# So how do you make your tuna salad? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 10, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631 "2010-12-10T05:19:26Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 5:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/1 "2010-12-10T05:19:26Z")
For me, there’s two kinds: normal and sweet. Most of the time I do normal: mayo, oil pack tuna (preferably Star Kist Fillet). When I feel like making an effort I might add scallions, celery, capers, olives, parsley or cilantro. Sweet: also mayo (miracle whip when I was a kid) and sweet relish or pickles. Nothing else. I loved oil pack as a kid, switched to water pack as an adult, then drifted back to oil pack about 8 years ago. I had to use boatloads of mayo with waterpack, I use barely any with oil pack, I figure its a wash. If you like oil pack and you can find it, try Star Kist fillet… excellent **solid** light tuna. Chunk light is too choppy. ---
**Author:** ![Oly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oly/32/8255_2.png) [@Oly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oly)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/2 "2010-12-10T06:01:40Z")
I admire your tested allegiance to oil pack. When I was a kid that was what was in the house. Our cats knew the sound of a can opener puncturing the seal of a can of anything. They came running looking for tuna oil run off. I felt bad when it was a can of kidney beans. I’m a water pack man myself. Agree with the normal vs sweet. Noraml = mayo, celery, olives (green are a treat), plenty of pepper and sometimes dill pickles. Sweet = as above but sweet pickles instead of dill. I lived for a while is Australia and was thoroughly impressed with the canned tuna flavors they offered there. Curry. Chilie. Lemon-garlic. Others. Miss it. ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/3 "2010-12-10T06:16:17Z")
Usually I just add mayo. Sometimes I add mustard, and very occasionally I add relish. If I have a hardboiled egg in the house, I dice it and add it too. And the cats all come running to get tuna juice, even the cat who doesn’t like people food. ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/4 "2010-12-10T06:19:32Z")
I mix three large cans of tuna tuna with one yellow onion chopped very finely, around half a jar of Hellman’s mayonnaise, two tablespoons of relish, a tablespoon or so of Tree of Life yellow mustard, and a small fillet of smoked Alaskan salmon crumbled into little pieces. I put a little pepper, salt and sugar in and mix it well. ---
**Author:** ![Leiko](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c5a1d2/32.png) [@Leiko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leiko)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/5 "2010-12-10T06:21:58Z")
Water pack, local grocery store (Top Food/Haggen) house brand, only buy it when it goes on sale but then buy lots tuna, Best Foods mayo, and sweet onions are mandatory. Peperoncini and kosher dills are near mandatory, but sometimes instead of kosher dill I use those tarragon-y little pickles from Trader Joe’s. In that case, less peperoncini. If it’s turning into a tuna melt, fontina or pepper jack, shredded fresh, depending on my mood. ---
**Author:** ![Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a88e57/32.png) [@Fried\_Dough\_Ho](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fried_Dough_Ho)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/6 "2010-12-10T06:26:14Z")
I don’t particularly care if the tuna is oil or water-packed. I like my tuna salad with curry. Tuna, a squeeze of lemon, mayonnaise, Shilling curry (it is very mild), celery, peas (those frozen kind are perfect - just run them under a little water to thaw), and right before serving, crispy Chinese noodles. ---
**Author:** ![gladtobeblazed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/85f322/32.png) [@gladtobeblazed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gladtobeblazed)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/7 "2010-12-10T06:47:58Z")
Mayo, sweet pickles and red onion. ---
**Author:** ![Lucky\_13](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lucky_13/32/13209_2.png) [@Lucky\_13](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lucky_13)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/8 "2010-12-10T06:51:09Z")
For me, it has to be water-packed. I like to add mayo, lemon juice, chopped onion and tomato, and diced celery if I have any. I like to eat it in a sandwich or with Ritz crackers, but I’ll also eat it with pita chips. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/9 "2010-12-10T07:08:28Z")
I avoid solid white. Oil only. I’ve used fresh tuna, but I usually don’t want to turn that into salad. Someone tipped me off that imported, canned tuna from Italy, Portugal or Spain can be more flavorful than the typical American brands. The imported brands change at the local groceries, but I haven’t found a bad one yet. I like onion, but some people think its too strong, so I’ll substitute scallions for their sake. Pickle relish, coarse ground black pepper, and celery salt. A minimum of quality mayo, and lightly mixed, I’m not big on tuna pudding. I;ve seen and sampled varieties that included walnuts, carrots, cranberries, and hot peppers and among other things. Interesting, but I didn’t find them to add much to the dish itself (although I want any or all of those things in chicken salad). ---
**Author:** ![Stoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stoid/32/272_2.png) [@Stoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stoid)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/10 "2010-12-10T07:32:57Z")
> [@Lynn\_Bodoni](#): > > Usually I just add mayo. Sometimes I add mustard, and very occasionally I add relish. > > If I have a hardboiled egg in the house, I dice it and add it too. > > And the cats all come running to get tuna juice, even the cat who doesn’t like people food. Dogs like tuna juice just as much as kitties, you know. And we always added egg when I was a kid but I stopped years ago. I like egg or tuna, not both anymore. ---
**Author:** ![Magiver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/4491bb/32.png) [@Magiver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Magiver)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/11 "2010-12-10T07:40:41Z")
water packed tuna,mayo,pickle relish,more pickle relish, celery,dill, pepper. ---
**Author:** ![missred](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/missred/32/14096_2.png) [@missred](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/missred)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 7:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/12 "2010-12-10T07:45:29Z")
I do mayo and no-mayo tuna salad. The mayo is albacore tuna in water, drained, scallions, a toe of garlic and if they’re handy, a chopped hard boiled egg and chopped black olives or sweet relish (the olives or sweet relish is definitely an or thing) and a minimal amount of Hellman’s mayo. The no-mayo is albacore tuna in water, drained, chopped red bell pepper, red onion, chopped black olives, a toe of garlic and Italian dressing. Weird, I know, but good. I’ve been known to make fish salad subbing whatever leftover broiled or poached fish from the night before in either of these. ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/13 "2010-12-10T11:15:59Z")
\*Waterpack tuna, solid white albacore flaked by me. \*Brunoise of onion, celery and carrot, and perhaps garlic dill pickle if I have them. \*I cheat and use presliced black olives, that makes it a childhood comfort food sort of thing =) \*Hellmans Mayo - while I do like miracle whip for some things, it must be Hellmans. \*scant half teaspoon of mustard powder, I tend to get Colemans brand. I may or may not garnish with hungarian half sharp paprika. Depends on my mood. I like to make open face sandwiches out of it on wasa crisp bread, rye type, or the wedge shaped crisp breads from IKEA that comes in the blue wrapper. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 11:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/14 "2010-12-10T11:48:52Z")
Water packed tuna, solid white if I can find it at a decent enough price, otherwise chunk light; drain well, watch kitties fight over tuna juice; fresh-ground black pepper, sweet pickle relish, finely diced celery, mayonnaise (_not_ Miracle Whip). This mixture must be served on lightly toasted wheat bread, with 2 Claussen dill pickle spears on the side. (I make my pickles extra-garlicky by adding a couple of cloves of peeled garlic to the jar when I get it home from the store; then I pop it in the back of the fridge for a couple of weeks to let the garlic infuse throughout the brine). The balance of the sweet tuna salad and the garlicky dill pickles is perfect. ---
**Author:** ![PunditLisa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/4af34b/32.png) [@PunditLisa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PunditLisa)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 12:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/15 "2010-12-10T12:45:28Z")
Water packed albacore. 2 T lite Hellmann’s Mayo Lots of yellow mustard Diced sweet onion Boiled egg, if I’m not being lazy ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/16 "2010-12-10T13:07:24Z")
Water-pack tuna, drained 0 % fat yogurt diced apple raisins diced scallions or onions curry powder mush to a pudding-like consistency ---
**Author:** ![ministryman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f6c823/32.png) [@ministryman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ministryman)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/17 "2010-12-10T14:32:58Z")
Water packed (my wife hates all tuna except in Ahi form and can’t stand the smell of tuna oil), mayo, garlic, paprika, onions, dill (not sweet) relish, and pepperoncinis. Damn, I’m hungry now… ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/18 "2010-12-10T15:02:07Z")
Water-packed tuna, minced onion, lots of hard-boiled egg, dill relish, mayo. **minstryman** , another dill-relish lover! ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/19 "2010-12-10T15:16:19Z")
Tuna fish with relish in it is the work of Satan. Anything so violently disgusting cannot be made in sight of a benevolent god. Tuna fish: mayo, some diced celery, and a ton of black pepper. I wouldn’t frown at garlic, onion, or scallions, I just don’t add them myself. Water pack. Oil pack is better, but not so much better that its worth the calories, ad I’m adding mayo anyway. ---
**Author:** ![norinew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/eb9ed0/32.png) [@norinew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/norinew)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2010, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631/20 "2010-12-10T15:16:27Z")
> [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](#): > > Water-pack tuna, drained > 0 % fat yogurt > diced apple > raisins > diced scallions or onions > curry powder > > mush to a pudding-like consistency Mmmm. The raisins, apple and scallions sound good. Next time I buy raisins, I must try this! The scallions would balance out the sweetness of the raisins and apple, the way the vinegar in the sweet pickle relish balances the sweetness there. Obviously, if I try the raisins/apple/scallions, I won’t be adding sweet pickle relish! Sounds like a more interesting texture, too. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-how-do-you-make-your-tuna-salad/563631.md?page=2)