Eating Raw Tuna -- Advice

[the1jonc]

Just got back from Offshore trip with some nice YFT and Longfin loins.

Fish were bled and packed in ice until cut. Once they were loined they got a saltwater, packed in plastic bags and packed back on ice.

My family are sashimi addicts and want to eat it raw. My 9 year old was bummed when she couldn't have it for breakfast.

I have a friend that says freeze it for 2 days.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thanks

[dfish28]

I agree on freezing first- that way any possible parasite is killed

[HDMarc]

Spoke to the guys at a local sushi place I go to and they said their fish is frozen for at least a week before being thawed out and served to avoid any parasites or other organisms from being consumed alive. Hope that helps.

[NJ Dave]

Fresh is fresh, frozen is frozen. I always eat my tuna fresh right off the fish after it has been cooled off for at least 8 hours. The best pieces come fron along the spine after they are loined out. I prefer the part closer to the head.
I have been doing it for years.
I find it hard to believe that sushi joints use previous frozen fish.
Idk but whenever something is frozen it never tastes the same may it be fish, meat, or chicken.
I eat blackfish raw after its has been in the fridge over night.
The next time you defrost one of thse tuna steaks try it. I bet it does not taste the same raw or similiar to your sushi joints tuna.

[njboarder]

Most sushi places use frozen tuna because they do not have access to steady supply of fresh, unfrozen tuna.
I know of a couple of high end sushi restaurants that only use the fresh stuff, but they also charge accordingly. :eek: Your local sushi place can't afford to use the best stuff since they probably do not have customers who appreciate them and are willing to pay for them.

Sure, freezing eleminates any possible parasites, but to me, that defeats the whole purpose of catching tuna. Besides the fun factor, I truly enjoy eathing fresh, never frozen tuna, and I just cannot get it anywhere. So I catch my own.

Regarding parasites, what I noticed is that there are worms in the intestines of tuna. If the tuna is not immediately bled and gutted, the worms are eventually going to make their way to the muscle. That's why I love going on Voyager, since they take the best care of my catch. In 10 mins, fish is bled and gutted, and dunked in ice bath. :D

[Captain Rich]

I think it is a state or federal law that sushi restaurants use frozen tuna because the incidence of parasitic infection in fish is high. The biggest offender is Diphyllobothrium - fish tapeworm, plenty of cases of sushi eaters becoming hosts to their very own pet tapeworm ! Nothing like bringing home something from the restaurant . :eek:

[the1jonc]

Thanks for the advice guys.

[jmurr711]

i have never frozen anything i used for sashimi tuna,mackerel,sea bass, & flat trash alwasy kept it ice cold rinsed it off and sliced it thin

[codbuster]

JRMURR is right on!! As long as it was iced immediatly it should be ok!!I bring a 6 gallon bucket and a lot of ice as I put the fresh caught fish in the bucket to die or bleed out and get rid of most of the slime!! A large chunk of ice in the bucket with the fresh sea water!! Then the fish go in the cooler which is also ice filled!! The only fish I don't eat raw is bluefish!!

[Ol Pedro]

i have never frozen anything i used for sashimi tuna,mackerel,sea bass, & flat trash alwasy kept it ice cold rinsed it off and sliced it thin It was my understanding that parasites that live in Tuna/other saltwater fish can't live in our systems but , Freshwater and Saltwater fish that migrate from one to the other shouldn't be consumed raw . I never eat raw Salmon or Stripers . I love to eat the rack meat as we loin out the Tuna .

[sportfishingusa]

freeze it for a week, then defrost and enjoy but you need to freeze fast, like flash freeze. All sushi and sashimi comes frozen before they do anything with it.

Forget about the parasites and other garbage on it, i dont care what anyone says, fresh tuna front the dock when you are fishing or just getting back from fishing, smells and tastes like piss and ammonia

[Ol Pedro]

forget about the parasites and other garbage on it, i dont care what anyone says, fresh tuna front the dock when you are fishing or just getting back from fishing, smells and tastes like piss and ammonia
Sportie , are you talking Blue Shark and not Tuna ? Our Tuna are bled and chilled/collered before loining .

[sportfishingusa]

Sportie , are you talking Blue Shark and not Tuna ? Our Tuna are bled and chilled/collered before loining .


You can collar and prep it all you want. Unless it is thoroughly cleaned per loun after skinning it is disgusting. IMHO. I see guys do it every trip. Take pieces and eat it. I think it smells and tastes horrible. I rather eat it cooked or ice cold and cleaned. But that's just me. Everyone else seems to eat it all the time so maybe I smell like piss hahahahaha

[codbuster]

You must be talking about "catfish" if you get my drift!! The fresher the better with all the other types of fish!!

[EEL killer]

FDA says all fish in US to be eaten raw has to be flash frozen for at least two weeks to get rid of any bacteria that's in it.Personally I eat it while the tuna is still moving.Yesterday got back with Jersey Hooker with 3 big eyes and we were eating as it was being cut up.I don't know what your guys are eating but it did not taste like piss(who would know what that tastes like) or ammonia:)

[socks]

The freezing to kill parasites I believe must be done with a commercial freezer at a temp much lower than our freezers at home. Or flash froze with liquid nitrogen.

[NJ Dave]

Fri night I hit my local sushi joint. The sushi chef said tuna comes in flash frozen which is harder than cement and takes a few days to defrost.
However they do also get in fresh never frozen fish that "they" will only eat raw. It is sold them as the fish to cook but he said we don't cook it, we make sushi out of it.
He made me some tuna sashimi which was fresh and some that was frozen. To me it was similar in taste. The fresh one was lighter in color but the frozen one was a darker red.
The fresh one was firm while The frozen one tasted mushy.
All I know is sat when I get back in we are having fresh tuna sashimi as long as we catch em.

[Jlavine]

http://www.nytimes.com/2004/04/08/nyregion/08SUSH.html?ex=1396756800&en=14403a1246cf158f&ei=5007&partner=USERLAND

Interesting.

[Captain Rich]

It was my understanding that parasites that live in Tuna/other saltwater fish can't live in our systems but , Freshwater and Saltwater fish that migrate from one to the other shouldn't be consumed raw . I never eat raw Salmon or Stripers . I love to eat the rack meat as we loin out the Tuna .


Pedro- the fish tapeworms can absolutely jump the genetic tree and live in people. I think everyone who works in the industry will at one time or another start nibbling on "rack meat" while cutting up the catch, that we don't get parasites is just plain good luck, before the FDA put in the frozen sushi rule, this issue was a lot more common with people who enjoyed sushi at restaurants.

[codbuster]

Pedro- the fish tapeworms can absolutely jump the genetic tree and live in people. I think everyone who works in the industry will at one time or another start nibbling on "rack meat" while cutting up the catch, that we don't get parasites is just plain good luck, before the FDA put in the frozen sushi rule, this issue was a lot more common with people who enjoyed sushi at restaurants.
I've never heard anyone getting cod worm sickness or anything else like that!!Still some peeps are afraid to eat cod with worms even after cooking!! Just hand it over to me and I'll take care of it!!

[Ol Pedro]

I've never heard anyone getting cod worm sickness or anything else like that!!Still some peeps are afraid to eat cod with worms even after cooking!! Just hand it over to me and I'll take care of it!!
Just tell them that's not a worm it's just a vein . I ate Whiting raw with Malps a couple of years ago . It was still twitching when we downed it . We externinated a species for Sushi ! It's better fresh .

[NJ Dave]

I have been eating yft raw since the loins came off on sun am.
More sun afternoon when packing, today for lunch, and a lil tonight before the steaks hit the grill.
So fresh, so good!