What An Awful Smell

[RSteve]

This was available from Amazon:

I ordered 24 cans of Yellowfin Tuna in EVOO at $1.08 per can. Keep in mind these are 4.5 oz cans not 3 oz. I opened two cans to make some tuna salad. It smelled like cat food. Maybe I just didn't expect the combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil with Yellowfin. But the tuna was chunk, not solid. I thought I'd just made a bad choice, wouldn't ever eat it and dropped it off at a food shelf barrel.

About 10 minutes ago, just out of curiosity, I read several recent reviews and all echoed my sentiments. One reviewer said he/she had purchased 60 cans previously and it was a great value, but the recent purchase was not fit for human consumption. Just for schitz and grinz, I thought I'd file for a return from Amazon, even though I didn't have the tuna any longer.
Very specifically, they instructed: Do Not Return This Product. Your purchase price will be refunded to the charged account.

12-Pack 4.5oz StarKist Selects EVOO Solid Yellowfin Tuna $13 at Amazon with free shipping on $25 or with Prime.​

 

[Blackhorse]

You’re lucky.

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

Over the years the quality of supermarket brands of canned tuna has fallen. What used to be when opened, a chunk of solid, white tuna, has now morphed into small chunks of soupy-pasty, brown, foul-smelling, tuna flakes. Disgusting!

Years ago I'm sure I remember buying solid Albacore, and not Yellow-Fin tuna. But, steam-cooked, Tuna (insert brand name, here) packed in oil or water..... always smells like "Puss and Boots", cat food! Again, disgusting! No matter what brand: Bumble-Bee, Star-Kist, Chicken-of-the Sea.......they all stink. I could ralph!!!!

The higher-priced, premium brands of processed, Italian-style tuna fish...bottled, and packed in olive oil....are far superior to the offal/awful common brands of canned tuna fish, that are sold in supermarkets.
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As an alternative...... process your own "customized" tuna.....even though it's more work. You can poach some chunks of good-quality fresh tuna, in water, and then pack those still solid pieces -without the aromatic poaching water- in Mason jars. Cover the tuna with some EV olive oil, optional: add some cracked pepper corns, olives, sprigs of herbs, slices of lemon, red-pepper flakes, spices. Store the jarred tuna, in your refrig. The water-poaching, kills the strong stink of the tuna fish.....and makes that home-processed tuna way more palatable.... and the taste will be far superior than anything that you can buy from a store. Just pop the lid of the Mason jar, take out what you'll eat, and store the rest, jarred, and under a lid of olive oil.

 

[Brewdude]

I had the same experience semi-recently with some brand of canned tuna. Smelled exactly like cat food and was impossible to eat. Fortunately I was able to return the unopened cans to the supermarket but it's put me off buying canned tuna.


No Cheers,

RR

 

[Natch]

The demand for fresh and frozen tuna has exploded recently, especially in the Asian market. At the same time, the harvest continues to drop every year. I fear the lower-end can tuna is suffering because of this. A tuna fish sandwich is just about my favorite, along with good braunschweiger and liver sausage, but I've got a quality outlet for the latter.
Natch

 

[ftrplt]

I buy canned tuna in water for our kitties. They don't seem to mind it; I wouldn't eat it for anything!! Haven't had a decent tuna fish salad sandwich in forever!! FTRPLT

 

[Zeno Marx]

Is tuna in tuna cans? Isn't it other fish now? Isn't actual tuna super expensive, reserved for sushi and posh restaurants? I know there are various grades, but I thought even the more plentiful remaining species is still rather pricey. I don't know first hand. I've never liked fish, not even fish sticks as a kid. I wish I did, though. I can't think of a single backpacking trip when I didn't daydream about fishing and frying my own catch rather than packing in more food.

 

[D.L.Ruth]

I have never been able to eat canned tuna, have anyways though it smells like cat food. In fact runs and salmon are basically the two fish I just plain don't like.

 

[RSteve]

I really like a tuna sandwich made from solid white albacore. My younger daughter shares my fondness, while my older daughter would leave the kitchen if anything tuna were on the table.

 

[BriarPipeNYC]

One of my fav summer suppers is a nice thick slab of fresh tuna, that has been flame-broiled on the barby. Marinate the tuna steaks in some herbs, garlic paste, salt, pepper, freshly squeezed lemon juice and olive oil. Sear over hot coals.

Flame-broiled fresh tuna, tastes nothing even remotely like any canned tuna.

 

[RSteve]

Many times I've purchased "fresh, previously frozen" tuna steaks, but never actual never frozen. I occasionally buy frozen tuna steaks at Restaurant Depot, but that requires buying a 10 lb. case. I poach it for salad and fry it to serve as steaks.