How to Tell If Canned Fish Is Spoiled

Canned food fills our pantry for simple meals and standbys. You never know when you might be stuck at home for a long time and need to be able to cook. Or, you may just be a planner who likes to keep your canned foods well-stocked for meals and everyday use.

Canned foods usually have a "shelf life", but how can you really tell if your canned fish has really gone bad? Interestingly, you can get some tips and tricks to help you know if canned fish has gone bad.

In this guide, we will present you with some very basic tips so you know when to throw away your canned fish.

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1. Check the date

Often, canned food can still be consumed past the best before date. This date is to ensure quality over time.

That's the starting point. If you're at all concerned about fish going bad, you can check the date and use this tip in conjunction with some of our other tips to really know if you should throw it away.

2. Smell

A good way to determine if your fish is bad is to take a good whiff. When you open the can, you will likely smell an odor. It won't smell like fish, but it will smell pungent or even slightly sour, rather than like canned fish.

If you notice a pungent or spoiled odor, we recommend that you throw it away and wash your hands to make sure you don't have any spoiled mess on you.

3. Leaky cans

Don't eat fish if there are any leaks in the cans. Leaky cans don't happen often, but they can happen.

If your can of fish is leaking, it means that the preservation process is faulty and is no longer being preserved by the can it is in. Leaky cans mean you shouldn't even think about the meat, just throw it away.

4. Corrosion

If you notice corrosion or rust on the can, it is probably better to be safe than sorry. Corrosion can cause pinhole-sized holes to appear on the surface of the can. These holes are relatively small and you may not even be able to actually see them.

It's best not to take any chances. If you find canned fish showing signs of corrosion, it means that air and possibly moisture can even get into the food in the can and you should throw it away.

5. Discoloration

This would be an obvious way to tell if your food is spoiled.

Spoiled fish will usually have dark brown streaks, and the streaks may even appear black. These streaks will be an obvious discoloration through the meat and you should never try to eat it.

Sometimes, fish may also turn green, which is another sign of fish spoilage. If your fish has any such discoloration, it is not safe to eat.

6. Dents

We're not saying you can't eat food from a can with dents. Many grocery stores will reduce the cost of damaged canned food because the damage may negatively affect the expiration date.

Dents, especially on the lid, can mean that pressure has been released from the can and you don't even know it. If you find a dent in the top lid of a can, we recommend that you throw it away.

7. Explosion

A can sitting in a cabinet may not explode (although it is possible). However, if you open the jar and something explodes or sticks out of the jar, this indicates a problem. Sometimes, the can may even bulge.

You may hear an explosion, or your food may quickly pour out when you open the can, either way, this is not a good sign for fish.

Just clean up the mess and throw it all away. fish sucks, something about the canning process doesn't work.

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If all else fails and your fish doesn't seem to have anything out of the ordinary, take a bite. If the fish doesn't taste right or has a bad odor, we won't take any chances.

When it comes to food, especially canned food, it's better to throw it away rather than risk making yourself sick. fish is cheap, and it's not worth risking your health to save a can of fish.

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