As of: March 27, 2024, 8:00 a.m
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If you don't have a can opener at hand, you have to be inventive: knives, nails or even cobblestones can help.
Camping fans know the problem: you come back to the campsite after a strenuous day on the beach or in the mountains, are looking forward to a can of ravioli and then this: the can opener is missing.
Whether on the campsite or in the kitchen at home, without an opener, cans prove to be stubborn opponents.
It's useful if you know a few tricks that allow you to still remove the lids from cans.
Knives, spoons or even curbstones can help.
No can opener available?
Open can with pocket knife
If you have to open a can without an opener, you need a bit of creativity.
© Imago
If you don't have a traditional can opener on hand, you'll have to get creative.
Or just think about it in peace.
Most German households have at least one conventional pocket knife, which in many cases has an opener function that can also be used to open cans.
This is often a hook that you can use to poke as many holes in the edge of the lid until it can be removed.
If you can't find something like this in the house, you have to resort to other means.
Opening cans with cutlery: Be careful when improvising with a spoon and knife
If you don't have a can opener or a pocket knife at hand, your first instinct is to grab a sharp knife.
This method works, but should be used with caution.
The best way to do this is to place the can on a solid surface, hold the knife with one hand and then hit the other end of the knife with the other or with a heavy object.
This means the hand holding the knife cannot slip into the blade.
The tip should be placed on the edge of the lid and gradually create holes until the lid can be removed.
A sharp kitchen knife must be used for this.
A simple cutlery knife is too blunt.
The principle works similarly with a spoon.
This can be held with a firm grip and moved back and forth on the edge of the lid under strong pressure.
At some point, dents and ultimately a hole appear in the metal.
Although this method takes longer than using a knife, it also carries a lower risk of injury.
By the way: Once cans of food are open, you shouldn't just put them in the fridge, but refill them.
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Drive nails into the lid: Open the can with a hammer and nail
Another way to open a can without a can opener is to use a nail and a hammer.
Similar to the knife method, you use a hammer to drive a nail into the edge of the lid.
According to
Aldi-nord.de
, the best way to do this is to line up one small hole after the next, creating a large gap so that you can finally lift the lid off.
Here too, you should be careful not to injure yourself and, for example, cut yourself at the interfaces in the lid.
By the way, canned food can also pose a health risk because of the heavy metal.
If there is only a liquid in the can, such as canned milk, it is also sufficient to punch two holes in the lid and simply pour the contents out of one of the two holes.
However, the two-hole trick doesn't work for thick contents such as soups or ravioli.
Sand up a can: This is how asphalt helps with cooking
If all the previous tricks don't work or can't be carried out, you can also "sand" the lid of the can.
Food cans are usually made of aluminum, which is quite easy to work with.
So you can influence it from the outside enough to loosen the lid without any tools.
All you need is a rough floor.
This refers to the asphalt or paving stones on the curb or street.
The lid of a can can be sanded on this rough surface.
However, you should be careful not to lose too much liquid and to lift the can from the ground in good time.
Alternatively, you can hold the can at an angle, sand a hole into one side of the lid and then work on it with another tool.
You should then dispose of tin cans properly as they can be a danger to animals and the environment.