Canned Food

Canned Food holds sealed cans of beans, soup, meat, fish, fruit and vegetables, plus the boxes they ship in. Sealed cans keep indefinitely, which makes them the backbone of a long game. Each can must be opened before eating. An open can then spoils within days, like fresh food. Cans are heavy for their calories, but they fill shelves in kitchens and stores across Knox Country.

All Food and Drinks Categories

Best Canned Food

The top pick for each role, by the game's own figures.

For	Name	Image	Stats	Spawn ID
Most calories	Can of Oats		1500 calories	/additem Base.OatsRaw
Most filling	Can of Oats		-50 hunger	/additem Base.OatsRaw
Best thirst quencher	Canned Fruit Beverage (Open)		-85 thirst	/additem Base.CannedFruitBeverageOpen
Longest fresh	Can of Oats		180 days fresh	/additem Base.OatsRaw

Opening Cans

Most cans need a tool. Their tooltip says "Needs a Can Opener, a Sharp Knife, or a Chipped Stone to open." Open Canned Food works with any can opener, such as the Can Opener or the P38 Can Opener. Open Canned Food with Blade does the job with a sharp knife instead.

Some cans open by hand. Canned Corned Beef and Canned Sardines have ring pulls, and Open Ring-Pull Canned Food opens them quickly. The Unlabeled Can of Food and the Dented Unlabeled Can of Food each have their own opening recipes. The Water Ration Can opens the same way.

An opened can leaves a Tin Can behind once it is eaten. Every opened can also turns into fresh food. It starts to age from the moment it opens.

Freshness

A sealed can keeps indefinitely. That makes canned food the safest store for the months after the power shutoff. The Can of Oats is the one slow spoiler here. It stays fresh for 180 days and rots after 365.

Opened cans spoil like fresh food. Canned Beans (Open) and Canned Corned Beef (Open) stay fresh for 2 days and rot after 4. Canned Spaghetti Bolognese (Open) and Canned Chili (Open) stay fresh for 3 days and rot after 5. Opened fruit cans stay fresh for 5 days and rot after 7. A fridge slows this down, so open only what can be eaten soon.

Cooking

Many opened cans taste better heated. Most can go in an oven or a microwave for 10 minutes. Canned Chili (Open), Canned Corn (Open) and Canned Mushroom Soup (Open) say "Better hot." on the tooltip. Canned Beans (Open) carries the note "Cook to remove happiness malus."

Opened cans also feed evolved recipes. Canned Beans (Open) adds to Soup, Stew, Rice, a Sandwich or an Omelette. Canned Tuna (Open) suits a Stew, a Stir Fry, a Sandwich or a Burrito. Canned Peaches (Open) goes into a Cake, a Pie or Pancakes. Canned Evaporated Milk (Open) goes into a Hot Drink, Oatmeal or a Cake. Make Bowl of Beans pours Canned Beans (Open) into a Bowl.

Cans Worth Keeping

Meat cans fill the stomach best. Canned Corned Beef (Open) lowers hunger by 24 and holds 720 calories and 78 protein. Canned Spaghetti Bolognese (Open) lowers hunger by 24 and holds 540 calories. Canned Vegetable Soup (Open) lowers hunger by 25 and thirst by 4.

Some cans have special uses. Canned Fruit Beverage (Open) lowers thirst by 85, more than any other can. Canned Peaches (Open), Canned Pineapple (Open) and Canned Fruit Cocktail (Open) each lower unhappiness by 10. Canned Dog Food (Open) lowers hunger by 30 and holds 498 calories, but it raises unhappiness by 50.

Fish cans weigh the least. Canned Tuna and Canned Sardines each weigh 0.3, against 0.8 for most other cans. Canned Tuna (Open) holds 370 calories. The Can of Oats lowers hunger by 50 and holds 1,500 calories. Pour Bowl of Oatmeal turns it into breakfast with a Bowl and a little water.

Boxes of Cans

Stores stock cans in boxes. Each box holds 6 cans of one kind, such as the Box of Canned Beans or the Box of Canned Tuna. Open Box of Canned Food unpacks a box. Pack 6 Cans of Food in Box packs them back up for storage.

Boxes are heavy. Most weigh 4. The Box of Canned Tuna and the Box of Canned Sardines weigh 1.5. A box on the shelf is often worth carrying home in a car.

Locations

Grocery stores hold the biggest stocks. The canned food aisle at Gigamart holds Canned Beans, Canned Tuna and Canned Corned Beef. Canned food crates in store rooms hold the same. Kitchen cupboards in homes hold a few cans each, often beside a Can Opener.

Some cans have special homes. Hoarder kitchens fill up with the Unlabeled Can of Food. Pet shops and the dog food factory hold Canned Dog Food. Army bunkers hold the Water Ration Can. Old safehouses often keep a small stash of cans.

Notes

• Carry a Can Opener or a sharp knife, since most cans need one.
• Canned Corned Beef and Canned Sardines open by hand, which helps when the Can Opener is far away.

All Canned Food