11 Cans Of Fruit I Recommend
April 20, 2026 by Linda Loosli 41  Comments ,

11 Cans Of Fruit I Recommend

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Here are 11 cans of fruit I recommend for your pantry. Years ago, we had a 1/2-acre lot and a fairly small home, so we had plenty of room for a garden to grow much of the food our family ate. We had small kids, so they didn’t eat a whole lot, but we grew enough food to make some great meals and preserve a fair amount of it.

We taught our four daughters to work, literally. We would turn the soil over with a huge tiller, plant the seeds, make sure every plant got enough water, pull weeds, and then harvest our bounty. Then the preserving would begin. We would wash, peel, and cut the vegetables or snap the beans for the canning jars.

That was over 50 years ago, when I learned to pressure can vegetables. We water-bathed fruit, made pie filling and grape juice, and dehydrated what wouldn’t fit in the canners. Those were wonderful days with great memories. We had orchards nearby and tried to bottle as much of the fruit and veggies we would eat for the year.

Then the girls moved out to start their own life’s journey, and my canning days started to cut way back. Now, I buy more canned foods than I bottle. It’s all about life-changing experiences as we go through the various phases of life. I’ve learned it’s okay to buy canned fruits and vegetables, particularly given the wide variety and cost savings when purchased right.

Do I miss seeing those jars of food lined up on the storage shelves? I sure do. But I’m not as strong physically as I used to be. Sure, I still know how to can. Mark and I took classes to get our Master Canning and Preserving Certificates a few years ago.

Even though we can’t can as much food as we used to, we know that it’s an option if funds get tight, our kids need some food, or if we can help a neighbor through a tough time.

I wanted to stay up on the new techniques. Did I learn a lot? Yes, I did, and it was so fun! If you have a state extension service near your home, it’s a fun class to take, if available. It’s all hands-on, and that’s when I learned to pressure can all kinds of meat. It’s so easy, although I don’t like the texture of the ground beef in jars. Just personal preference. They even used my All-American Pressure Canner in the class.  Please stock a few can openers, at least more than one. Can Opener or #10 Can Opener

In case you missed these posts:

11 Cans Of Fruit I Recommend

11 Cans Of Fruit I Recommend

Note that as I list the ingredients for each product, I’m listing the primary items, not the ingredients that make up a small portion of the contents.

1. Great Value™ Organic Unsweetened Applesauce

  • Ingredients: organic apples, water, and ascorbic acid used to maintain the food’s color

How can I use Great Value™ Organic Unsweetened Applesauce?

I love applesauce on sliced cooked pork, eaten as a side dish, plain, or sprinkled with cinnamon. Oh, and don’t forget you can use applesauce in place of eggs in some recipes. In case you missed this post, What Can You Use as an Egg Substitute?

For better results as an egg substitute, use unsweetened applesauce instead of sweetened or flavored applesauce, which adds too much sugar. Use 1/4 cup of applesauce for every egg that’s called for in a recipe. I love this!

2. Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail

  • Ingredients: peaches, pears, grapes, pineapple, cherries, peach juice, pear juice, and ascorbic acid

How can I use Del Monte® Fruit Cocktail?

I used to have a fruit cocktail cake recipe. I need to dig that one out! I love fruit cocktail in a bowl or added to gelatin. Our kids grew up on Jell-O made with fruit cocktail. Don’t forget the whipped cream! Did your kids fight over getting the cherry in the bowl? Mine sure did!

3. Del Monte® Citrus Salad (Red & White Grapefruit and Oranges in extra light syrup)

  • Ingredients: grapefruit, oranges, water, sugar, ascorbic acid, and citric acid

How can I use Del Monte® Citrus Salad?

If you keep a few cans in your refrigerator, you can serve them at the last minute in a bowl as a snack, as a side dish, or as a fruity topping on a salad. They’re so good!

4. Del Monte® Red Grapefruit (in extra light syrup)

  • Ingredients: grapefruit, water, sugar, ascorbic acid, and citric acid

How can I use Del Monte® Red Grapefruit?

I love grapefruit, and these cans are no exception. They taste better when a can is chilled in the refrigerator before serving. I’ve added them to fruit salads or just eaten them out of the can. We love the light syrup varieties.

5. Dole® Mandarin Oranges (in light syrup)

  • Ingredients: Mandarin oranges, water, sugar, and citric acid

How can I use Dole® Mandarin Oranges?

Oh my gosh, I buy at least two to three cases of these per year because we love them so much. I love to eat them right out of the can or to serve them cold in a bowl. They’re perfect to add to fruit salads or to jello for the family.

6. Del Monte® Sliced Pears (no sugar added**Sucralose added)

  • Ingredients: pears, water, and ascorbic acid

How can I use Del Monte® Sliced Pears?

I admit, I love eating canned fresh pears; they were our favorite to eat, but not to can. We had to peel them by hand, but we knew we would eat them all winter. When ripe, pears are so sweet! These are perfect as a side dish or placed on cottage cheese. Yummy!

7. Del Monte® Pineapple Chunks

  • Ingredients: pineapple, pineapple juice, and citric acid

How can I use Del Monte® Pineapple Chunks?

We buy crushed as well as pineapple chunks in cans. We buy two to three cases of canned pineapple a year. Yes, they’re so good in gelatin, dips, and salads. Have you ever made Hawaiian Haystacks? I need to write that post for you.

8. Del Monte® VERY CHERRY Mixed Fruit (no sugar added**Sucralose added)

  • Ingredients: peaches, pears, cherries, and water

How can I use Del Monte® VERY CHERRY Mixed Fruit?

Here again, what’s not to love about canned fruit? Place a few cans in the refrigerator, and they’re ready to serve at the last minute. They’re perfect for a side dish or in gelatin. We are told to eat multiple fruit and veggie servings every day. Why not use your canned fruit supply in the pantry to help all family members eat more healthy meals?

9. Del Monte® Sliced Peaches

  • Ingredients: peaches, peach juice, pear juice, and ascorbic acid

How can I use Del Monte® Sliced Peaches?

I have to tell you a story about canning peaches. My daughters loved home-canned peaches. I’ve always made homemade bread, and they would eat a slice of bread and eat a whole jar of peaches, if I let them! Canned peaches are perfect as a side dish, in gelatin, or on top of cottage cheese.

10. Del Monte® Dark Sweet Cherries (pitted cherries in heavy syrup)

  • Ingredients: pitted cherries, water, high fructose corn syrup, sugar, and corn syrup

How can I use Del Monte® Dark Sweet Cherries?

I confess, I didn’t know these existed until I bought the cans for this post. Where have I been? These are so good! I can eat right out of the can! These make a great snack, my friends! Bonus, they don’t have seeds, unless, of course, one slips through the canning process.

11. Great Value™ Maraschino Cherries?

  • Ingredients: cherries, water, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, malic acid, and citric acid

How can I use Great Value™ Maraschino Cherries?

Well, I love these for my Italian Cream Sodas! It’s fun to have a jar or two in the pantry for special occasions. They can be a bit pricey, but the grandkids love them!

When preparing for emergencies, canned fruit from the grocery store is one of the most valuable and often overlooked items to have on hand. With a shelf life of one to two years or more, canned fruits like peaches, pears, mandarin oranges, and pineapple provide essential vitamins and natural sugars that keep energy levels stable when fresh produce is unavailable. Unlike fresh fruit, canned varieties require no refrigeration or preparation and can be eaten straight from the can, making them ideal during power outages or when water supplies are disrupted, making cooking impossible. They also offer a much-needed psychological comfort food during stressful situations, bringing a sense of normalcy to emergency meals. Affordable, widely available, and easy to incorporate into everyday meals before they expire, canned fruits are a smart and practical addition to any emergency food supply.

Final Word

I hope you enjoyed reading about the 11 cans of fruit I recommend. Life is so good with food in the pantry. As families try to be more self-sufficient, having canned goods stored is always a great idea. I particularly like people using canned fruit, veggies, and meat as the basis for their food storage plan since these products tend to last a long time. Please let me know which ones you like, or which ones you enjoy that I may have missed. When it comes to canned foods, be sure to check with your favorite grocery stores to see when they have case lot sales. Most of the stores here in Utah have them multiple times a year, but especially in the fall months. May God bless this world, Linda

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41 Comments

  1. I found Fried Apples and Canned Blueberries… Prefer dehydrated but to serve quickly the Apples serve as a side dish especially to Pork, and the Blueberries can be used to make fruit conserve or a pie… I don’t use any of the pie fillings that say they are fruit, they are so sweet they make me sick….
    Just fruit , in their own juice.No Heavy syrup or sweeteners added please..I buy small cherries when i get fruit cocktail and add some to every serving of cocktail mix. Have not seen the heavy cherry blend here…
    I throw syrup away most of the time due to t he sugar content.. The exception is Peaches canned in light syrup.. I use those for a Dump pie.. Make up batter put in Baking dish, put in fruit over the batter and cook til crust rises to top and is lightly browned..
    The fruit we purchase most is Peaches. We use those to break food fatigue, Once we have eaten our prescribed diet and still find ourselves going back to the kitchen “for something but don’t know what” canned peaches split between us does very well..There is just enough in a 15 oz can to split into 2 servings.
    Canned Pear halves i pullout put a teaspoon or less of Dukes Mayo in, drop a few raisins on with some shredded sharp cheddar for a cooling side/desert.

    Reply

  2. Great post Linda,
    And very timely. Of everything, we are probably a little short on canned fruit. So, this will help me get that supplied.

    Reply

  3. Fruit cocktail is also very good in bread pudding!

    Really enjoy all of your posts. I cook a lot and make jams and jellies, but have never canned vegetables or meat. You have inspired me to look for a class on canning. Thank you so much.

    Reply

    2. Marie,
      If you already have a canner and know basic canner safety, There are several MASTER CANNERS on you tube.I live rural is 20+ miles to county seat. I also have a couple fo trusted friends who are Master Canners and i have depended on them for advice…for problem solving.. Put in search bar on you tube “canning meat,Or canning pork, beef, chicken”… and follow directions of one of the approved books for time./pressure.
      I am a “low altitude canner” @ less than 1000 ft elevation… and my pressure is 10 lbs with weighted canner and 75 min for pints and 90 for quarts. Be sure to put plenty water in canner , do not cover lids for pressure canning , i put up to shoulder of jars. IF YOU run the canner out of water it will/can warp your canner…leaving it un-useable.
      I like to hot pack my meat, that means fully cooked. That allows me to remove and separately process fats , and to pack jars more completely.. uncooked meats settle in the jars and i do like mine to be covered with canning juices.There is not always enough juices in the meat to do that when cold packed. When i hot pack them that is closer to my ideal desire. It also allows me to remove all bones. so i don’t need to keep cooked bones away from my dogs.
      2 pork butts( 18-20 lbs) will give enough for 7 quarts of pork roast, and enough sandwich slices for 2 meals for the two of us. i average about a pound of pork fat/lard in addition. Be sure to chunk the meats, so they allow the cooking liquids to circulate.. shredded meats will often “pack” and sometimes will not seal. On all meats make sure you clean rims with clean hot most cloth and wipe rims with vinegar….to make sure and remove any fat residue form the rim.

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  4. Linda,

    I prefer applesauce (Motts regular) to syrup on pancakes, waffles and french toast–though I also use strawberries and whipped cream on them. Last night Jane and I ate pork chops, applesauce and tater tots. We go through quite a bit of applesauce so I’ll have to try the Great Value brand.

    Reply

    1. Hi Ray, I prefer Motts brand applesauce. Walmart ONLY had their brand. I need to try it on pancakes, waffles, and French Toast. I try not to buy any Great Value brand, but things are getting limited in stock here. Linda

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        1. Hi Ray, I need to look for that one, I love recommendations! I didn’t even know they sold sausage gravy in a can until I wrote this series. I learn something new every single day! Linda

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  5. Thank you Linda for another great article on the canned foods for our pantry and long term storage. You have always helped me by showing me a quicker way to do some things like canned pears are already peeled and cut. The tip in another post about dehydrating frozen vegetables is priceless!!! On your list, I use a whole lot of jars of the Great Value unsweetened applesauce and quite a few of the peaches and pears. I have to admit that sometimes I enjoy a small serving of Oceanspray whole berry cranberry sauce, especially with a chicken salad sandwich. I also keep a couple of cans of apricot halves although they are hard to find. Also you should try a can of Del Monte Deluxe Gold Pineapple Chunks!!! (Black label) I am going to try to dehydrate them soon.

    Reply

    1. Hi Carol, thank you for your kind words, my friend. Oh, my gosh, you are so right on the apricots, I can rarely find them. It was hard to find the cans for this post. Although I only went to Walmart. I love OceanSpray cranberry sauce, yeah, that is so good on a chicken or turkey sandwich! Now, I need to go find some Del Monte Gold Pineapple chunks in the black label! I love learning about new products! Linda

      Reply

  6. Good thing to note for those of us with a family member with health problems–applesauce is very good for making it easier to swallow pills. I was going through well over a quart a week for him (I did put up most of it from our backyard trees, but if I had to purchase in a year with lower yield, it was a probably regional organic brand from Vermont).

    I also *love* Mandarin oranges, but had despaired of finding any that weren’t out of Red China–trust me, you don’t want *any* food from there (even for pets, let alone humans!) To my delight, I noticed that Trader Joe’s has their own brand–they taste just as good, had a good price, and are product of Spain–and have a pull-open top. I bought a whole case, and may get another!

    Reply

    1. Hi Rhonda, oh, I need to go get two or three cases of Mandarin Oranges from Trader Joe’s. I think the FDA removed the law for showing the origin of meat, not sure about that but I will not buy any from China. The laws keep changing, so who knows anymore. Linda

      Reply

      1. Linda, even worse China bought up Smithfield (America’s largest pork producer) a couple of years ago, so now I try to avoid buying Smithfield products, since their pork is grown here but processed in China.

        Boggles my mind that it’s cheaper to ship pork to China for processing then ship it back here rather than simply processing it here.

        Reply

        1. Hi Ray, as you know I live in Utah, and Beaver, Utah just announced they are closing the Smithfield processing plant which is the largest employer in that small town. 250 people will be out of a job. No one saw the closing coming. The city is trying to keep it open. I didn’t know China bought the company. It looks like they may be closing some Smithfield plants in California as I remember. Crazy times. Linda

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  7. Linda,
    I just wonder why the US doesn’t have regulations preventing foreign governments from buying up our agricultural land and food processing plants. Seems like a National Security issue to me.

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    2. Ray: You are such a smart guy! I think so, too. Isn’t Trump doing something about not allowing China to buy more USA land? I thought he was…though don’t quote me. The fact that Bill Gates, the guy who wants everybody to live on insects from now on, owns just as much or more than China does not thrill me, either! I am so grateful we have nearly 5 acres to plant whatever on. That is why we even grow Aronia Berries, which are big producers, carefree, serious superfood, and Bob loves them in his breakfasts.

      After all the teenager jewelry that China sent over intentionally for cheap, that poisoned teen girls, I would not put much of anything passed them! I read an article recently about a Chinese student who brought over containers of e coli to the USA to contaminate our food supply, too. Thank God they are watching these international students much more carefully nowdays!

      Reply

      1. Jess, I’ve heard the same rumor about Trump trying to limit farm land sales to foreign governments, esp China, but I don’t know if they are true. I do know AZ passed a law the forbid all land sales to foreign governments and agents thereof, but of course Governor Hobbs vetoed it. She’s bought and paid for by the Chinese Communist Party.
        Hopefully, we’ll vote her out this year and get a Republican with some common sense into that office.

        Reply

        1. Ray: Well, when all of those faked/stolen elections get reversed, maybe the true Governor of AZ, Kari Lake, can fix that mess!! We, over here, are waiting for the DAY when the stolen elections are either overturned, or are brought up for a vote again…like a new election. There are SO MANY people in seats of power that probably never really won those elections…GOD HELP US! O.K. enough about our government(s). We love that AZ at least TRIED to overturn foreign purchases of US farmlands!

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  8. Hi Linda:

    Thanks again for another great list. I think some I will ignore because family will probably not eat but there is many I will put on my list. You may want to put crushed pineapple on your list. That is how I make my pineapple upside down cake. Started to make it that way when my daughter was small and chocked on a piece at a party. Now the family will not eat it the other way. (They are not fans of Maraschino Cherries). I can’t say I am a fan of them anymore. They are making them with more sugar or whatever they use to sweeten them. I got a Cherry lime at the restaurant famous for them and the drink made me sick to my stomach. It was just so sweet it wasn’t funny. Besides I am used to making it my way with Cherry Cool aid and lime juice and I put the Cherries in it also but they don’t seem to be so sweet that way.

    Reply

    1. Hi Jackie, oh my gosh, I never thought to buy Cherry Kool-Aid and add some lime juice and put cherries in it!! Why didn’t I think of that?!? I love it! I started buying these packets and I only use half of the package. They’re sugar-free: https://amzn.to/3twJGvr. Linda

      Reply

  9. If your cholesterol is high and you take meds for it, be cautious about grapefruit. It can counteract the cholesterol medication. Yes, ask me how I know! I love grapefruit, but can’t eat it. I love all kinds of fruit. Peaches and Mandrian oranges are my favorites. I need to stock up on more.

    Reply

    2. Deb and Linda,

      I take a statin and my Dr. just told me I can eat grapefruit in the morning since I take the statin in the evening.

      Reply

  10. I did a lot of canning until it was cheaper to buy already canned especially while working full time with 4 small kids. I still miss the beauty of a pantry full of home canned jars. I am a bit of a brand name snob. I like Motts and Del Monte and Smuckers. I am afraid the downfall of the United States will be the farm land sold to China.

    Reply

    1. Hi Chris, I am a brand name snob as well. LOL! I bought these for the post! yes, we will eat them. I used to love canning but it doesn’t make sense now for the two of us. Smucker’s is the only jam I buy, its so good. I miss the beauty of the wall of jars lined up as well. Great memories! Linda

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      1. Being of the organic and gluten free ilk, we only buy Crofter’s organic jams, which always have loads of organic fruit in them. Actually, I barely eat jam ever, unless it is to put streaks of it into my gluten free vanilla/coconut cake and make it look like
        a strudel with deep rows of lingonberry, cherry or apricot jam. Everybody freaks out when I make that cake for special occasions! It tastes as wonderful as it looks, too!

        Reply

        1. Hi Jess, I love homemade freezer raspberry jam, we can’t keep the freezer full of it. It disappears fast. It’s like fresh raspberries spread on toast! Your cake sounds super yummy. Linda

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  11. Hello, all of you fabulous posters! I was just going to say that we have 2+ cases of canned apricot halves in our pantry. They sell them regularly at the local Wegman’s, though that is one of the few foods we buy that is not organic. The guys in “grocery” know me by name and phone no. cause I probably buy 3+ cases a year. When I’m supposed to be eating high protein, but want something sweet, I just pull out my Greek Yogurt or Cottage Cheese and put in 1/2-1 can of rinsed canned apricots (no syrup)!

    You guys know me…I am a Certified Natural Health Professional, so I am always sharing
    health-giving or health-saving information. So, I am not going to say much about sucralose nor aspartame added to canned fruits. You all probably know how dangerous those additives are! Just be careful and don’t eat much of that stuff, if you can help it! BUT HERE’S THE IMPORTANT INFO. YOU MAY NOT KNOW: be extra cautious about buying or ingesting any type of fruit or any food, actually that is packed in plastic jars and the ingredients contain citric acid or acetic acid (vinegar), or even citrus fruits in plastic! (NOT what Linda has recommended here, but worth mentioning.) Those acids degrade out the heavy metal antimony that is used in making the plastic that is used for food containers. If you ingest the food, you inevitably get poisoned by antimony, and it is the type of antimony that causes CANCER!!! I did not used to know this, but after drinking Steaz Iced Tea from cans for over a year, I discovered I had accidentally poisoned myself!!! Had a test that showed I had been poisoned badly by antimony, so I had to do an extensive search on how that happened, and I discovered that in Europe, they do not allow this type of acidic foods to be packaged in plastic!! That was because I loved the flavors that had a lot of citric acid in them! In other words, those cans are lined with plastic that leaches the antimony due to the acids inside the product. Yes, I know for sure, cause I even called the company to find out if the cans had plastic liners and what type!! So, just be careful about what you ingest…make sure it is from a reputable company that cares about their customers’ health, unlike Steaz. Here we are 8+ years later, and I am still trying to detox that nasty stuff!! And YES, I am certain it was the Steaz Iced Tea, because at one point I questioned myself and started to drink Steaz a bit again. Within a month or so, I had a Oligoscan done to see how my heavy metals poisoning problem was doing, and WAH-LAH, Antimony poisoning was worse! NEVER AGAIN!!! Any food or beverage packaged in plastic that contains acetic or citric acid….

    We also got a case of the green, ripe olives from Wegman’s. They are the newer offering from “Pearl” brand of olives, and boy are they GREAT…a little bit pricey, but WHOA, oh so “buttery”! So good for you and contains the type of fat you NEED in your prepper pantry for health purposes. Not sweet fruit, but for sure a “type of fruit” that is worth having in your pantry!!

    Reply

    2. Jess, I trust your knowledge and experience. Would this apply to the individual serving of Matt’s Apple Sauce? I don’t have any right now, but it is something I often buy.

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      1. Hi, Chris: I am sorry. Don’t know about that. I never buy applesauce that is in packages. You would need to see if they add any sort of acid to the food to know. Think Citric Acid, which in general is good for you, but NOT if in plastic containers.

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      2. Chris: I don’t know. Sorry! I do not buy applesauce very often at all! Check to see if they added citric acid, which in general, should be good for you…just NOT with foods that are in plastic containers!

        Sorry if this ends up being a 2nd reply. I tried to post an extremely similar reply, but it looks like it has disappeared!

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  12. Hi, Linda et al.: From cans lined with plastic, as stated right after the word “cancer”. Sorry if I was not clear in explaining that. Sometimes I put in every, single detail, thinking it will help people understand things more clearly, but then it overwhelms them and they miss the main point! OOPS! So sorry for that!…
    Say, where is Beaver, UT that you mentioned recently? We are starting to make plans to travel to meet up with the founders of the Christian School in Jinja, Uganda, for which we helped to get a water well last Fall. They (the Batwalas) will be traveling to the Beaver Mountains in UT; and we have agreed to do our best to meet up with them there in mid-September next Fall, if humanly possible! I hope this location will be near where you live, cause Bob and I are still very excited with the possibility of coming to visit you, Linda and Mark!!! I LOVE the beauty of Utah!!

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  13. Linda, regarding eating grapefruit. The doc said just don’t overdo it. I usually eat about half of one, sometimes less in a serving.

    Reply

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