Consistently great canned albacore

G

GAY BAG

New member
Bumblebee is producing the consistently best canned albacore I
have ever had (while on a quest for over a decade). It is in a
gold can, upside down, with the subtitle "prime filet".

StarKist tried doing the same recently, but as usual the quality
was inconsistent, from excellent to bad. If the quality remains as
consistently good, my neighborhood megastore will have trouble
keeping the shelf stocked :D After buying about eighty and
eating more than one dozen, the quality has not disappointed
(fingers crossed).

I recall the store had them for $.75 per can (clearance I guess),
and I failed to stock up on them. Then they disappeared for at
least a few weeks. Now they are back at $1.62, that I happily pay.
I wrote Bumblebee an adoring letter, and naturally they sent some
coupons. They shouldn't have, I'm not sharing any with their other
customers here :D

Anybody else had some?
 
On Sat, 12 Feb 2011 06:59:32 -0600, Omelet
wrote:


With solid white I find no difference, haven't for many years... I buy
whichever tuna is on sale, store brand is no different either...
lately I've been buying Bumble Bee solid white premium albacore in
water, in the 12 oz cans from Walmart; $3.18. The quality is superb
and more solid meat per can than two smaller cans. Walmart conducts
their own plant inspections with all products they sell.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bumble-Bee-Albacore-Solid-White-In-Water-Tuna-12-oz/10309536#ProductDetail
 
Brooklyn1 wrote:

Tuna


Ingredients: White Tuna, Water, Vegetable Broth, Salt, Pyrophosphate
Added. Contains Tuna And Soy

vegetable broth flavor enhanced (from soy?) tuna?

Well at least it contains tuna!

That's the brand I buy.

Andy
 
On 2011-02-12, Brooklyn1 wrote:


I'll look for that.

In the past, I've bought only Starkist wht albacore, always when on
sale for $1 per 6 oz can (which would make it $2/12oz). Always firm
chunk tuna. I've never noticed this Bumblebee "premium" line of which
you and others speak. I do know that previously, Bumblebee and
Chicken of the Sea albacore tunas (not premium) were more of a tuna
meat/water slurry, the water so thoroughly mixed with the the flaked
meat as to be impossible to drain adequately. That's why I stuck with
Starkist albacore, which WAS chunk and easily drained of almost all
water.

I know not what is going on with canned tuna, of late. Starkist
canned wht albacore was getting down to as little as 3 oz of actual
weighed meat, after press draining all water. They are also pushing
their vac foil pack, which I find weird. I haven't weighed it, but
sure don't look like the same amt. Perhaps this due to being so
compressed as to never regain full size after mixing with mayo or
whatever. It would be interesting to see just how much actual meat is
in this BB premium 12oz can after draining.

nb
 
Brooklyn1 wrote:


Those comments do not surprise me. I am grossed out by ordinary
canned tuna, but of course others eat lots of it. The ability, and
maybe the desire, to taste or notice the difference obviously
varies from one person to another, obviously. Many people probably
do not even bother to smell or taste canned tuna before plopping
it into some mixture.

Recently, in fact, I opened a can of StarKist solid white tuna
that smelled nothing like tuna, it smelled like some unknown (to
me) chemical. It was purchased from the local megastore and the
expiration date was far in the future.

To be clear, I am not selling Bumblebee tuna. Prior to this recent
find, my favorites list had Chicken of the Sea first with StarKist
next.
--
 
Andy wrote:



http://www.walmart.com/ip/Bumble-Bee-Albacore-Solid-White-In-Water-Tuna-12-oz/10309536#ProductDetail


That's a mistake. When they are in vegetable broth, it says
"vegetable broth" instead of "water" on the can.

The Bumblebee subtitled "prime filet" tuna that I have contains
tuna, water, salt, and pyrophosphate.

Discerning people should at least notice the fact that canned tuna
quality varies greatly (compared to other foods), and that
includes solid white. If you just open the can and plop it into a
mixture, and later you notice that your recipe/meal does not taste
right, suspect the tuna.
--
 
On 12 Feb 2011 18:03:55 GMT, John Doe wrote:


It's not a mistake. The lable is marked twice, in water and in broth.
In bold font the can is marked tuna in water as adverse to tuna in
oil. The small font ingredients list will say vegetable broth as
adverse to listing all the seasonings/herbs/spices individually... but
broth is essentially water... the USDA does not require separate
listings for all ingredients of less than 1%.
 
On 12 Feb 2011 17:14:44 GMT, notbob wrote:


The Premium is how tuna used to be many years ago. I find one 12
ounce can contains more actual meat than three 5 oz cans, and the meat
is firmer, whiter, and tastes better. Even though the 5 oz cans say
solid white about half of it is the flake style. If all the liquid is
drained from three 5 oz cans it's nearly double what I can squeeze
from one 12 oz can... anyone with cats would be up on these stats... I
find it much easier to squeeze one can than three.
 
On 12 Feb 2011 17:19:45 GMT, John Doe wrote:


The vast majority buy such products strictly by price. There's a huge
difference between the 69? tin and the $2.69 tin of sardines. Cheap
is expensive, especially with these what are nowadays considered
gourmet snack foods. When I was a kid canned fish was considered po'
folks food... moms whould buy it in a different hood because they were
embarrassed. Many foods have changed status... as a kid Irani
pistachio nuts cost less than Virginia peanuts... people would be
embarrasssed to display their red fingers.


I've only recently began shopping at Walmart, I never lived near one
previously. The one thing I've discovered is that no one can beat
their prices and most items are better quality. I don't buy their
fresh meats is all, and some of their produce is not the best, but why
should I buy bananas for 79?/lb at the other markets when I can buy
exactly the same Chiquitas from Walmart for 39?/lb.

And I happen to know first hand that the national brands produce
special formulations for Walmart, better, not lesser. Walmart has
their own inspectors at the plants permanently, in fact the national
manufacturers maintain dedicated plants, warehousing, distribution,
and marketing just for Walmart... whatever Walmart wants they get.
 
On 12 Feb 2011 08:40:32 GMT, John Doe
arranged random neurons and said:




You can keep your albacore. I've been won over to Wild Planet's "Wild
Skipjack Light Tuna." It's sustainably caught, hand cut "sashimi
grade" tuna steaks, retains the Omega 3 oil and the ingredients list
states, "Skipjack tuna and sea salt." Period. Not albacore, no, but
certainly the best canned tuna I've ever had.

Terry "Squeaks" Pulliam Burd

--

To reply, remove "spambot" and replace it with "cox"
 
Terry Pulliam Burd wrote:


I've also been buying this, because it low mercury.

The technique of canning tuna without adding either water or oil is
unique. I'm not sure it leads to a better result, but it's good.

Steve
 
Brooklyn1 wrote:



Bought a bunch yesterday. They taste so good, they must somehow
mistreat animals to grow them :D


They are missing inspections of canned tuna, because in my
enthusiastic quest for good tuna over the last decade or so,
canned tuna is not any better at Wal-Mart.

I know that is true for hard goods, but I would not believe it for
ordinary canned foods, not without credible citations.
 
Brooklyn1 wrote:



Have you purchased any Bumblebee Solid White Prime Filet tuna?

Again, it is a mistake. Mistakes happen.


The label I have is in fact marked once, in ink.


The contents of the first 80 cans of Bumblebee Solid White Prime
Filet tuna that I have purchased contain only tuna, water, salt,
and (according to the label) Pyrophosphate. There is no other
visible or noticeable ingredient like broth. Unless maybe you
consider salt and water to be broth. And there is no soy.

I have not bought tuna in oil for many years, but I suspect that
when they say "vegetable broth", maybe that is what they are
referring to (for their other tuna) and they are avoiding the word
"oil". But that is speculation about a different subject.

The different cans are marked differently, some "water" and some
"oil". Sometimes they say "spring water". There is no secondary
label on the cans of tuna I am familiar with.

Andy is obviously correct in pointing out the error (thanks for
the pic), but it just means the mistake is being made by
Bumblebee's website and not any store.

http://www.bumblebee.com/products/Default.aspx?familyID=1&productID=16

"INGREDIENTS: WHITE TUNA, WATER, VEGETABLE BROTH, SALT,
PYROPHOSPHATE ADDED. CONTAINS: TUNA, SOY"

That is a simple mistake. If you do not believe me, buy some for
yourself and use your eyes, nose, and superduper tastebuds to
figure it out for yourself.

The ingredients on the can is correct, it says "tuna, water, salt,
and pyrophosphate". And yummy, it's really good stuff,
consistently, for a change.
--
 
In article ,
John Doe wrote:


I get the Bumblebee "Tonno in Olive Oil" which is in the packaging you
describe. I went on a quest to find tuna in oil a year ago, and after
striking out at three or four major stores, I found it at Walmart. I'll
keep an eye out for the albacore next time I'm on a tuna run at Walmart.

leo
 
On 2/12/2011 1:08 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:






Their initial purchase from suppliers may start out better quality
but their never-ending demands for reduced prices require that
manufacturers cut corners over and over to meet the price demands.
No one can lose money over and over again on a contract and stay in
business.

gloria p
 
On Feb 12, 12:19?pm, John Doe wrote:


I don't. My sole use for tuna is tuna salad sandwiches. I often
use equal volumes of tuna and diced sweet onion, plus some celery
and sliced pimiento-stuff green olives, bound with mayonnaise and
seasoned with salt and pepper. Either white or wheat bread,
depending on what I have on hand.

Given all that, the nuances of tuna are pretty much lost on me.
I buy those three-ounce cans of Bumblebee tuna (albacore in
water, or chunk light in water) because I never need more than
three ounces at a time.

Cindy Hamilton
 
Cindy Hamilton wrote:

and
probably

You do not smell or taste it before mixing it?


Nuances? I find the differences to be radical. That is why I
guessed that some of you do not bother to smell or taste canned
tuna before mixing it. Somehow I doubt my nose is any better for
tuna than for any other food, and I notice huge differences. It
also makes sense when you think about it, that catching (and maybe
packaging) ocean fish is not consistent like land farming.

Whatever floats your boat... Have fun.
--
 
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