An A to Z guide to choosing, storing, preparing, and cooking fresh produce and recipe ingredients.
Kyle Rothenborg/Getty ImagesTuna
Flavorful tuna is a staple of lunch bags in its canned form and a delight as grilled steaks. It’s also one of the most popular
fish used for sushi.
Season: Fresh, late spring to early fall (depending on variety); frozen, year-round.
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How to Choose Tuna
Tuna is sold as steaks and fillets, both fresh and flash-frozen. Fresh tuna should have minimal fish smell, a deep red color, firm flesh, some translucence but no “rainbow sheen,” and no dry spots. Albacore and yellowfin from the United States and Canada are the most eco-friendly choices; they have only moderate levels of mercury (eating them once a week is safe for people over age 6) and are neither in danger of being overfished nor caught by environment-damaging methods. Bluefin should be eaten infrequently if at all: it is high in mercury and PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls), and the world’s supply is severely overfished. Supermarkets are required to label fresh and frozen fish with the country of origin and the method of production (wild or farmed), but this law doesn’t apply to fish markets and restaurants, so consumers must ask more questions in those places. -
How to Store Tuna
Refrigerate fish tightly wrapped for up to 2 days. -
How to Use Tuna
Grilled fresh tuna is best enjoyed medium rare or rare.
—Jenny RosenstrachReal Simple Tuna Recipes:
Find out what's in season in your area right now, then locate a farmers' market near you.
