People Aren't Sure If This Tinned Fish Hack Is Genius Or Flat Out Unsafe

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Canned fish is experiencing an unexpected resurgence in popularity right now, with youthful influencers dubbing the old-school Boomer snack of sardines on toast a health food and embracing the tinned seafood that was, for a long time, considered an outré relic of days gone by. Humble canned fish — or "tinfish," as some cutely call it – is cheap, nutritious, and surprisingly yummy. Bonafide gourmands like those at the New York Times have even dropped their power rankings of the many brands of canned fish, including bougie comers like Fishwife, which sells a spendy starter pack of its fishy offerings. No longer are folks just using canned fish for lunchtime sandwiches or the cultural oddity that is the British tuna-stuffed jacket (baked) potato.

We've seen folks on social media trying some pretty audacious (and delicious!) hacks to new, creative tinfish meals and snacks. On Instagram, one user made a cheesy mackerel bake – Slap Yo Mama Cajun seasoning was involved, along with loads of freshly-grated Parm. A TikTok creator made "oysters redneckafeller" by using one of the many canned oyster types plus toppings like hot sauce and bagged cheese. Both recipes, interestingly, were cooked right in the tin can. Sure, it's both convenient and aesthetically pleasing to prep, cook, and serve fish right in the container you bought it in, but is it safe? Numerous internet denizens couldn't manage to agree on the matter, even if the expert consensus was that, yes, technically a fish can is an okay-ish cooking vessel as long as the can's lining is BPA-free.

"We probably don't want to know about the PFAS and microplastics levels in canned fish," one Redditor opined, referring to the controversial can liners. On another thread, a user took influencers to task for irresponsibly cooking canned fish just to make meals tailored to the 'Gram: "The thing is even if you can gently cook tinned fish more in the can you'd have to do it at a very controlled, low temperature. Sticking it in the oven will be too much heat. [...] It would be cool if a company made sardine tin shaped cookware since aesthetics are the only reason people cook in tins." Multiple Reddit users made frightening claims about courting cancer risks with canned fish cooked in tins, or insulted those who would be foolish enough to do such a thing.

Interestingly, there is some small proof that lower temperatures might be acceptable for cooking canned fish, since manufacturers use heat to treat and seal the cans at the factory. The danger might be exposing the cans to higher heat, such as when concocting yummy broiled toppings ... a very popular commonality in many canned fish preparations. While it's true that you don't achieve the dainty, retro vibe of serving tinned fish in its adorable container, there's nothing wrong with buying some small, equally picturesque stoneware ramekins and making your fishy delights in those. The phrase "better safe than sorry" exists for a reason, after all.