepancy in the produce aisle when confronted by the piles of sweet potatoes and yams.

While you might think they're the same thing, and many of us do, there's definitely a difference. Yams are much bigger and have a rough skin that's sort of reminiscent of tree bark. Sweet potatoes, on the other hand, have much more delicate skin that can be peeled with a vegetable peeler (whereas a true yam needs to be peeled with a knife), and sweeter flesh in a variety of colors. As for the cost difference, it mostly comes down to the fact that there's far more demand for sweet potatoes than there is for yams.