Monday, August 8, 2011

Canning Tuna

This is a re-post from 2009.

This is what I have been busy doing this

past couple of days.

For a few current photos,

please visit me at my main blog

by clicking here!

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Every year about this time we can fresh, wild caught albacore tuna!

Once you have canned your own, you will never go back to that

stuff the grocery stores call tuna ~ (it's more like cat food than fish!)


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1 &1/2 hours from home, we arrive at Westport, Washington

Float 11



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Captain of the F/V Evening is cleaning and filleting tuna.


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<((>< Below is a couple of 'mates' filling coolers with tuna and ice. <((><
<((>< Back at home, Gentleman Farmer does a little more cleaning and cutting the tuna "loins" to size. <((><
<((>< Tuna is an excellent scource of healthy, Omega 3 oils. <((><

<((>< Fill prepared 1/2 pint jars with tuna, leaving 1/2 inch of space at top. Add 1/4 teaspoon salt. Wipe rims of jars with clean, damp cloth. Apply clean lids and bands. <((><
<((>< Process in Pressure Canner for 90 minutes at 10 lbs. pressure. Let pressure reduce naturally. Open canner and.... Viola! A School of Fish! <((><~*~*~*~<((><~*~*~*<((><

Nothing but beautiful, all natural tuna and a tiny bit of sea salt!
Great for sandwiches, salads or cassaroles!
Tastes Good and Good for you!

25 comments:

Mama B said...

Yummmmmmm! We just had grilled sandwiches with your tuna tonight! I ate too much. =)

Lori said...

Girl...I. AM. IMPRESSED! I've never known anybody who cans tuna!! Then again, I don't live near the ocean...a farm pond is the best I can do...hmmm...now I'm beginning to wonder if you could can cooter (that's TN lingo for mud turtle) LOL!
That tuna is beaUtiful...really and truly...I'm impressed.
PS - hope you got the seeds???!!!

Anonymous said...

You're so lucky to have fresh tuna to can. It seems the quality of the tuna in the store is really going downhill these days. Bought some the other day and it was mushy and absolutely flavorless. Threw half the can away.

GratefulPrayerThankfulHeart said...

What an interesting post! We enjoy the "canned" white tuna so I can only imagine how good the fresh must be. I enjoyed seeing the canning process too. I have canned but have never used a pressure canner, just water bath method. I think I have always been a little intimidated by it.

Thanks so much for sharing this fishy post!

Sharon said...

Oh Lady Farmer!

That looks wonderful! I have never had or even thought of canning fresh Tuna. I bet it certainly is delicious. Have you ever canned Salmon?

Thanks so much for sharing this :) By the way...I love your little fishies :)

Have a blessed day Lady Farmer and thanks for always leaving encouraging comments on my blog :)

~Sharon

lady m said...

Oh my, this sure looks delicious!

I have yet to have canned tuna, but here in the mountains is not so accessible.

Enjoy!

lady m

Torie said...

How neat!

Mrs. Teapot said...

Isn't that great that you are able to go right to the source and get it fresh. Those little jars are adorable, perfect for canning tuna.

Love the little fishies you made... very cute.

Thank you for sharing and enjoy your tuna.

Blessings,

Mrs. E said...

How wonderful, Lady Farmer!
Tuna is SO good!!! :)

Many Blessings~ Miss Jen

Nadine said...

Dear Lady Farmer,

That looks delicious! One of our neighbors went tuna fishing last year and gave us a bunch, which I put into our freezer. I don't have a pressure cooker, wish I did...maybe someday! It does look so much better than the store canned fish! Thank you for sharing!

Blessings!
~Nadine

Debbykay said...

Oh, how I would love to work with you on all your preserving and cannning. It is such a passion of mine. I have never canned tuna, but wouldn't that be heavenly! How many pounds did you can and how many half-pints did you process? How long in the pressure canner? Can you only can tuna at certain times of the year?

My daughter and her husband lives in Seattle. I will have to send her a link to this post.

Your black cap jam is a lovely jewel. I have been gone from Rose Cottage for some time, and need to make my way up to the kitchen garden this afternoon to see how everything has grown and what is ready to preserve.

My very best to you!
Debbykay at Rose Cottage Gardens and Farm

Lavinia said...

I'm speechless. Is there anything you *can't* do? You are the most resourceful..... I'm just amazed, simply amazed.

Olde Dame Penniwig said...

That has to be one of the most amazing things I've ever seen! I had no idea about canning tuna! I can see I'm going to be VERY busy reading all the older posts, too!!!

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Oh my goodness! That looks delish! What has happened to store bought tuna? It's about 1/4 of a can's worth per can now......and it's terrible. I buy the gold can Bumble Bee...it's a bit more expensive, but at least you get some tuna in the can. I just know yours would be so much better. Raw ahi is my very favorite food....

So glad you stopped by....I'll be back to visit you...

Warm blessings,
Spencer

Kathi said...

Lady Farmer, Thank you for stopping by. Wow, I'm so impressed. The tuna looks wonderful. I've not canned meats yet; only pressure canned vegetables. I'm not against it; just have not tried it yet. It looks so tasty. Kathi

Anonymous said...

Hi:
Sharon told me to come visit you and see the tuna canning--wow that's great. I have never canned before and would like to try someday. We just got back from Pike's Market at Pier 57 in Seattle and brought home some shrimp, scallops and oysters---miss the good fish--can't get it fresh where we live.
Nice blog!

Anonymous said...

This fascinates me! I just bought a pressure canner and am looking forward to trying tuna soon. Did you add any water to the jars or just tuna and sea salt???

I just found the link to your site on Country Hearts at Home. Looks like I will be lingering, reading and gleaning quite a bit from you! :)

Blessings in Him,
Donna

Lady Farmer said...

Donna~
Nope! I didn't add anything to the tuna except the sea salt. Tuna is/are? fatty and just the right amount of natural oil will gather in the bottom of your jar after canning. Be sure to not through this away! This is where the most Omega 3 is. Just mix it right in and enjoy that healthy fish! ;~P
So glad you are going to try canning with a pressure canner. So many are afraid of them. They are pretty 'idiot proof' anymore with safety valves etc. Mine doesn't have a dial to measure pressure ~ it has a weight. Pressure is maintained on mine by adjusting the heat to keep the weight 'jiggling' 2-3 times a minute. I would rather keep my eye on the pressure canner than worry about the other hazards of improper canning!
Have fun using your new pressure canner and keep me posted on what you accomplish!
Blessings!

Anonymous said...

Thank you for all the information Lady Farmer! I certainly do not want to miss out on any of the nutritional goodness from the tuna.

So far my daughter and I canned some green beans we purchased from the farmer's market. Next up will be tuna (again purchased at the farmer's market). Thankfully we do have a vendor that has really fresh fish and reasonable prices.

I have water bath canned for years but this whole pressure canning is new to me so my daughter and I are learning this one together. We're having a blast!

Donna

Sharon said...

Dear Lady Farmer,
I just never even thought about canning your own tuna! I wonder if you go out and catch your own, or do you buy them fresh off the boat?
Thank YOU for visiting my blog today! I enjoyed your comment and am so glad that you didn't have to spend too many years of your life in town. There are advantages of living in town, of course, but the traffic noise as well as being cooped up on a little lot without lots of room to garden and have animals would be hard now. I agree, that there is nothing more satisfying than country life!
I'll be visiting your other blogs as I get the opportunity. How in the world do you keep up with seven blogs and still be Lady Farmer? You must be great at multi~tasking!

Anonymous said...

How long should you process tuna in a water bath without a pressure cooker? I canned tuna many years ago in my dutch oven but can't find directions for how long to process tuna this way in 1/2 pt or pt jars?

Thanks
Jan

Lady Farmer said...

Jan~
Meats,fish and poultry should NEVER be processed with the water bath canning method! Presure canning is the only safe method for processing meats, fish and poultry. I know that our grandmothers used to can many things in a water bath or even open kettle, but I would not risk the results with my health or the health of my loved ones or even the risk of losing my produce after all that hard work.
Canning in a pressure cooker is safe and easy! The tuna turns out wonderful!

Kateri said...

I'm jealous! I wish we lived close enough to an ocean to buy Tuna fresh from a boat to can. That sounds and looks so good!

KZ said...

I found this post some months ago after a successful Tuna fishing trip. I followed the recipe exactly, and was amazed at the quality of this method. Sometimes the simplest way is the best. Tonight I raided the last of the Tuna from the freezer, and I had to repeat this once again.

Brilliant recipe, thank you.

Anonymous said...

I just canned tuna for the first time in about 30 years, and even though our house smelled pretty "fishy" for a couple of days, it looks so pretty in the jars! I have put it away until winter really sets in....otherwise, it would be consumed NOW!
I grew up in Raymond, and remember the time before the road to Westport. I live in Reedsport/Winchester Bay now. Love the gifts from the ocean!
Thanks for your site.
June