Today, I'll tell you about the one thing that's NEVER on my list. Ready for it?
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| Northern Catch Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water |
I'm not saying that I've never tried it - I have, several times. And I've ALWAYS been disappointed. It will be a very long time before I try it again.
See the can of Northern Catch tuna pictured above? It's solid white Albacore tuna - typically, that's the best canned tuna you're going to find in the average supermarket, and usually the most expensive. It's certainly the most expensive can of tuna Aldi sells. Solid white Albacore is the tuna I prefer for eating right out of the can or making a tuna salad or casserole. It's firm and meaty with large flakes, and it can stand up to being combined with other ingredients without loosing it's texture. It has a mild flavor and tastes less"fishy" and oily to me than other tunas. Yes, it's more expensive than chunk light tuna, but to me, the difference in quality is worth the additional cost.
But here's the problem - evidently what Aldi thinks solid means and what I think solid means are two different things. Take a look at the picture below. On the left is Aldi's Northern Catch Solid White Albacore Tuna in Water. On the right is a can of tuna from another local grocery store. It's not a national brand, it's the store's own house brand. Check out the difference...
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| Northern Catch tuna on the left, the other store brand on the right. |
Which one looks more appealing to you? The Aldi brand on the left looks like it's made up of mushy, flaked bits and pieces, whereas the other can looks like it contains big, solid pieces of tuna. It seems to me that if the tuna is going to be labeled as "solid", it should be just that. The Northern Catch tuna simply isn't.
Appearance is one thing, but how does it taste?Well, it turns out he flavor isn't nearly as good as the other store-brand tuna either. The store brand is moist and mild, flaky yet firm. The Northern Catch tuna has a much stronger, fishy taste that leads me to believe it comes from lower-quality fish.
But here's the real kicker. The tuna at Aldi is actually MORE expensive per can than the other store's tuna - and not just by a couple of cents. On the day I bought the can in the picture, it was priced a full THIRTY CENTS MORE! Plus, the can of Northern Catch tuna weighs 5 ounces, and the other can is SIX ounces!
So, you're paying more money for a lesser amount of a lower quality product. That's very "UN-Aldi-like". What in the world are they thinking? Aldi does so many things well - it's frustrating and puzzling to see them miss the boat on a simple, staple item like this.
Aldi has really been pushing the head-to-head product comparisons lately - Well, guess what Aldi, I just put your Northern Catch Solid White Albacore Tuna up against a local store's in-house brand, and you couldn't compete - it's not even close. Sorry, but I've come to expect better from you.
And that's why I never buy tuna from Aldi.
-Jeff the Aldi Shopper
The store brand definitely!
ReplyDeletethat is Wegmans tuna! I swear by it as well! It's a steal!
ReplyDeleteRight you are, Theresa! It's been priced at 79¢ for as long as I can remember, and they say that price will hold through the end of the year. I eat a lot of tuna - I pick up 6 cans every time I go there, whether I need it or not!
ReplyDeleteI'm trying to stock up on the Wegman's tuna incase the price goes up in January. We'll definately finish it well before it expires!
ReplyDeleteTheresa - I was just there last night intending to add a few more cans to my stockpile. All they had on the shelf was a dozen or so dented cans, and a sign saying that the albacore tuna was in short supply. Do you have the same problem at your store?
ReplyDeleteAldi canned pink salmon is a cut above and a fair deal at $2.29 for 15oz. Got some and put it to the test.
ReplyDeleteHi, I just wanna make sure that everyone knows that Albacore and traditional "Chunk Light" tuna are NOT from the same fish.
ReplyDeleteTuna is not like Chicken with white and dark meat on the same bird.
Albacore is expensive cause they want you to believe its somehow more Chi-Chi Fru-Fra, like a premium cut of Filet Mignon to ground chuck.
People pay more cause they are conditioned and conned into thinking its more higher class...
Aldi's says "albacore" on the label. I find that if you write to them at the Illinois address expressing your disappointment with the tuna, that they will respond. They always do. And to your satisfaction as well.
DeleteI've had the exact opposite experience. Northern catch is always solid and white or pinkish. Never nasty looking like the can you posted.
DeleteI HAVE ALWAYS HAD GOOD LUCK WITH THE SOLID WHITE ALBACORE TUNA(ALDI BRAND), IT IS HARD TO BELIEVE THESE NEGATIVE COMMENTS. PLEASE BRING IT BACK.
DeleteI like the northern catch it has never looked like her can funny it’s a good tuna and pole caught which is the best tuna fish to eat
DeleteI wish I read this before buying. I can confirm this is still accurate. The aldi albacore tuna is gross. I opened 3 cans today they were all discolored and I had to throw them out. half was white, normal looking and other parts looked rotten. I'll steer clear in the future. I will stick with the pouches in the future. Bumblebee or even store brands like Tops or wegmans (western ny) I've never had a problem with.
DeleteEVERY CAN OF SOLID WHITE I'VE EVER HAD HAS BEEN SOLID WHITE. NEVER DISAPPOINTED
ReplyDeleteI eat a LOT of tuna and have for years. I've been eating Aldi's Northern Catch for a very long time. It used to be pretty comparable to the other brands and cheaper. However recently EVERY can is nothing but MUSH. In fact, I've started calling it Northern Mush. I'm going to start looking for another brand.
ReplyDeleteIt's so bad that I question if it's tuna or something made in a lab.
ReplyDeleteI just bought and opened my can of Aldi solid white tuna and was VERY impressed - real solid, white tuna - like the old days - and 100% happy compared to top brands - I even called my mother to tell her about it. Very odd to read this review - maybe you got a mislabeled can?
ReplyDeleteI buy the Northern Catch Chunk Light Tuna from Aldi regularly; it is cheaper than other stores in our area and excellent quality. My husband is extremely particular about tuna and store brands, so I was glad when he was so impressed with it because that means we can save some money!
ReplyDeleteDitto Ditto Ditto - Northern Catch should be labeled - "Mush Light Tuna"
ReplyDeleteWeird... I always buy the solid white albacore from Aldi and have never had an issue...looks just like the can on the right, large chunks and very light colored.
ReplyDeleteBeware I just opened a can of northern catch & I found a fish scale & a bone. I will never buy tuna from aldi's again.
ReplyDeleteIf you read the label it says right on it: “MAY CONTAIN BONES” I’m not kidding. If I could post a photo I would.
DeleteAlbacore tuna contains more mercury than other tuna. You should consider getting yellowfin instead if you consume tuna everyday.
ReplyDeleteAlbacore tuna contains more mercury than other tuna. You should consider getting yellowfin instead if you consume tuna everyday.
ReplyDeleteAlbacore tuna contains more mercury than other tuna. You should consider getting yellowfin instead if you consume tuna everyday.
ReplyDeleteI've had the same issues with northern catch tuna. I have even found bones in it.
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DeleteIf you read the label it says right on it: “MAY CONTAIN BONES” I’m not kidding. If I could post a photo I would.
Ive never had ANY issue with Aldi Tunas and its the only place I get it. My experience is the opposite...nice large chunks at Aldis, not so much with others....which is why I only buy Aldi's these days.
ReplyDeleteI bought my 1st 2 cans of tuna at Aldis and I was pretty disgusted by what I saw when I opened it up to the point where I'm not even sure if it's edible .It is the sustainably caught SKIPJACK by Northern Catch. It looks like small white worm masses are in it. Ugh
ReplyDeleteI just recently bought and opened the Northern Catch solid white albacore tuna from my local Aldis and it looked exactly like the the store brand can on the right in your photo not the left one. It was solid and firm, very tasty and I will buy it again.
ReplyDeleteI just had a can of Aldi's Northern Catch Solid White Tuna Albacore in water, last night. It was so good and had a mild slightly sweet taste. Usually most canned fish to me have a bit of a bitter taste so I have to add some Stevia Sweetener to make it eatable and cut the bitter aftertaste. I absolutely LOVED it! In fact when I woke up this morning I found the empty can and took a picture of it so I could find out where it was sold. To my delight it was ALDI! Will definitely be buying more next grocery trip.
ReplyDeleteI also just had a can of Aldis solid white tuna and it was one solid nice chunk of tuna!! Actually it looked like the can pictured above on the right! It is really hard for me to believe that about the Aldis tuna because all the recent cans i have had this past week have been great! Not fishy either and i am Very picky about the taste of tuna.The truth is Aldis solid white tuna was so solid that i had to break it apart with my fork so i just can't agree with the negative review of Aldis Northern catch solid white tuna review.
ReplyDeleteI’m laughing at everyone with recent comments saying they can’t believe this review because they’ve had a good experience with Aldi tuna....you all realize this review is NINE years old and products often change drastically in that amount of time, right? 😆 A 9 year old review may be obsolete due to product changes....
ReplyDeleteOk so I will never buy tuna from Aldi again ,what I found today what like pieces of wood and even smelled like it.and did looked like the one on the left pictured
ReplyDelete