There's A Chance You're Making A Huge Storage Mistake With Canned Tuna

As a guy who doesn't always have the energy to cook and already fails at getting enough protein in my diet on the daily, canned tuna has saved my life on more than one occasion. As long as you get a decent brand, you can make everything from tuna salad to the currently hyper-popular sushi bake and enjoy it without being overwhelmed by the stale fishiness that tuna haters rudely and falsely claim all canned tuna tastes like. Still, even the best of us tuna lovers can sometimes make mistakes when storing canned tuna. So, let's talk about a mistake that you might be making to this very day without even realizing it: putting your opened tuna can in the fridge.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't put your tuna in the fridge. Please put your tuna in the fridge after you pop that can open, or you'll have a first class ticket to the porcelain throne the next time you eat some. I'm just saying you shouldn't put tuna into the fridge while the tuna is still in, you know, the actual can. Take the time to scoop any leftover tuna out of said can and transfer it to an airtight container instead. I suggest metal or glass, both for sustainability efforts and because they keep cold temperatures better.

Fridging the whole can is a storage mistake for a few reasons. First of all, as much as we love canned tuna in this house, it's impossible to deny that it does have a bit of an aroma. Fridges are contained spaces, so unless you want the whole interior smelling like the seafood section of a supermarket, you're going to want to keep a lid (literally and metaphorically) on it.

Second, tuna doesn't store as well when it's uncovered. There's a higher chance of you contaminating the meat by accident and it'll only last a couple days max before drying into a state of inedibility. Exposure to the fridge air can also alter the taste of your tuna pretty significantly, sapping away the flavor entirely or replacing it with a funky fridge tang. Ultimately, it's less hassle to simply transfer your leftovers into a container where your tuna will keep its moisture and flavor for three to four days. Those few extra minutes will save your future taste buds, trust me.