Canning Tuna
- Details
- Published on April 15 2011
- Written by David Blackburn (All Rights Reserved)
Tuna is safe to can at home and may be canned in water or oil, including olive oil. If you have never canned fish before, we recommend watching our free Video 6.
Tuna may be canned raw or pre-cooked, which removes most of the strong flavored oils. If canning the dark flesh, we recommend canning in olive oil and adding three peppercorns to each half-pint jar or six to each pint jar. You may also add one dried red hot pepper to each jar of tuna canned in oil.
| Half-Pint Jars | Pint Jars | |
| Tuna - Approximate weight per jar | 10 ounces | 20 ounces (1 lb. 4 ounces) |
| Salt (optional) | 1/2 tsp. | 1 tsp. |
- Tuna should be cleaned, eviscerated, rinsed and put on ice or refrigerated no longer than 2 hours after catching.
- If tuna is frozen, thaw.
- If pre-cooking fish in the oven or steaming, it should be refrigerated overnight aftwards to firm the meat.
- Remove head, tails, fins, bones and skin.
- Wash tuna again, ensuring all blood is removed.
- Refrigerate tuna until ready to pack in jars. If using herbs (fresh only,) wrap the herbs with the tuna in plastic and refrigerate overnight. REMOVE the herbs before canning as the flavor will become too intense during the canning process.
- Raw pack in jars, leaving 1" headspace as done in Video 6. If adding peppercorns or hot pepper, do so at this time.
- Run plastic knife between outer edge of fish and jar.
- Add either water or oil (olive oil is permitted) to jars, maintaining 1ยจ headspace.
- Wipe rims of jars and place lids and caps on jars.
- Processing with a Pressure Canner for 100 minutes, at 11 pounds of pressure, or 10 pounds for a weighted gauge.
- For elevations above 1,000 foot level see Altitude Time Adjustments.
- After processing, place the jars on a towel, separated by 1" to cool.
- Labeling and Storing
- Note: Crystals of magnesium ammonium phosphate sometimes form on certain fish. They disappear when reheated and are safe to eat.
These instructions are adapted from the United States Department of Agriculture's Complete Guide to Home Canning.
For other fish canning recipes, go to our Canning Fish (Recipes) page.
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Video 6: Home Canning Pate, Home Canning Meatloaf and Home Canning Fish The last in our series of videos will teach you how to cold pack certain meats and fish. |