Conference turris::cooks

    I've seen worms, too (not sure if they were the same, of course), and
    have cleaned, cooked and eaten the fish, anyway (after having been told
    by a fisherperson friend that various parasites live on the scales,
    gills, and sometimes stomachs and intestines of fish). Obviously I'm
    still here to tell about it. Not very appetizing, I admit, but it could
    mean the fish can't be too long out of water, or the worms would have
    died, too. Of course, when in doubt, don't eat it.
    
    - Mike

    In agreement with comments in .1
    
    This is one reason I will not eat cod...they have the most worms
    I've ever seen! and the bigger they are, the more they have.
    
    We do quite a bit of fishing and have seen worms in both freshwater
    and saltwater fish.  I understand that the colder the waters that
    the fish come from, the less likelihood of parasites. That's what
    I've been told. Don't know how true it is.
    
    I've even opened a can of top grade salmon, and found a little curled
    up wormie on the top...
    
    I go through periods of disgust, stay away from fish for a while
    (or go over it with a "fine tooth comb"), and gradually regain 
    my taste for fish...until the next time.  
    
    After all, these little critters are supposed to be nutritious.
    Remember worm cookies? Whatever happened to that craze...
                 
    I personally heard missionaries from Africa tell of their teenagers
    who tried eating locusts (along with the natives who consider them
    wonderful). 
    
    It's all in your head...(I can say that, because I've got an awful
    lot of mental blocks against stuff like that...)
    
    Clean your fish well, inspect it thoroughly if you must, but then
    enjoy. It's still good for you and your heart.
    
    BTW, I learned something about fish a while back that I didn't know
    before. Sometimes, I'd get a "funny tasting" fish in a restaurant
    -- sort of an ammonia smell or taste to it. I always wondered why
    that was. Well, a restauranteur told me that this means the fish
    has been around too long. Send it back!
    
    P.S.  Do parasites in meats bother you (even if you can't see them?)
    
    
    
    

    I worked in a fish market for four years.  We had worms in our fish
    occasionally.  We picked them out the best we could.  Some fish
    were really infested.  Cod is usually the worst.  They don't hurt
    you, just take them out.
    
    It is true.  If a piece of fish smells really fishy, it is not fresh!!!
    Fresh fish does not smell fishy.  Slimy fillets are not fresh either.
    That means bacteria is growing on it.  If you buy fish at the market,
    always check it out before you buy it.  And try not to buy fish
    at the supermarket.  It is usually older fish; fish the regular
    fish markets reject.
    
    THIS IS A WARNING!  Many fish markets (the one I worked at, anyway)
    put cod in the haddock bin.  Haddock is more expensive and tasty
    and they put cod in it's place when they run out of haddock.  It
    can be quite difficult to tell them apart by sight.  I can tell
    the difference because of my experiance.  Just thought I let you
    know.
    
    dave

    I had the same worm problem about a year ago. When I returned it
    to the store, they said the worms are quite common in the spring
    time especilly on cod. I was told they were harmless but I can't
    say that I've eaten cod since then. I've never had any problem with
    other types of fish.
    

    re .5
    
    Yes that is true.  Cod does get more worms in the spring than any
    other time.
    
    Yes,  there is bugs in everything.  Don't hot dogs have a certain
    amount of bug parts?
    
    What about the bugs we have on our own body?  They might not be
    visible, but they are definately there.  So don't pick on the poor
    fishys!
    
    dave

    
    	At a zoo that I recently went to, the keeper who was feeding
    the seals said that they freeze whole fish for 6 months before feeding
    it to the seals in order to ensure that the seals would not be
    digesting parasites.

    

RE: worms in fish

Yup, wild fish (which, after all, is what we catch and eat, if you don't count
oriental-style carp ponds) can have parasites.  There's no avoiding it.
Provided that the parasites are killed by cooking, there's no problem.  There
is no danger, anyway, from the parasites in salt water fish as they cannot
infect land-dwelling creatures such as human beings (seals, since they live
in salt water, do not share our immunity--some of the critters have evolved to
be able to infect seals and other such sea mammals).  Fresh water fish are
another matter.  They can carry parasites capable of infecting people.

This is why you don't use fresh water fish for sushi, and why it's a good idea
to cook fish thoroughly.


RE: .10

I haven't seen tumors on broccoli, but I've seen them a lot on bell peppers and
on eggplant.  Most people wouldn't even recognize them as tumors.  They are
entirely harmless, eating-wise.

--PSW

    What does everybody mean by tumors?  What do they look like...or
    should I ask?
    
    dave

    We grilled steaks in broad daylight last weekend, and I looked,
    but all I saw was what appeared to be blood vessels - granted, not
    too appetizing, but they didn't look like tumors.  
    
    And I did eat a lot more salad the rest of the weekend!

    
    
    RE 6
     Most red meat has the potential for tumors. Especially beef.
    Commercially grown beef animals are usually injected and/or fed
    a hormone rich diet. This is to cause the animal to attain a size
    in about 18 months to that of a 2 year old. That's why you often
    find a line of gristle across many cuts of beef. An animal raised
    without hormones and allowed to grow for 2 or more years has virtually
    no gristle. (And much more flavor) Beef also have many types of
    parasites that live in the flesh. That's why you have to cook it.
    Venison, on the other hand, has very few (that can be ingested by
    and harm humans). 
    The best advice I could give anyone out there is to raise your own
    or buy from a local butcher that deals in native beef only. Raised
    locally doesn't insure a "no_hormone" diet, but it's more likely
    a local farmer has spent more time and $$ maintaining his pastures
    than stuffing his animals with growth hormones.
    The same goes with chicken. Do a little research about where the
    birds are raised. Chances are the smaller and local chicken farms
    are less likely to spend $$ on growth hormones. Chickens are almost
    always fed medicated feed at least in the first few weeks of life.
    If you've ever raised your own you'd know this. Even the healthiest
    brood will lose a few chicks to disease in the first few weeks.
    The medicated feed is mostly vitamins and general antibiotics. Not
    much need to worry about these though. You should be more concerned
    with the butchering practices. (or do your own.)
    
    
    RE:11
      Unfortunately, there are saltwater parasites that can harm you.
    In tuna there i9s a stomach parasite that causes severe intestinal
    pain within hours after ingesting. This was discovered by a friend
    of mine 1/2 hrs after eating sushi maku. The parasite has to be
    removed by a physician. 
    Freezing fish kills worms and other parasites. Freezing also makes
    bluefish taste like soggy card-board. 
    I have to agree with reply #??. Fresh fish never smells fishy!
    Fresh fish should smell sweet. Like fresh scallops almost.
    I don't agree with the person that stated that haddock was a tasty
    fish. I find haddock to be a tasteless fish. The fish for fish-haters.
    Cod and pollak(polack,pollack???),fresh tuna, mako shark,makeral,cusk
    etc....are the fish with flavor.
    
    I suspect the parasites have always been in/on fish but I'm inclined
    to believe there's an increase due to water quality over the past
    years. Especially on the eastern seaboard. 
    
    That's all for now. I gotta go eat lunch.
    
    
    Rob

    Back in the days when I worked in the fish market we used to get
    very fresh bay scallops (the tiny, sweet ones) that were so fresh
    you could actually rinse them off and eat them raw.  They actually
    smelled good enough to eat raw!  I tried them a few times and of
    course brought some home to cook.
    
    dave

    
    Stop it Dave! I only have a sandwich and salad for lunch!
    
    
    I love raw,
    oysters (New England only)
    little neck clams
    bay scallops (must be fresh)
    thinly sliced fresh tuna (maybe a little tamari on the side)
    squid and octapus (both are better cooked though)
    green sea urchins (from N.E. waters only!)
    
    The sea urchins are especially delicious. I've cooked them but I
    think their better raw. You have to clean off the mouth parts
    (underside)cause it's bony. Scoop out the meat with a spoon.
    
    It's no wonder I hate this cafeteria!
    
    
    
    Rob
    

    
    
    I believe water temperature is directly proportional to density
    of worms in fish. We do not eat perch caught from lake champlain
    after the warm summer months because of the worms that infest the
    flesh directly under the skin. In the spring or early summer the
    same fish are very clean. I suspect that pollution has somthing
    to do with water temperature, especially in the bay areas.
    
    I have never seen worms in brook trout, which is by far the best
    tasting fish in my opinion. 
    
    My brother grows beef and pork so i'm spared the hormone worry.
    Would like to grow my own chickens and turkeys someday.                    
    And of course fresh garden produce..........
    
    

    When I first heard about people finding worms in cod, I thought it was
    an "urban legend".   Well, I had the  batter all made for fish and
    chips tonight, but when I started cutting the fillets into serving
    pieces I discovered these very thin reddish brown worms.  I must have
    cut through a live one, because when I looked closer I could see where
    about 1/4" of the one I had sliced was now protruding from the cut edge
    of the fish.
    
    This is definitely a turn off.
    

    
    RE: .19
    
    Welcome to the real world of food.  It would surprise most people who
    have never been brought up on a farm or been involved producing food-
    stuffs just what they are eating.  We eat many unexpected sources of
    protein and we are not adversely affected by them.
    
    Bob

     Dennis-
    
     The cod worms you noticed, can't remember the technical name right
    now, are NOT a source of hazard to humans. Though I agree with you-
    they aren't especially appetizing either. I generally toss any cod I
    catch that has the worms- my wife is far too squeamish to allow me to
    serve them. :-)
    
     Unfortunately, land-lubbers can be SOL. If you buy your fish, it's
    alot more painful to toss them than when you've already caught a
    freezer full. :-)
    
     The Doctah