Spam Turns Serious and Hormel Turns Out More

[RamboLiberal]

Source: NY Times

AUSTIN, Minn. — The economy is in tatters and, for millions of people, the future is uncertain. But for some employees at the Hormel Foods Corporation plant here, times have never been better. They are working at a furious pace and piling up all the overtime they want.

The workers make Spam, perhaps the emblematic hard-times food in the American pantry.

Through war and recession, Americans have turned to the glistening canned product from Hormel as a way to save money while still putting something that resembles meat on the table. Now, in a sign of the times, it is happening again, and Hormel is cranking out as much Spam as its workers can produce.

In a factory that abuts Interstate 90, two shifts of workers have been making Spam seven days a week since July, and they have been told that the relentless work schedule will continue indefinitely.

-----

But these days, consumers are rediscovering relatively cheap foods, Spam among them. A 12-ounce can of Spam, marketed as “Crazy Tasty,” costs about $2.40. “People are realizing it’s not that bad a product,” said Dan Johnson, 55, who operates a 70-foot-high Spam oven.

Hormel declined to cooperate with this article, but several of its workers were interviewed here recently with the help of their union, the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union Local 9. Slumped in chairs at the union hall after making 149,950 cans of Spam on the day shift, several workers said they been through boom times before — but nothing like this.



Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/15/business/15spam.html?_r=1&oref=slogin

[Systematic Chaos]

1. I haven't had Spam in 30 years.

The last time I did, I was either 9 or 10. I had Spam and waffles on a Saturday morning. By that afternoon I was projectile vomiting at my favorite pinball arcade. Missed the restroom by about 10 feet. :puke:

[IndianaGreen]

5. It was probably the waffles

Spam Turkey ain't bad, if you are really hard up for money.

[Codeine]

2. I stopped eating meat about twenty years ago.

The only meats I miss are a nice fatty chuck steak smothered in A1 Sauce and a sizzling slice of Spam.

[orleans]

3. so what exactly is in that can?

on edit:
never mind
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spam_(food)

[donco6]

46. Canned Ham - at least, that's what they tell me.

And who am I to argue?

[Thothmes]

47. Something Posing As Meat

[BadGimp]

4. wanna bet canned Dog and Cat food sales are up dramatically?

And not because dogs and cats are stepping up their consumption.. Kibbles and Bits Grandma?

[Arctic Dave]

6. Mmmmm, spam.

When I was young I would slice it real thin and toss it in a pan to make it almost crispy. Then make a (spam) BLT. Yummy

[DUlover2909]

7. Yeah, SPAM is alright. It's tasty, cheap, and storable.

Meat is meat and it all comes from the same place. SPAM = Spiced Ham. It's what it's.

[bitchkitty]

44. Spam contains no spice except for salt. n/t

[petronius]

34. That was one of my grad school comfort foods - delicious with tons of ketchup!

The problem was, I'd cook and eat the entire can that way in one sitting. x( Don't think I can eat like that anymore...

[dipsydoodle]

8. Wonderful stuff !

Been frying that and eating it with eggs and bacon most of my life. And that my friends is a long long time......lol.

[boomerbust]

9. I tried it agafn

A few months ago, and it ended up in my Irish Setter's bowl and she quickly turned up her nose and walked away. And this is a dog that will dine on a rotted deer corpse if given the opportunity.

[dipsydoodle]

49. I guess then that your dog knows better than you.

Why do think that dog food in general doesn't contain pork - it gives them diarrhoea. It's not good for cats either which is also why no cat food contains it.

[Rude Horner]

10. I don't like spam!

I'm gonna have the spam spam spam spam spam spam baked beans and spam

[Buns_of_Fire]

11. Alright, now everyone's gotten me curious.

The Wiki article linked above mentions "Hot and Spicy SPAM" and "Garlic SPAM". Designer SPAM, say I. SPAM going upscale? Whould'a thunk it? I think I'm going to have to pick up a can or two at the store tomorrow.

I figure I might as well get used to it (again). It may well be a significant part of my diet for the foreseeable future. Ummmmmmm... SPAM-ka-bob. SPAM Etoufee. SPAM-n-eggs. SPAM Benedict. Pate de SPAM. SPAM salad. SPAM stir-fry. SPAM Rockefeller. SPAM Chops with Mint Sauce. SPAMcakes. Kentucky Fried SPAM. Choice center-cut SPAM filets. Linguini with SPAM sauce (or SPAM with clam sauce, whatever). So many possibilities.

[FlaGranny]

12. I haven't had it in years

until last week. I spied Turkey Spam on the shelf and decided to get it. Had it fried crispy with some mashed red potatoes (skin on), and fresh sliced tomatoes. It was delicious. Years ago, my mother-in-law used to make stuffed peppers with it. She would toast a couple of slices of bread, grind them up, grind up the Spam and some onions and stuff the peppers with the mixture. Also delicious. I love Spam. I've eaten it all my life and most of the time it wasn't because of the price, but because we like it. Scrapple is great too (all kinds of nasties in scrapple). Scrapple fried crispy is mmmmmmmmmmm!

[Papagoose]

14. No food can top scrapple

dredged in flour, fried in butter until brown, served with apple butter.

I miss home.

[BumRushDaShow]

29. Scrapple - The Philadelphia staple food.

Got a package up in the freezer right now! :fistbump: <-- (just noticed this new emoticon)

[alfredo]

71. Head Cheese (souse) was not uncommon in our house. The aspic that

covered it was fun for a kid to play with. My hometown is German, so there's always a good supply of luncheon meats and sausages. Spam was eaten at home, but you'd never see it down at the Democratic Club. On the long table, good pumpernickel. roast beef, and cheeses that would bring a normal man to his knees was vacuumed up by us Krauts. The Swiss Cheese was worthy of eating as is, but teamed up with some ham, mustard, and rye bread it becomes one of the pillars that hold up the sky.

I used to love Liverwurst, but the army cured me of that. I was working at a small tract outside our main base. Because we were second shift, the mess hall didn't send any meals. They close at five, and that is that. To shut us up they'd send us a loaf of liverwurst each night. Every night after that, it was liverwurst with bread. Sometimes there'd be no bread or knife to cut it. So, every night we'd eat liverwurst. It was OK the first month, but after a couple months we started resenting their "gift." It ended up coming down to liverwurst or nothing. We opted for nothing. They won.

[JVS]

13. $3.20/ lb is no bargain.

I only keep a can or two of spam around in case I'm too busy to get to the store. Fresh meat is generally cheaper but doesn't store as well.

[Habibi]

55. It's pretty awful, you're right!

And it's loaded with salt. Shoot, I can get fresh chicken or ground beef cheaper than that.

[Borgnine]

15. Can they make vegetarian Spam?

This article definitely makes me feel that I missed out on something in my meat-eating days by never consuming this stuff.

[LeftyMom]

32. Hit your local chinese grocer and try to find a can of vegetarian popk (sic)

http://theveganmouse.blogspot.com/2008/08/veg-friendly-finds-at-asian-grocery.html

?v=0

[petronius]

35. It's so difficult to find a really good source of popk these days...

:rofl:

Actually, that red bean cake has me looking for my car keys - we just noticed an Asian market on our main street, and we're thinking it could be a major aid to our budget-shopping...

[LeftyMom]

36. They are THE place for cheap produce.

At ours, you can get a pound of mushrooms for $1.59. Anywhere else, that'd be at least $4.

[petronius]

37. Awesome - we'll definitely check it out. Produce has been a real strain

on the grocery bill lately - it was kind of frustrating when we moved back to CA to find that, even though this state produces basically every kind of produce imaginable, it's still freaky expensive. Even our local farmer's market is sky high (although chep for the quality)...

[Buns_of_Fire]

72. Vegetarian SPAM? Think "Vegemite!"...

It's Australian, rather hard to find in the colonies, and..... well, perhaps kind of an acquired taste. But really not half bad! :-)

[machI]

16. Now the BEST way to eat Spam

First a person needs to be somewhere near the end of a case of beer, preferably late at night or early morning.

Take a can of Spam, slice it up, put it on white bread, add Mustard, add Texas Pete hot sauce, salt to taste. Enjoy.

Warning: Sever cottonmouth hangover results upon coming to.

[pattmarty]

19. No, you're confusing that with "sliders" (White Castle hamburgers)....

....That is the really "true" way to go after a night (or day) of heavy drinking. Makes for interesting "bathroom time" the next morning too.

[machI]

26. Delete

Oops, reply to wrong post

[Catch22Dem]

22. Daaaayum, you salt your Spam? That's hardcore!

:evilgrin:

[machI]

27. I have cut way back on the drinking in the last few years, but

A person's taste, (and whole frame of mind for that matter), changes when they are about three beers short of a case.

I was advised to quit drinking a number of years ago, and I attribute my being able to post today to that advice.

Now if I could just put down the salt shaker ...

[and-justice-for-all]

17. Eww..yucky...

I can get a little under a pound of ground turkey for less then 2 bucks.

[FlaGranny]

18. Maybe so, but

I bet you can't get it to taste like Spam. ;-)

[and-justice-for-all]

59. Spam is gross..nt

[goddess40]

20. Stocking stuffer

my mom and hubby love the stuff, I can't stand the texture and I'm not to keen on the taste either. So sometimes at Christmas they get a can in their stockings.

[Turbineguy]

21. Spam....

the Caviar of Mystery Meats!

[AtLiberty]

23. Monty Python's SPAM sketch -- a true classic

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anwy2MPT5RE

[stubtoe]

58. (Spam's Off, Dear) see credits

:rofl:

[underpants]

24. Soylent Green is people

Well, SOMEONE had to post it

[kcass1954]

25. Spam is a hurricane staple in our house - a good alternative to

canned tuna when there's no power. The kids don't care for it, but hubby and I like it just fine.

[pipoman]

28. Hmmm...sounds like too much employee compensation to me...better start making it in China..n/t

[Edweird]

30. Hormel released the first batch of Spam in 1937. I hear the second batch will be released in 2009.

Yeah, it's not my joke, and I told it wrong.... bleh....

[BabbaTam]

31. Spam for camping

Out in the field, Spam is a easy way to carry meat without ice. (well, it's kinda like meat) I was camping with some folks that were from the city and one of the wives was a gourmet chef. She had never eaten Spam before. I browned some onions and garlic in oil and then added the Spam cubed into bite sized pieces. She said it was very good. (wasn't she nice! (everything tastes better outdoors))
:D

[DU GrovelBot]

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[yellowcanine]

38. Spam was a big barter item for Radar in MASH. He was a regular Spam tycoon.

[depakid]

39. Who outside of Hawaiians still eats spam?

:shrug:

[EFerrari]

40. It's so salty. Aren't rice and beans about the same price

without the heart attack? I guess they take time to cook.

[NutmegYankee]

43. Great Hiking food.

Cook it up, then smash the can flat and store it in your trash sack and keep going. One of the few meats you can have while hiking.

[Thothmes]

50. I do

every month or so, a couple of spam sandwiches, and a ration of fried spam an eggs for breakfast. Also keep 10/15 cans of the stuff on hand for Hurrican season. eat it out of the can, fried, not bad stuff.

[depakid]

54. "fried spam and eggs for breakfast"

You'd be right at home in the islands.

They write whole cookbooks on the stuff!

[KamaAina]

77. Guamanians, that's who

Guam leaves even us in the dust when it comes to Spam. They eat about twice as much of the stuff per capita as we* do. Then again, electricity is notoriously unreliable over there -- sometimes out for weeks at a time -- so I guess it's practical.

*-By "we", I mean primarily my friends and neighbors. I personally seldom touch the stuff, though I did backslide last month when Spam musubi (a slice of you-know-what atop a block of sticky rice, wrapped with a strip of seaweed!) were served at an office Halloween party.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

41. spam hash

grab two potatoes, (Skin on), dice, cook on gentle flame w. olive oil. Add some garlic, one head of onion (diced) and cook until the onions begin to become transparent. Take can of Spam, also diced, add a teaspoon of pepper, garlic (or garlic powder or salt) mix.
If you like, dice some hot peppers, (jalapeno, habanero, or other peppers) and mix in.

If you can't afford bread, grab a beer, take two cups of flour, add baking soda, pour in beer and small cubed cheese (cheddar works) Mix with spoon, until you get a dough. Make flat, wide patties, bake in 350 degree oven. Take your spam hash and spoon it over browned baked beer bread. If you can afford a couple of eggs, cook them sunny side up and garnish Spam sandwich with egg on top.

[investintrains]

42. Trash Meats Made of Lips, Snouts, Intestinal Linings, Eyes, Placentas,

Trash Meats Made of Lips, Snouts, Intestinal Linings, Eyes, Placentas,
are used in making Spam. www.pcrm.org
Hormel, whose Austin Minnesota slaughterhouse has been called brutal
for many decades, is in the news

[zelta gaisma]

53. Spam like Hotdogs and Chorizo....

Are foods it's best to NEVER read the ingredient of on any of the labels.

[NoodleyAppendage]

61. Better than STARVING...jesus, I so friggin' sick of the sanctimonious vegan types. n/t

J

[TommyO]

65. PCRM? Oh joy, more from the fundamentalist vegan front

[TankLV]

69. That is NOT true.

Spam is choice cuts just processed...

[Realityhack]

45. "...something that resembles meat..." ROTFLOL n/t

[Thothmes]

48. Something Posing As Meat

[Odin2005]

51. OMG, I love the stuff, grew up on it.

I can't stand the need for some people to bash Spam, such bashing reeks of snobbish classism.

[otohara]

62. Bullshit

Spam is terrible food if nutrition means anything to you at all. A McDonald's hamburger is more nutritious than 2oz of Spam. No one should be encouraged to eat this can of fat and sodium.

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/sausages-and-luncheon-meats/1472/2

http://www.nutritiondata.com/facts/fast-foods-generic/8044/2

[Odin2005]

64. You just proved my point about classism

Spam first came out in the Great Depression, it was a cheep source of protein during the lean days if the Depression and WW2.

I'm sick of classist BS from people telling people on low incomes what to eat.

[otohara]

68. There Are Healthier Choices of Proteins

when we were living in the housing projects, before I got all anti-poor people - my mom cooked us beans!

Beans and legumes also cost very little, but bring a robust flavor and a bounty of benefits to your health. Beans and legumes are packed with protein and fiber, provide the good kind of fat, and are loaded with complex carbohydrates, the nutrients that provide energy to the body. And you can buy in bulk - another savings tip - because dried beans and legumes will keep their quality for 6-12 months in an airtight glass container stored in a cool, dry place.

Yummy pinto beans w/ green chili!! :fistbump:

[TankLV]

70. Bullshit back at ya - spam is acutally good meat...

learn something...

[zelta gaisma]

52. is it still..

VERY VERY salty? That was why I could never eat it.

[Sabriel]

56. Check out their Web site if you have time

It's way more interesting than the food itself:

http://www.spam.com/whatisspam/

The Q&A part is the best. And not too salty.

[TroglodyteScholar]

60. OMG!!

Haahaha that is the funniest thing I've seen on the Web in weeks!

[KewlKat]

63. Bwahahahah. . . . . . . . . Pinkification

Yeah, that site is a hoot.

[Ian David]

57. Cubed Spam is a good substitute for egg whites with your caviar.

Also delicious: Spam with black truffles.

[marigold20]

66. Spam casserole!

Mom made this for us in the sixties - delicious!

Cube one can Spam, place in casserole. Add 1 can peas (not fresh or frozen, must be canned). Cut six hard boiled eggs in large pieces. Sprinkle over the rest. Make a nice white sauce with lots of salt and pepper. Pour over the casserole ingredients. Crush a medium sized bag of potato chips and sprinkle over the top. Bake.

Seriously my brothers and sisters and I thought this was really good. Maybe I'll make it soon to see if I still think it's good. I don't think I've bought a can of Spam since college.

[jpertello]

67. It's not the worst thing you can eat

and it does provide protein and calories to people who aren't able to afford more expensive meats. Let's hope Americans don't have to subsist on Spam though.

[CBGLuthier]

73. I can get 2 pounds of lentils or beans for that price

And eat well for over a week.

If I want to I can get a one pound roll of sausage for under 2 bucks and it is better than any canned meat.

Grotesque preprocessed food stuffs will not help in the coming hard times.

[Alter Ego]

74. Good lord.

No offense, but I'd eat Alpo before I ate Spam. It grosses me out just to see it poured out of the can.

[RebelOne]

75. I'm a vegetarian now, bu† even when I did eat meat,

I wouldn't touch Spam. To me, it was disgusting. Same with hot dogs. I wouldn't eat them either. They are made from slaughter house floor droppings.

[PlanetBev]

76. I just tried Spam for the first time two weeks ago

I told a co-worker that I had never eaten the stuff in my life and she brought some into work. Her family had it the night before.

My mother sure wasn't going to bring it into our Jewish home when I was growing up and my WWII father couldn't stand the sight of the stuff. My Hawaiian friend grew up on it, so I was curious.

Anyway, I plucked up the courage and tried it. Not bad, but not good for you, I'm sure. Definately, mystery meat. Anyway, I always said I'd try Spam before I depart this planet, and I did. Next adventure: turnips, which I've never tried.

[LanternWaste]

78. I like the stuff.

I like the stuff. :blush: I'll usually buy a can of it per week, fry it up, add some cheese and make some sandwiches out of it for my lunches at work.

As an aside, there was a saying that came out of the Soviet Union in the early 50's-- "Americans bought victory with Spam, and paid for it with Soviet blood." (I can't really argue with that particualr sentiment...)

[Liberal Elitist]

79. Cool Monty Pythom Spamalot Game

Great fun, the music's fun too

http://www.spamspamspamspam.co.uk/go/game/