You grocery shop in preparation for your big Thanksgiving dinner. You lug all those bags in from your car, fling them onto the counter and begin the tedious process of putting everything away. You unload everything and begin arranging the cans in perfect order in your pantry. All cans must be precisely stacked with all labels facing forward {okay, so this just might be if you have slight OCD like me}.
But what’s this? The cranberry sauce cannot be stacked like the other cans because it’s labeled upside down?! What?! So you either have to flip the can over so the label is pointing the wrong way {unacceptable} or you have to set it on top of together cans without locking the cans in place {also, unacceptable!}. What is the meaning of this? Does someone know I have major OCD and they are messing with me?
I had to know if it was a conspiracy, so the next time I went to the store, I checked. Sure enough, every last can of cranberry sauce was labeled upside down so the normally rounded bottom of the can became the top. Weird.
When I got home I hit the internet to find out why. Turns out, it wasn’t a mistake. Every last company that manufactures cranberry sauce does it like that on purpose. And they do it to make our lives easier {clearly, they’ve never met anyone who needs their pantry properly organized!}. The rounded end of the can {the normal bottom} is filled with an air bubble vacuum. That makes the sauce slide right out when opened if you simply insert a knife between the can and the jelly. The knife trick allows some air to reach that bubble vacuum, and push the cranberry sauce out.
Then you have a perfect mound of cranberry sauce to slice into perfectly equal portions, and your Thanksgiving dinner tables looks amazing. I suppose they are forgiven for wreaking havoc on my perfectly organized pantry!
And now you know. Did you ever ever notice the can was upside down?
Did it make you crazy?
~Mavis
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AmyWW says
Just last night I was at the food bank packing a bajillion boxes for their thanksgiving clients and that was the first time I’ve ever noticed it. Have they always done it that way or is it a new thing? I’ve been making sauce with fresh cranberries for a few years now but it seems like the can labels used to be right side up.
Laura T. says
Ha! I can relate! I have to have all my cans facing forward like that too. I recently bought a can of tuna that was upside down like that. I tried putting it on the shelf upside down but just couldn’t! I had to arrange things to work with the upside down can! Yep, a wee bit of OCD in me too! :0)
LAURI says
As someone who really does suffer from OCD, I have noticed that for years. It made, and still makes me crazy, even though I know why they do it and understand the reasoning. As someone who pantry shops sales for one year at a time, when I buy this I buy about 12 cans, and HATE trying to set them up like I set up everything else in the pantry. My husband keeeps telling me to get over it, but it’s something that will always bug me!
Jonnie says
My kids don’t worry about their pantries, they just invite me over to their place. I have organizing cans, down to a Tee. When I leave all of their cans are divided into groups, and like you do it all the lables are facing forward. I also do their spices, cookware, dishes, and fridge. it drives them up a wall. I straighten out their linen closet, and book shelves!!!
Carol says
Do you live in Northwest Indiana? I could use help with all of that! Only partially joking. 🙂 Happy Thanksgiving!
Laura T. says
Carol, You’re in my neck of the woods! Where in Indiana? I used to live in Schererville & my mom lived in Munster. I’m in Illinois now, but only an hour away.
Carla says
Oh, sigh. I was hoping you’d say my neck of the woods. We have lots of books *a whole room of them) that my husband says he will get to organizing sometime…. Free room & board for you in a mild climate near the beach.
Ranee says
We used to open the can with a can opener, like normal, then set it into the dish it was going into with the open side down. Then we took the can opener and started opening the other end – just enough to release the vacuum in the can and it would slide out intact. This makes me wonder if they did always label the cans this way, or if they used to be in a normal can. We used to do this at least 30 years ago for Thanksgiving – basically a token effort, in case there were guests that liked cranberries because none of us did. Heh.
Pamela says
it used to be in a normal can. We used to open both ends to push it through…but that was a long time ago!
Ellen in Clackamas says
Jonnie, will you come to my house? I could use a LOT of help!!!
Linda Sand says
My cans have looked the same top and bottom. I open both ends so the sauce slides right out. So I hope this is not one of those “new, improved” things I am going to hate.
Alice says
It is. Sorry
Deborah says
OK, I’m bad. I turn mine right side up, or is that upside down? Either way, the label is upright. I guess I’m OCD about labels facing out. And all likes together. My pantry just isn’t big enough. It’s a closet in a bedroom. LOL
Helen in Meridian says
Mavis, I forgot to mention how sorry I am that you mommy is on crutches. I hope her foot or ankle heals properly. Good for you to bring her such fine food to tide her over as she heals.
Mavis Butterfield says
She’s doing better everyday. 🙂 Thanks Helen.
Candice says
Or, you could just buy a bag of Cranberries (and a few extra to throw in freezer for later use) and when you turn to the back label it explains how to make the sauce. Basically, bring 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar to boil, add the bag of rinsed berries and simmer 10 minutes I believe. Some will pop. Stir once in awhile as you putz around kitchen, then pour into container/bowl and let cool til room temp. Cover and refrigerate. You will never go back once you try this. I pour into the pyrex covered bowl I serve from so all I need do on Thanksgiving is place on the table. Keeps weeks. Can make days in advance. Try it.
AmyWW says
Candice, I do it the same way. Sometimes I add the juice of one orange plus enough water to make one cup, and a couple of pieces of orange zest while the berries are cooking. I fish the zest out before putting it into the container/bowl. Yum! So easy and looks so much more beautiful than the canned jelly stuff.
Tamara says
AND. . . then spoon the warm/lukewarm/room temperature cranberries into the baked halves of acorn squash and put grated nutmeg on top. Mmm, a favorite at our house. Have never bought the canned, although I do like it.
Kari says
Oh my! That sounds heavenly!
Kathy says
My sister-in-law and I were stumped by this very thing this past weekend. I finally read the label which explains how to open it. I do not remember cans being like that before now. I have also made “real” cranberry sauce like someone else suggested. I mix a little applesauce in so it’s not quite as tart.
Lisa says
Ha! I thought it was just me and I picked up a wonky can. Thanks Mavis!
Tasha K says
Hahaha, same here! I thought maybe they rushed production around the holidays and I was always getting the oddball!