Store Canned Fish In The Fridge For Tuna Salad That's Perfectly Chilled

We've got plenty of ways to upgrade tuna salad from adding mix-ins to provide crunch to a ranking of the best canned tuna brands to use in the bowl. Anyone who craves the creamy and comforting dish might have their own curation of ingredients to make better tuna salad, but we've got a more unlikely way to upgrade your next bowl — and it involves the tinned fish itself. You probably want your tuna salad chilled, right? Avoid the wait after it's created and place canned tuna directly in the fridge so it's cold from the start.

That's right, store your canned tuna in the fridge instead of in the back of the cupboard or pantry. Canned tuna is a shelf-stable food so it's not necessary, but refrigeration helps elevate the fish in dishes like tuna salad. The time in the fridge allows the tinned fish to maintain its fresh and cold temperature so you don't have to wait for it to cool after it's transformed into tuna salad with mayonnaise and other ingredients. It's best to do this with unopened cans of tuna, because once the lid is peeled open, the metals might rust or pass on unsavory flavors to the fish — so make a double helping of the dish if necessary to avoid food waste.

The fridge is a good short-term store solution for unopened canned tuna, but it can last for up to five years in a cool and dry place like the cupboard according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Some might suggest transferring the canned fish from the aluminum can into an airtight glass container to preserve flavor. Sure, that works but once it's opened its shelf life in the fridge dwindles to four days per the USDA. Once it's made into tuna salad, consume it within three to five days. Remember the fridge should maintain a temperature of 40 degrees Fahrenheit to keep the tuna and the rest of your grub fresh and bacteria-free.

Whenever you decide to make tuna salad, don't forget to drain off any excess liquid before combining it with the other ingredients. Use a fork to break up any big chunks of tuna into flakes so the dish has a finer consistency. Then combine it with condiments like mayonnaise or Dijon mustard to make it creamy and vegetables like celery and red onion for crunch. And if you don't already have a go-to tuna salad recipe, check out our spruced-up tuna salad recipe to use with that chilled can of fish.