How to Tell if Raw Tuna is Fresh Without Tasting It

Lean, nutritious and delicious, tuna is one of the most used fishes in our cuisines, thanks to the richness of its components and its great versatility, which allows it to the used in many recipes. Our seas are rich in it, and it is an excellent food for our body, especially if consumed fresh.

But how can you recognize that a tuna is really recently caught and still in perfect condition? When you find tuna, in general all fish, fresh at the market or in the fish shop, it is not always a given that it is really fresh. Luckily, there are some signs to look out for to make sure your product isn't too old.

How to Recognize and Buy Fresh Tuna

Making sure that the food we ingest is fresh is essential to avoid running into health problems. As for fish, shellfish and seafood in general, this is even more important. If you are at the market, you don't have to be an expert fisherman to recognize fresh tuna, you just have to pay attention to some elements:

• Color. The very first impact to understand if the tuna is fresh is that of sight. As soon as you see the slice you would like, first check the color of the fish: if it is bright red, it means that the fish is generally fresh. Be careful though, because the color is not an absolute certainty: in fact, sometimes the fish is passed through coloring preservative substances which alter its appearance to make it appear fresher and more attractive to the customer.
• Sight and touch. Precisely for the reason just stated, a more in-depth examination of the appearance of the fish is absolutely fundamental. Fresh tuna, in general, must have a toned and elastic appearance, not at all flaccid; if you can even touch it you have to make sure that it is not sticky and that, if you squeeze it with your finger, it immediately returns to its original position. If the fish remains pressed, it means that the tuna is not that fresh.
• Smell. The final test to make sure that the tuna is fresh is the smell: when a fish is not fresh it has a very rancid, penetrating smell, and the more intense it is, the more it means that the product is at least 3-4 days old. To be truly fresh, tuna must have a salty odor reminiscent of the sea.
• Pupil of the fish. A very useful trick to understand if the tuna is fresh is to check the pupil of the fish, and in general the whole eye: if it is rounded or convex with the pupil still shining, it means that the product is really fresh. If, on the contrary, you notice that the eye is opaque and the pupil is milky then the fish could be 2-3 days old. Be careful if the pupil is dark, it could mean that the product has defrosted.

How to Clean Fresh Tuna

Fresh tuna can be purchased in slices, which are usually prepared in front of you at the moment, or in fillets, a very lean cut which instead comes already pre-cut. However, it could happen that you buy a whole tuna, and therefore find yourself having to clean it at home. It is a process that must be done immediately, because otherwise you risk the proliferation of bacteria that would make it inedible and harmful. Cleaning it is not difficult, you simply need to be careful: equip yourself with sharp scissors and knives, and cover your hands with protective gloves.

• The first thing to do, with scissors, is to cut the fins off the animal;
• using the knife you cut the abdomen and remove all the entrails.
• At this point, as the last step, you must wash the tuna with plenty of water in all its parts, then it will be ready to be cooked.

How to Use Fresh Tuna in Cooking, From Tartare to Cooked

If you have fresh tuna available, the recipes you can prepare are endless. Tuna, in fact, is a widely consumed food in all its varieties due to its great versatility.

The most particular and delicious preparation you can try is tuna tartare, almost obligatory if you have a very fresh product available, a simple and refined dish capable of surprising your guests. And if you're afraid that it will be difficult to handle raw fish, don't worry: just follow our recipe to prepare the perfect tartare. If you want to try your hand at a more complex recipe, you can be inspired by the recipes of the distant country of the Rising Sun, Japan: prepare the excellent homemade sushi, or experiment with tuna tataki, a typical dish made with tuna marinated in soy sauce, then dipped in sesame and seared on a hot griddle or in a pan.

Pasta, we know, goes well with almost everything, and tuna is no exception: among the recipes to try we offer the inviting tuna noodles casserole. Or, on hotter days, you can try your hand at a Mediterranean pasta salad, or if you wanna try your hand in a more exotic dish, you can always try a fresh poke bowl.

Staying in the main courses aisles, you still have a large varieties of options: you can start with a tuna salad sandwich, prepared with mayonnaise, or some crispy potato and tuna balls, perfect even as a side dish. And if you have some canned tuna left over, but you don't know what to do with it, try making patties with it: you can combine it with spinach and potatoes, and have a really delicious lunch or dinner.