The key was missing from the corned beef tin can – how annoying ….

Corned Beef can key broken? What do you do?  Most of the time you rely on the key that opens a can of corned beef being present and working – but there will come a time, one day, when something doesn’t go to plan.  That time was this week for me.

The key was missing from the can of corned beef I tried to open – bit of a nuisance.  Luckily for me I was at home, so didn’t rely on it!  I grabbed my regular tin opener.  But there’s a couple of tips you might find handy:

How to Open a Can of Corned Beef Without The Key:

• If the top of the can is smaller than the bottom, you will need to open the BOTTOM, not the top.  Opening the can of corned beef at the largest end makes the corners easier to negotiate with the can opener.
• Once you have used your regular can opener to open the largest end of the can, use it again to make a couple of slits in the other end.  This will break the vacuum and if you squeeze the sides of the can it should just slide out after a few seconds!

A nuisance, not a disaster, eh!

It might not be straight forward to open the can, but if you take care and don’t rush you’ll find even the corners of the tin will open with the tin opener.  It took me maybe 45 seconds from start to end to achieve it…. without any brute force or tears.

The best can opener to open a tin of corned beef like this isn’t the cheap metal ones you regularly see on market stalls, but something a little more substantial, with a good, fat handle, giving you enough of a grip to be able to turn it.  These are also the best can openers to use because the turning “key” part of the can opener is fatter, so, again, you can get a better grip.  It is these tougher looking can openers that are the best way to open a Fray Bentos pie tin too, for the same reasons – they’re chunky and you can get a good grip without hurting yourself!

Great, now that’s open, it’s time to use a quick corned beef hash recipe:

• Corned Beef Hash Recipes: One Pot
• Microwave Corned Beef Hash Without Onion

Served with baked beans, this is one of my favourite quick comfort foods!  British retro food at its finest…. but a LOT pricier these days.  Corned beef used to be a cheap food, now prices start at £1.50 for a can!

2022 Price Update

With the current “cost of living crisis” I had a quick look to see how much corned beef has gone up by. Below are a couple of quick price checks in May 2022:

• Asda SmartPrice Corned Beef, 340 grams. £1.65 (£4.85/Kg)
• Aldi Bramwells Corned Beef, 340 grams. £1.79 (£5.30/Kg)
• Morrisons Pampeano Corned Beef, 340 grams. £2.25 (£6.62/Kg) – this was out of stock

If you’re buying corned beef, keep an eye on the £/Kg you’re paying as prices vary a lot. If you want more for your money then look at the £/Kg and not the pack price.