Store bought fish

[volshooter]

Yesterday I bought 3 farm raised (USA) catfish fillets cause I had a hankering for some catfish. They looked great and smelled great cooking.
Tasteless. Choked down 1 piece and gave the other 2 to the cats.
Man, that ain't fish. It's closer to styrofoam.
What have they done to fish? I fish several times a week during warm weather. The ones I catch taste good.
I decided to try again and bought wild caught salmon (USA). Nice, oily and full of flavor.
I didn't get to stock my freezer with river fish due to the case of dumbass, worked to much.
Count on this, I will not ever buy farm raised fish again, nor any fish from anywhere outside USA boundaries.
Somebody is messing with our meat, as in how it's grown. Even chicken don't taste like chicken.
It has to be a big business or government plot. I'm going to stop buying meat in food stores. Bland tasting and filled with who knows what. Scary looking at the additives in our food.
Count me out.

 

[sceva]

When I buy fish, it's wild caught. The same with shrimp, wild caught gulf shrimp - not farm raised overseas somewhere under who knows what conditions. I will eat Farm raised catfish if it's US raised. but for the most part I prefer wild due to Antibiotics given the fish, what are they fed, how clean are the conditions.

 

[SAJohn]

Google farmed fish and farmed shrimp to learn what they are fed. On second thought, maybe not.

 

[Colonialgirl]

I just bought Fresh Cod Filets** at the local Publix market yesterday; ALL wild caught and from ICELAND. I've got some frozen cod loins## I bought a couple of weeks ago, ALL WILD CAUGHT from Norway.

** $8.99/Lb Normal price: $12.99/lb
## $5.99/ 10 ounces

 

[Jim Puke]

I've got some frozen cod loins

Are these similar to lamb fryes? :lol:

 

[Viking Queen]

I am with you all on this issue...will not buy any farm raised fish from anywhere.

Wild caught only...or what I or my fisher friend catches.

Soory you had a bad fish experince. I, too, learned the hard way.

VQ

 

[powder smoke]

Cod fillets are outstanding especially pick up are the Fisherman's Co Op Fresh

Got me going CG. ps

 

[Dan in MI]

I saw a show on tv about farm raised fish. They raised tilapia as pond cleaners for the catfish ponds. Mmmmmmmm. :roll:

 

[H.H. Hipshot]

I have noticed the same thing. Supposed catfish that has the texture of a slab of fat. I assume that they are being fed whatever grows them the fastest. Either that, or what we are being served as catfish, is something else.

HHH

 

[BearBio]

Speaking as a biologist with a BS in marine Biology, I will not eat nor serve tilapia or farm-raised salmon.

 

[H.H. Hipshot]

Bear,

Can you explain the lack of texture in the "catfish" I have been served? I would like to know what is up.

HHH

 

[Jimbo357mag]

I actually prefer farm raised Catfish over fresh caught local freshwater fish. The light flavor, low cost and sustainability of the American farm raised Catfish make it a big plus for me. Locally caught fresh water fish taste muddy to me. I don't mind the farm raised Salmon and Shrimp either. Who can afford $20/lb for seafood?

My favorite fish are fresh caught saltwater Snapper, Grouper, Kingfish, Dolphin (Mahi Mahi) and Mackerel all of which I mostly catch myself. :D

 

[jgt]

My wife and I was shopping in a Safeway store in a small township in Oregon once and they had packaged catfish for sale. As we passed by, I ask my wife if I had been away too long. She said, why? I said, that catfish had grown scales. Sure enough, she looked at the package and broke out laughing.

 

[volshooter]

I do have a pond that I occasionally feed the catfish and bluegill Co-op floating catfish food. Once or twice a month I feed, mostly to watch and see what comes up to feed. Really cool to watch a 20+ pound cat surface and munch.
Should I not give them this occasional treat?

 

[mohavesam]

Google farmed fish and farmed shrimp to learn what they are fed. On second thought, maybe not.

Agree & endorse this!

We gave up farmed and bottom-feeding fish years ago. There is much research and evidence on Asian/Chinese diseases and death trends linking farmed fish and bottom-feeders. They have been farming these species for decades.

 

[JackpineWillie]

In St. Paul Mn. some one is raising fish and using the waste water to grow hydroponic vegetables in the old Hamms brewery. Don't know that I would eat either one. But I do have a Hamms once in a while.

 

[WAYNO]

Ya know, although I've fished my whole life, I seldom eat fish.

I know what fresh fish is supposed to smell like. When the local supermarkets, and I'll even name them, Fred Meyer and Safeway, smell like yesterdays bait bucket at their fish counter, I don't know why anybody would buy their fish.

I don't care how fresh they claim their fish to be, there's just no guaranty of how well or how quickly the fish was handled before it made it to the fish counter.

WAYNO.

 

[speedsixman]

Something I have noticed quite a few times, is a 'chemical' or 'metallic' taste in store bought fish. This even happens in cans of tuna and the like.

Only thing I can figure, is that it is from some kind of cleaning chemical used to clean their equipment. Sometimes not too pronounced, but other times so strong that the fish are inedible.

Myron

 

[speedsixman]

WAYNO,

I have observed the stinking fish departments several times. Krogers and Giant Eagle occasionally used to stink so bad you could smell it all the way to the front entrance !
I haven't noticed this recently, though.

Myron

 

[Jeepnik]

I have one rule for fish. And that is if I don't catch it I don't eat it. Now like all rules there needs to be an exception to prove the rule. That exception is canned tuna.

 

[Colonialgirl]

Well, Publix seems to have the cleanest, freshest smelling Fish Departments I have ever run across: they label their offerings as either "Fresh, Never frozen", Or as "Previlously Frozen". I ONLY buy the Catfish Filets, Cod, or sometimes Ocean perch (for my spouse too fishy for me).
The BEST fish I ever ate was a Fresh Caught Channel Cat ( about 12-14 inches) from the Caney river in Bartlesville, OK. It was stuffed with locusts and was really FAT; Tasted good skinned out and fried in butter.

 

[Cholo]

Farm raised fish are not only not good for you in any way, they're very bad for you. I'd rather drink a Big Gulp sized schooner of well used trans fat oil than to eat farm raised fish. Tilapia? Grub places act like it's the finest thing that swims in water, though I'd prefer a scantily clad model in a string bikini, or less :mrgreen:

 

[RKB]

Anything 'farm-raised' in SE Asia is probably raised in pens in the Mekong River, the lower intestine of that continent and one of the largest open sewers on the planet. No, thanks.

 

[hesco]

Tilapia Is a fish? it's the most disgusting slime I've ever spit out.

 

[737tdi]

The wife and I just ate at a small Irish Pub in Waxahachie. I had the Cod fillets and they were wonderful. Meaty, chewy and moist.

I have watched several programs and read some on this subject. It is all about the cost of raising a certain species of fish. The larger the breed of fish the harder it is to farm due to time from minnow to full grown harvestable fish. Tilapia and Catfish are relatively fast growers and thus are cheaper.

When it comes to purchasing fish you are best to use a fish monger rather then a supermarket. He knows, or should know where that particular fish came from and when it came. I have a fairly decent one close to us and the catfish he sales is all Louisiana farmed and has always been spectacular.

As others have said and I agree. Never buy fish farmed in S.E. Asia or China. One big problem with this is that the U.S.D.A just relaxed the rules on imported foods by no longer requiring the country of origin on the package.

One other thing about farmed fish is the problems they are having with river farmed salmon. They are seeing diseases and parasites at very abnormal rates due to the confinement of the salmon and the failure to relocate the pens which builds up excessive feces on the river bottoms.

Still hungry??


Karl

 

[volshooter]

I reckon I can blame my buying fish from a chain store can be blamed on my wife. She does not like the real wild caught fish flavor, too strong. She drowns fish in malt vinegar or ketchup anyway. Not a big fish fan.
She doesn't like farm raised chicken either. Until season starts I will only buy wild caught, after that only fish I catch will cross my table. I'll just buy her a store bought chicken breast to eat while I enjoy real fish. Her loss.
Never understood her dislike to the meats I caught/harvested. She is missing the true flavor of nature's bounty.
My favorite fish are all species of bluegill, cat fish, crappie, bass (Coosa AKA Redeye, smallmouth and large mouth).
I'm laying off store bought chicken, beef and pork. What I'm not raising I can get from friends that do.
The more I look into our food supply the less I like it. I'm going back to my roots.

 

[737tdi]

Vol: I completely understand about folks disliking real food. There are a lot of people who don't like the taste of truly raised beef or chicken. It is a much stronger, healthier, meatier flavor. I don't raise chickens but my neighbors do and we love them and their eggs. There are people who don't like farm eggs, insanity I say. We raise our own beef, feed it and let it graze and drink pond water and it makes the most wonderful T-bones one could ever put in their face. I will admit it is a different taste then the flavor weakened crap you get in the store. Even milk is different and don't get me started on honey. We have perfected the feeding of the world with the worst food ever.

JMO
Karl

 

[BearBio]

Bear,

Can you explain the lack of texture in the "catfish" I have been served? I would like to know what is up.

HHH

If it is really catfish (some studies show that over 50% of fish are "mislabeled=shark sold as swordfish, etc.), it may be the lack of space/overcrowding, hormones, etc). One of the reasons veal is so tender is the lack of exercise and diet. Also, "catfish" is a term, not a species. There are several families of "catfish".

In short, many possible reasons==none good!

Every year at our Christmas staff meeting/open house/potluck, I am asked to make cebiche. I am particular with what I use (Alaskan cod or red snapper only).

We are fortunate here to get fish very fresh, for the most part, since we are just "over the hill" from Seattle. At times fresh halibut, salmon, cod are available as well as live oysters. Seafood restaurants (such as Jake's crawfish in Portland) may have a dozen varieties of oysters and much of our salmon is local Chinook (king) or Coho. Had Chesapeake Bay oysters once in Baltimore==tasted like mud!

Another advantage is fresh Copper River Salmon at a reasonable price. I'm not a salmon fan but Copper River Silvers====Ummmmmmmmm! Every year, I get a pound or more of home-caught, home-smoked Chinook from a buddy in the office!

 

[ChiefMuzz]

Bear,

Can you explain the lack of texture in the "catfish" I have been served? I would like to know what is up.

HHH

If it is really catfish (some studies show that over 50% of fish are "mislabeled=shark sold as swordfish, etc.), it may be the lack of space/overcrowding, hormones, etc). One of the reasons veal is so tender is the lack of exercise and diet. Also, "catfish" is a term, not a species. There are several families of "catfish".

In short, many possible reasons==none good!

Every year at our Christmas staff meeting/open house/potluck, I am asked to make cebiche. I am particular with what I use (Alaskan cod or red snapper only).

We are fortunate here to get fish very fresh, for the most part, since we are just "over the hill" from Seattle. At times fresh halibut, salmon, cod are available as well as live oysters. Seafood restaurants (such as Jake's crawfish in Portland) may have a dozen varieties of oysters and much of our salmon is local Chinook (king) or Coho. Had Chesapeake Bay oysters once in Baltimore==tasted like mud!

Another advantage is fresh Copper River Salmon at a reasonable price. I'm not a salmon fan but Copper River Silvers====Ummmmmmmmm! Every year, I get a pound or more of home-caught, home-smoked Chinook from a buddy in the office!

Nothing like a fresh ceviche....
There's a fantastic restaurant in downtown Pittsburgh that has a variety of amazing Ceviche's they serve with plantain chips. It sounds a little odd but is wonderful. Now I may have to make a trip down there in the next couple weeks....

 

[Jimbo357mag]

Next you guys will be complaining that they pump too much water into the meat. Heck it's only about 20% of the weight. How do they get it in there? :D