Are you sure that rotten Fish is safe to eat?

[fireball]

Hey guys,

Is rotten fish definitely safe to eat? I'm quite afraid of eating a lot of it. Why is rancid fermented cod liver oil bad and rancid fish.. herring for example not bad? Why did people salt there fish when fermenting and not just leave it without?

Reading stories like these scares me:
https://eu.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/04/15/globalpost-egypt-dangerous-delicacy/25813253/

Also seeing people say on the internet that you can die from eating rotten food.

I've attached a photo of one herring i've had in a jar for a few weeks. It completely breaks down without any stirring needed. I've also attached a few herring I've had in a jar for 9 days now. It's becoming smelly and slimy.

[smokeyquartz]

Hi,

I'm new here and not all raw yet.  Just thought I would share some things with you that strike me from reading the article.

The article is dated 2015 and it says "The most recent figures show that two people died from eating fesikh in 2010, and the same number in 2009." They had to go back 5 years to find two deaths.  And you don't know the medical history of those two people.

From 1998-2016,  21 people have died from eating hot dogs and 33 people died from eating cantaloupe. (I tried to post a link but the site wouldn't let me). However, people continue to eat hot dogs and cantaloupe without fear of death.  Hot dogs are popular on holidays and at fairs and around celebrations.  Just like this fish is popular at this festival/holiday. 

The only way not to get food poisoning is to never eat food.  But I do understand your concern and hopefully one of the more expert members can discuss.

[MeateorMan]

I am a fan of rotten fermented fish I made fermented tuna before keeping small diced pieces of tuna in a large glass jar outside in a shady spot during the hot summer months. I fermented it for about one month and it came out quite nicely. It looked just like the fish in your jar. The stench was horrendous and the flavor was powerful.  I aired out the jar twice a day .  The 1 time bugs did get in I just left the lid on for 3 days untill the oxygen ran out and the bugs died then I just continued airing it out as usual.
I made a video of my experience
 https://youtu.be/ktUWBFlX_94
 For making high fish I would use the best quality fish possible never frozen and prefer abbly not farmed fish. Just fresh wild fish. That fish you have their looks excellent.

[FRANCIS HOWARD BOND]

Problems encountered by Inuits related to their use of plastic containers in recent times which caused a biological degrade of their meat and fish in contact with it.    Avoid use of plastic containers except for an outer shield and air the contents frequently.    Fish and meat can even be fermented at higher temperatures as explained above.

(Thanks for joining Raw Paleo Diet Forum particularly as your advice is needed at this time.    Welcome to the Forum and thanks again!)

[a_real_man]

Welcome!
If it's repulsive - refrain.

[fireball]

Thank you all for your replies. I have posted about this before.. mainly about meat but I also mentioned fish i think. I felt a bit silly posting again but I thought it would be better to as it is rotten fish. I feel better about eating the high fish now. I will eat some today

I thought i'd let everyone know that I am using glass jars and you should too. I wouldn't use plastic. If kept out of the fridge then air it at least once a day. I've got a cooler box and add 2 or 3 ice packs changing them every day. It's not ultra cool though. The fish I use is wild herring from the sea. I've eaten it raw when not rotten and it's fine.

[fireball]

I am a fan of rotten fermented fish I made fermented tuna before keeping small diced pieces of tuna in a large glass jar outside in a shady spot during the hot summer months. I fermented it for about one month and it came out quite nicely. It looked just like the fish in your jar. The stench was horrendous and the flavor was powerful.  I aired out the jar twice a day .  The 1 time bugs did get in I just left the lid on for 3 days untill the oxygen ran out and the bugs died then I just continued airing it out as usual.
I made a video of my experience
 https://youtu.be/ktUWBFlX_94
 For making high fish I would use the best quality fish possible never frozen and prefer abbly not farmed fish. Just fresh wild fish. That fish you have their looks excellent.

Hey I saw your video a while back. Good stuff.. i like seeing people show their preparation online. I agree that the stench is horrendous. I think fish is one of the strongest. I can smell it really strong even when the jars are sealed. I agree that it's best to use fresh wild fish. I use wild herring. I also eat when it's not rotten too.

[surfsteve]

I never cared for rotten anything. I suppose yogurt, natto and vinegar would be exceptions and alcohol now that I think about it. Presently I don't consume any of those things on my diet. I love the taste of vinegar but am using fresh lemon instead which is ten times better.

[Onlymistert]

Rotten meat is always safe to eat. Bacteria is all good. Fermented foods will act as stronger cleansers than their fresh counterparts. It may start detox, so if you arent prepared to go through it dont eat it til ur ready. It wont always do that. But remember its only making u stronger. In 40 years when ur 100% healthy doing the diet 100% the fermented foods wont affect u bc u will be toxin free

[FRANCIS HOWARD BOND]

Any progress with rotten Fish since July 3, 2019?    How are you getting on Fireball?

[TylerDurden]

Everyone has different tastes. Some like aged, raw horsemeat, some prefer their raw innards aged etc.

[dariorpl]

Rotten meat is always safe to eat. Bacteria is all good. Fermented foods will act as stronger cleansers than their fresh counterparts. It may start detox, so if you arent prepared to go through it dont eat it til ur ready. It wont always do that. But remember its only making u stronger. In 40 years when ur 100% healthy doing the diet 100% the fermented foods wont affect u bc u will be toxin free

If the food or the environment it's in is toxic, when it starts to ferment, there will be toxic byproducts that could be very dangerous, even deadly. I suspect this is where most of the deaths from consuming fermented foods come from.

[fireball]

Any progress with rotten Fish since July 3, 2019?    How are you getting on Fireball?

Hey there.

I'm sorry for not keeping you updated. I eat a bit of the fish off the end of a wooden spoon a few times with no problems at all. I then ended up throwing the rest away because I left it unaired out of the fridge for over a week and didn't want to risk eating it. It would have probably been fine to eat but I didn't want to risk something bad happening.

I've stopped the high meat stuff for now because it's a bit awkward to do with the people around me. I will start doing it again when i'm in a better environment. I think high fish is definitely the smelliest. You've got to make sure there's no-one around where you're storing it because you can smell it even when the jar is sealed. It's also a real pain when leaving it out when it's hot outside because of flies. I think it's a good idea to use a fridge and much safer.

I've been eating the meat (cow and lamb heart, liver, deer) I have left that has been in the back of the fridge for a month. I think the longest i've left it unaired is around 10 days. But they are much cooler in the back of the fridge. I haven't felt like eating them on their own because it does take some effort so i've been blending them in a smoothie with raw vegetables. I know mixing meat with vegetables isn't good according to Aajonus. I'm just trying to get rid of it quickly.

[FRANCIS HOWARD BOND]

Pleased you are enjoying the high Fish, and you could probably have just aired the remainder to eat instead of throwing it away.    Wise to be cautious at first, and refer to Newbies advice section of this Forum for useful information.

Sorry you have stopped because of proximity to other people, but you can continue when clear.    Agree high Fish probably the smelliest, but you get to enjoy the smell, and eventually like it.    Your choice of other meats is sensible, and best to avoid Chicken and Pork until you are more used to the diet, but do not forget them.     If blending a smoothie with raw vegetables appeals, just try it.

Eventually you should be able to extend your selection to include items for which you have developed interest and these will extend your capabilities.    You may even ignore the flies in future and experience delicacies that Sabertooth likes!

[FRANCIS HOWARD BOND]

Wondered if anyone still interested in this topic?    Continue to enjoy this food myself and condition fish to suit my taste.

[Onlymistert]

Take this back, it can be dangerous in some cases. I dont know how to delete comments

[FRANCIS HOWARD BOND]

Please give more details of what you consider is unsafe with this practice?