Tinned Fishes
I promised a couple weeks ago that I would share my taste bud experience with a variety of canned, tinned fish.
Well, I will start by saying after a couple of decades since my last foray into this culinary subject that my old "can't get past the smell to put it in my mouth" has finally been conquered! So far, the tender little aquatic dumplings haven't smelled too bad at all!!
My only complaint would be economic, but surely inflation has hit the canned fish industry about the same as everything else in the last 20 years or so. In my area of northern lower Michigan the price for sardines, kippers, herring, mackerel, and such run the range from $1.49 to the whopping $3.99 a can. With most selling for $2.99.
The low dollar stuff were Bumble Bee brand printed cans (no fancy wrappers) large sized sardines (3 fish per can) packed in both soybean oil and mustard sauce. Eating these were just OK and I am glad they were not the first fish I tried or I would probably have stopped right there. Fortunately, I hit the top of the line, top priced kippers and herring first! Proving, to me anyway, that you get what you pay for! I bought several cans of these because they were the cheapest. I ate a can of each variety and will save the rest in my SHTF stash. Or if the Mrs. decides to adopt another cat...….:#
Another very good brand IMHO that I ran across were Brunswick Sardines. Printed plastic wrapped cans packed in both olive oil and mustard sauce. Small sized fish but large enough to top 2 crackers each and a great fish flavor that was not overbearing. These were $2.99 a can.
My favorite sardine pick were the King Oscar wild caught two layer (12 - 22 fish per can) in extra virgin olive oil. VERY tasty one fish per Townhouse cracker. About melt in your mouth good and I might add that they also enhanced the flavor of the beer I was drinking. Priced at $2.99
The Bar Harbor Kippers were smoked, skinned, boneless herring and were very easy to hit on for their least fishiness and mildness. I liked them and would recommend them for folks who have never tried tinned fish other than tuna! They were packaged in a fancy box with the can sliding out the side. High end priced here at $3.99 a can.
King Oscar definitely tops the charts in their kipper lineup! I've already eaten several cans of their wild caught, lightly smoked herring fillets and will continue to buy more for the top of the line priced $3.99 a can here. They make a great snack and would make a meal with just a few crackers, some good cheese and a cold brew!
I mentioned earlier that I also bought a can of smoked oysters and when I checked the can, found they were made in China. Those too will be placed in storage for a day when my ribs are showing through my T shirt.
That's it for now! Will add more when I find other offers on the emptying shelves of my local grocers!
Well, I will start by saying after a couple of decades since my last foray into this culinary subject that my old "can't get past the smell to put it in my mouth" has finally been conquered! So far, the tender little aquatic dumplings haven't smelled too bad at all!!
My only complaint would be economic, but surely inflation has hit the canned fish industry about the same as everything else in the last 20 years or so. In my area of northern lower Michigan the price for sardines, kippers, herring, mackerel, and such run the range from $1.49 to the whopping $3.99 a can. With most selling for $2.99.
The low dollar stuff were Bumble Bee brand printed cans (no fancy wrappers) large sized sardines (3 fish per can) packed in both soybean oil and mustard sauce. Eating these were just OK and I am glad they were not the first fish I tried or I would probably have stopped right there. Fortunately, I hit the top of the line, top priced kippers and herring first! Proving, to me anyway, that you get what you pay for! I bought several cans of these because they were the cheapest. I ate a can of each variety and will save the rest in my SHTF stash. Or if the Mrs. decides to adopt another cat...….:#
Another very good brand IMHO that I ran across were Brunswick Sardines. Printed plastic wrapped cans packed in both olive oil and mustard sauce. Small sized fish but large enough to top 2 crackers each and a great fish flavor that was not overbearing. These were $2.99 a can.
My favorite sardine pick were the King Oscar wild caught two layer (12 - 22 fish per can) in extra virgin olive oil. VERY tasty one fish per Townhouse cracker. About melt in your mouth good and I might add that they also enhanced the flavor of the beer I was drinking. Priced at $2.99
The Bar Harbor Kippers were smoked, skinned, boneless herring and were very easy to hit on for their least fishiness and mildness. I liked them and would recommend them for folks who have never tried tinned fish other than tuna! They were packaged in a fancy box with the can sliding out the side. High end priced here at $3.99 a can.
King Oscar definitely tops the charts in their kipper lineup! I've already eaten several cans of their wild caught, lightly smoked herring fillets and will continue to buy more for the top of the line priced $3.99 a can here. They make a great snack and would make a meal with just a few crackers, some good cheese and a cold brew!
I mentioned earlier that I also bought a can of smoked oysters and when I checked the can, found they were made in China. Those too will be placed in storage for a day when my ribs are showing through my T shirt.
That's it for now! Will add more when I find other offers on the emptying shelves of my local grocers!
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I concur.
King Oscar Bristling (the small ones) two layer in EVOO, are about as good as they get.
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funny this comes up, as i recently have been increasing my fish intake and decreasing my beef and pork diet. stopping all processed items of beef and pork on a kick of tuna, albacore, sardines, kippers, tilapia and salmon, besides all the local home area caught trout varieties. i'm rather enjoying all this new found cuisine. 0 -
I don't like fishy fish, I eat Salt water fish like Orange Roughy, 
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Id rather eat smoked carp scales than tilapia! 0 -
I too have been supplementing my diet with fish and fish products more these days. My old bologna habit that was certainly a poor choice health wise, but I liked a certain brand of Michigan ring bologna a lot. It is about as hard to find right now and for the last several months as hens teeth. Koegel brand is what it is....er was I should say. I would fry it, grill it, boil it, pickle it, or just cut into round chunks and enjoy with crackers and cheese. Then a sandwich made many ways was always good.
Found that changing my crude lifestyle can be fun and delicious with all these tasty fishes!
FCD, I have a couple of cans of Polar brand kippers in different configurations I haven't cracked into yet. They were on the high priced end of my listed spectrum. Tonight will be the test! My smoked oysters are Reese branded and I have eaten them before but a very long time ago. With the oysters I remember even if you stuck to the same brand, the sizes of them ranged from a bunch of small ones to a few very large ones. They were always very good and always packed in oil.
oH!! Just one more bit of trivia remembrance. Back when I partook in sardines and such, there was a key stuck to the cans that you removed and fit into the tab along the lid. Turned it all around to get to the little buggers! Heck, spam was the same way back then!0 -
Kind a wanna get some everything bagels and a cans of kippers. Use the bagels to soak up the juice to make a wet open face sandwich. I try to stay away from Mexican Sardines. I forget the brand that's in tomato sauce that uses kind a mackerel like fish. If it were mackerel I'd be fine but they use a strange fish. Even though it's in sauce it basically soak up all the saliva in my mouth like boiled egg yolk. It's the weirdest thing.
Flying Clay Disk - Might as well add those "farmed" salmon and trout.
mogley98 - Orange Roughy. I haven't seen that since the '80s.
Also all y'alls need to try fish balls/cakes. It's basically surumi/fish paste in meatball shape or a burger patty. Oh they also make fish paste sausage. That's kind a like kamaboko.
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I want a report on the canned Swedish fish delicacy strum something ya know rot in a can 0 -
I like most canned fish but prefer my tuna and sardines packed in water. Smoked oysters in oil of course. 0 -
I love almost all of them, but they kick in my gout like a ball of fire! 0 -
Had a buddy back during my service days who was married to a Thai gal. We would go fishing together and bring the catch home to his house. She took them, cleaned, fileted, and cooked them up for us and kept everything that was left and made her INFAMOUS Thai fish sauce. OH BOY! Put into a canning jar and left out at room temp for who knows how long.
My friend took a jar of finished sauce and opened the lid for my olfactory inspection. I could have puked but held back. If I would of, she may have made something out of it!! 0 -
Vietnamese fish sauce, Nuoc Mam, can add flavor and spice to a lot of dishes. Just don't add very much salt along with it. I developed a taste for it in 1966-67. We even used it on our C-rations!! 0 -
I applaud your increasing your culinary experience. Far be it that I would mention that the last two times I was at Sam's club that they had Koegels ring bologna. Judy loves it but it was in 3 packs and that is a bit to much of a good thing.Brookwood said:I too have been supplementing my diet with fish and fish products more these days. My old bologna habit that was certainly a poor choice health wise, but I liked a certain brand of Michigan ring bologna a lot. It is about as hard to find right now and for the last several months as hens teeth. Koegel brand is what it is....er was I should say. I would fry it, grill it, boil it, pickle it, or just cut into round chunks and enjoy with crackers and cheese. Then a sandwich made many ways was always good.
Found that changing my crude lifestyle can be fun and delicious with all these tasty fishes!
FCD, I have a couple of cans of Polar brand kippers in different configurations I haven't cracked into yet. They were on the high priced end of my listed spectrum. Tonight will be the test! My smoked oysters are Reese branded and I have eaten them before but a very long time ago. With the oysters I remember even if you stuck to the same brand, the sizes of them ranged from a bunch of small ones to a few very large ones. They were always very good and always packed in oil.
oH!! Just one more bit of trivia remembrance. Back when I partook in sardines and such, there was a key stuck to the cans that you removed and fit into the tab along the lid. Turned it all around to get to the little buggers! Heck, spam was the same way back then!
Unless you have a fresh fishmonger beware of any frozen fish as most of the ones I find are processed in China. Non Chinese canned fish is easier to find for some reason. Bob0
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