New Tuna Fact I Hadn't Heard.

[hoovarmin]

I follow Chef Andrew Gruel on Twitter and he posted this about Tuna yesterday. Almost all the tuna I've cooked has been "watermelon red."

[Jfrosty27]

I didn’t know this. My learning nugget for today! Thanks.

[Draznnl]

Thanks. Like the saying goes, I learned something new I wished wasn’t true today.

[Michael_in_TX]

The particular brand of frozen tuna I buy (I like always having some at the ready) used to have the phrasing "treated with carbon monoxide" on the packaging. In the last year or so, I noticed it switched to say "treated with wood smoke," which I thought was a cute rebranding.

[surfdog]

I’ve only ever seen watermelon red tuna in grocery stores… I generally purchase my seafood directly from proper fishmongers/markets, and though I’ve never given it much thought…they’re not watermelon red. Now I know why.

[Carolyn]

surfdog Thank you. I am close to Temecula. I had no idea there would be seafood at a Farmer's Market.

[surfdog]

Carolyn Not only does Dry Dock show up at several farmers markets…they’ll take requests… I’ve called the day before and asked that they bring something in particular, and they’ve done it. Saved me a trip and both of us on shipping.

[Carolyn]

That is stellar customer service.

[smokenoob]

When I buy Ahi at Joe Patti’s, it’s cut fresh off the 1/4 filet. It’s a deep red. When I buy frozen tuna, it’s usually watermelon pink, I always thought that was from the freezing, know better now, thanks hoov!

[hoovarmin]

I recognize that kitchen!

[smokenoob]

hoovarmin oh man, our micro-meatup was to short, got to hang longer next time and Q it up right!

[hoovarmin]

smokenoob short but sweet! Damn us old bastards for forgetting to take a photo! They'll never believe us!

[Histrix]

Some grocery stores and vendors have been treating meat with CO for many years to help keep it a bright "fresh" looking red for longer periods of time.

[Huskee]

I don't see the problem. Exposure to oxygen turns it brown. They're trying to preserve its color, perhaps amp it up a notch in the process. I don't want brown tuna or beef, yuck to the eyes. We know it's cheap when we buy it at the regular grocery store and it's not expensive.

[hoovarmin]

Yeah, but that photo above doesn't look too shabby to me

[surfdog]

Well, like I said, I generally get mine from a specialist fish market. To that end, I’ve SEEN the difference but never really gave it much thought. At least not enough to question the difference.

I’ve certainly had grocery store tuna, and lived to tale the tale. It wasn’t sashimi grade, but it wasn’t prepared that way, so it probably didn’t matter a great deal in the end.