to wonder why baked beans and the like come in round tins, when square ones would make much more sense.

[AwesomePan]

Square ones would make all of the packaging and transporting and storing so much easier and cheaper than having round ones. There isn't any 'freshness' or refrigeration issues, just storing issues. Tea comes in square tins, often.

I know there are more urgent and pressing matters to attend to, such as BGT and events in Yemani, but does anyone know the answer to this?

Getting a tin of corned beef open with the key without it all going wrong is one of life's little pleasures I find. I dont like themodern ring pull corned beef tins at all.

Strangely, peas and carrots mixed come in rectangular tins in Belgium, peas on their own and carrots on their own don't.
A little known fact brought to you courtesy of DD and her boredom while shopping.

At the risk of prelonging the debate this is quite interesting....

Think how you see arched bridges and not bridges at right angles.

Tins need to be strong. Cylinders are strong. Any pressure load is dispersed better in cylinders than hard edges.

I think!

If you store them upside down you don't need to scrape out the contents.

I am most depressed about the boil in the can beans. That's obviously why sausage beans taste so strongly of sausage - they've been boiled together! Ick.

well fookin hell, well i never!!! i am now excited to go towork tomorow to share my new beans getting cooked inthe tin knowledge.

I kind of knew that beans get cooked in the tin. Only because I recently read that this is what happens to baby food and other similar long life product. They are packaged, and then cooked at high temperature (UHT).