Move over, tuna. There's a new canned fish in town. Sardines are cheap, tasty, and versatile to boot
But what do you need to know about them before you crack open that tin? Holy sardine
If you're not paying attention to the type of canned sardines you just bought, well, you probably should
Like any canned fish, canned sardines can come from all kinds of places
and where they originate will determine the exact species that you're eating. And this, in turn, will affect the flavor
European sardines originate from the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. They tend to boast the classic flavor you'd usually expect from sardines
with an oiliness and sweetness that pair well with both tomato and spicy sauces
The cool, clean waters of the North Atlantic, and it gives a very firm texture to the fish and a great taste
Pacific sardines, meanwhile, are caught in United States and Mexican waters, and they tend to have a milder flavor
These can be a good option for folks dipping their toes into the wide world of canned sardines for the first time
South American sardines are also mild, with a hint of gentle sweetness to them, too
On the fishier end of the spectrum, Indian sardines are bold and punchy
This fish pairs well with stronger-flavored sauces. Finally, bristling sardines, also known as sprats, are found in northern Europe
They come with a buttery, almost smoky kind of flavor. If you're new to eating canned sardines, it can be easy to get overwhelmed by the sheer number of options on offer
Most likely, you'll be faced with cans of fish flavored with all different types of sauces and spices
And even if you want to keep things basic, you'll need to decide whether you want them in water or oil
This might not seem like an important choice, but sardines and oil are quite different to those packed in water
On the most basic level, if you want your sardines to taste as good as possible, you'll want to go for oil
These sardines have their fishiness slightly tempered by the fat in the oil
which also brings out the fish's buttery notes. Sardines packed in water, however, will have more of a raw fishiness to them
If you're not used to it, this can be a little too much for beginners. Water-packed sardines win out when it comes to nutrition, however
It's not that the oil used to pack sardines is inherently bad for you
In fact, fish served in olive oil can give you a helpful boost of heart-healthy monounsaturated fats
But oil-packed sardines can also be higher in cholesterol, while sardines canned in water
contain less fat and cholesterol overall. No matter what you choose, though, the shelf life
of your sardines will remain the same, so you don't have to worry about eating one kind quicker
than the other. Okay, so it's probably fair to say that sardines are not made for the squeamish
More often than not, these cans contain an entire row of whole fish, or at the very least
the fish's entire body. Sardine fillets can be more palatable, but even then, you might prefer
something that's a little easier on the eyes. And if that's the case, then you're in luck
as you can also enjoy canned sardines in pâté form. Sardine pâté contains a decent amount of
fish, obviously, but it also comes with added ingredients and flavors, such as tomato, onion
lemon juice, and fats. It's also delightfully creamy, making it perfect to spread on crackers
or toast, and it's not even as expensive as you might think. You can pick up a can of good quality
sardine pâté online for about $6. If you're the kind of person who likes to match meals with your
pet or you simply have a half-eaten can of sardines lying around that you don't want to go to waste
then you might be wondering whether your four-legged friend can eat them. Well
the good news is that they can. But there are a few caveats to keep in mind
Feed me, if you dare. First you should stick to plain sardines packed in water Avoid any varieties that have added salt or preservatives as these can upset your pet stomach It also important to try and remove any bones from the sardines to avoid choking
If your pet has pancreatitis, the high levels of oil in sardines can cause them to become ill
It's also advisable that you check with your vet if your animal has any pre-existing health
conditions that might stop them from being able to eat the fish. Finally, remember to keep everything in moderation
Stick to one or two sardines per week and no more. Canned sardines are, as the name aptly implies, the canned version of the sardine
a schooling fish that's in abundant stock in seas across the world. These small, oily fish are named after the Italian island of Sardinia
which used to be a big fishing hub for sardines. While these tasty sea critters come in plenty of
varieties, it can be a bit tricky to tell them apart once they're canned, partly due to the fact
that they're usually packed in oil. This may not sound like the most appetizing Italian food you
can imagine, but they're definitely worth a shot, especially if you like anchovies and herrings
Morning. Care for sardines? But while they come from the same family, anchovies and sardines are different species
and when they're canned, they taste completely different. This is partly due to the fact that
anchovies are cured in salt, while sardines are preserved in olive oil, in keeping with
their Italian heritage. And before you ask, the answer is no. They're not interchangeable in
recipes, so prepare your ingredients accordingly. Step one of the sardine canning process
catch some sardines. Because they're so small, giant nets are typically utilized to scoop up a
bunch of sardines in one go. After being whisked out of the water, they're transported to a
soaring facility and grated, with only the higher quality fish making it to the next step
The chosen ones of the sardine yield are then precooked, either by being steamed or blanched
In addition to preventing them from turning into wet mush, this process makes it so that
if you're desperate for your sardine fix, you can eat them straight from the can
After pre-cooking and being assigned a flavor element, the sardines make their way to their
new homes, a vacuum-sealed can. The cans themselves are then sterilized and briefly
heated to kill off any bacteria, a necessary step in the process that preserves the sardines for way
longer than their typical shelf life. Before the cans go out for labeling, they're once again
inspected to make sure that none of them have split or started to corrode. When the facility
is certain that its sardines are ready to hit the shelves, the cans are labeled, packed up
and shipped out. Good news for anyone considering giving sardines a try. If you're a fan of other
canned fish, you'll probably be a fan of these too. There's a definite fishiness element because
well, they're fish, and there's a strong element of salt as well, unless you go with a low-sodium
option. As we've established, while they're comparable to anchovies, sardines have a less
intense umami flavor, so they're an ideal choice if you're looking for just a slight bit of punch
from your seafood. Canned sardines work especially well with tomato flavors and can often be packed
in a tomato-based sauce. They're also well-suited to Mediterranean vegetables and may come in
pepper-based sauce blends or packed with olives. They work well with spice and are frequently
paired with hot sauces or mustard blends. Canned sardines that have been smoked also give them a
deeper, more intense flavor. The flexibility of flavors packed with this fish gives you way more
options than tuna, but it can also mean that you end up being stuck with one specific flavor
that you have to work with. If you're worried about this, it's best to go for a plain version
and add whatever sauce or ingredients you happen to be hungry for. The taste and texture
of canned sardines is noticeably different from the fresh version, which has a gentler
flavor and a firmer consistency It all just depends on what you looking for when it comes to your fish feast Now we come to the real reason you might consider picking up some canned sardines That sweet sweet nutritional value
100 grams of canned sardines provide almost 25 grams of protein and a generous amount of heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids
Gram for gram or pound for pound, however you want to look at it, they are the most omega-3 dense food that you can find
Like, they're great. They're also abundant in calcium, largely thanks to the edible bones and skin in the fish
Eating skin and bones may not sound appetizing, but the health benefits are a good reason to
embrace your inner barbarian. Fortunately, sardine bones are soft, so while you might
notice a slight grittiness as you bite into them, it's not like you'll be gnawing on bones like your
dog loves to do. And if the benefits of that sweet calcium intake fail to outweigh the thought of
eating bones and skin, you can either debone them yourself with kitchen tweezers or find a slightly
more expensive can of boneless, skinless sardines. Rounding out the health benefits
canned sardines also provide a huge amount of vitamin B12, as well as a laundry list of attractive
vitamins and minerals that'll save you a trip to the pharmacy, like phosphorus, potassium, selenium
niacin, vitamin A, vitamin E, and copper. It's not all good news, though, as you need to keep an eye
out for the sodium content. A standard can of sardines will contain over 300 milligrams of
sodium per serving, and if you've picked a brand with a particularly salty sauce, then it could
have way more. Be mindful of sardines packed in oil as well, since they may provide a significant
amount of fat that you may not be planning for. So, if you're gulping down canned sardines purely
for their health benefits, go with a low-sodium brand packed in water. In the case of an apocalyptic event that will send you down into an underground bunker to hide
from the usual threats of nuclear fallout or zombies, it would be good to have a few cases
of canned sardines on hand. Thanks to the canning process, sardines can last up to five years without
fear of spoilage or deterioration. The color can naturally change over time, and the sardines can
become less flavorful, but hey, you can't be too picky if you're trying to survive from whatever
has you camping out in a bunker in the first place. As with any canned food, be wary of any
dents or other signs that the can has been compromised. If bacteria is able to sneak in
even the most pre-cooked of canned sardines won't be safe to eat. An open can of sardines can be
kept in the fridge roughly three to four days before they start to spoil, so once they're opened
don't let them sit around. And kudos for getting the fridge all the way down into the bunker
Those things are heavy. I don't know why I thought sneaking up on it would work
Canned sardines are way more versatile than people think, so your cooking options are honestly
endless. They can be used in everything from stews to soups to casseroles and curries to
add fishy flavor and boost protein. Keep it simple by stirring them into a pasta or a salad
or get fancy with some fish tacos. Mash them up to turn them into a dip with some herbs and spices
thread them onto a skewer and make grilled canned sardines, or just throw them on some buttered toast and chow down for an easy yet deeply flavorful snack
As always, how you use your sardines will depend on what flavor they are
but the lesson here is simple. Don't sleep on the versatility of these little fish
Great on crackers, great in salads, on pizza, really anything. I think it's delicious
Mercury is one of the biggest concerns when it comes to seafood, and it's especially worrying when it comes to canned fish
So if you're the type to knock back a few cans of tuna a week, then first of all, wow
you must really love tuna. But you also need to be wary of how much mercury you're consuming
The good news is that canned sardines are one of the lowest mercury food choices you
can make. According to the U Food and Drug Administration sardines have a mean mercury concentration of 0 parts per million To put that into perspective canned light tuna has 0 parts per million while canned albacore
tuna has almost 30 times the amount you'd get in your sardines. The reason that canned sardines
don't have as much mercury can get pretty complicated, so bear with us a minute as we
get into the gritty details. Ready? Ready. Ready. Ready. Ready. Ready. Ready. Here we go
Sardines are smaller than those other fish. Those of you in the splash zone, look out
Yeah! All jokes aside, sardines also aren't eating up other fish that have mercury levels stored up
so they don't build up mercury as time goes on. Bigger fish, by comparison, feed on smaller fish
which means that they're increasing their mercury levels over their lifespan. Seafood is great, but sometimes it can taste a little fishy
Really? You don't say? You're not being picky if you agree. Seafood can often have an overbearingly briny taste that ruins your enjoyment of it
and gets in the way of all the subtlety. This is a particular issue with canned sardines
even when they're packed in a sauce that helps temper it. Fortunately, there's a way to combat all that fishiness by adding some fat
Sardines are often packed in olive oil because the extra fat helps to stop their inherent fat from oxidizing
which causes that strong fishy flavor and smell. So if your sardines aren't already packed that way, drizzling some olive oil on them will help smooth out and mellow their flavor
But remember that it's important to not overdo things, as sardines are pretty fatty anyway, and be sure to balance things out with some salt and acid, too
And now for the cherry on top. If we've convinced you to give canned sardines a try, you may be wondering which brand to get started with
Luckily, the knowledge is already readily available. If you want a good quality brand that's also widely sold in stores, King Oscar and Wild
Planet canned sardines have a meaty, fresh flavor to their fish, with King Oscar's sardines
being especially creamy and rich. Wild Planet sardines are also a top choice for sustainability, and although their water-packed
sardines have a metallic flavor, they really nail it with their olive oil-packed sardines
Other brands like ABC Plus and Fonk's sardines may be slightly harder to find, but they deliver
a truly exceptional flavor, albeit at a slightly higher price. At the other end of the spectrum, Chento sardines may look attractive
but their flavor lets them down, thanks to the substandard olive oil they're packed in
Siesta Company, Roland, and Dobrova sardines are also best skipped if you're looking to start off your canned sardine adventure on a high note
Choosing sustainable seafood is one of the best things we can do for both the environment and fish stocks around the world
so you can add Helping Save the World to the canned sardine benefit list
Sardines are plentiful, and eating them will be far less impactful than buying tuna
or other more endangered fish species. But before you run off and fill your grocery cart with canned sardines
there are a few things to consider. Although sardines are abundant in seas around the world
purchasing them can mean you're buying canned varieties from far-flung locations, which may contribute to food miles
Try to buy varieties that have been fished and canned in your own country, or in countries that aren't too far away
Also, keep an eye out for the Marine Stewardship Council Blue Label on canned sardines
to make sure that the sardines are being fished in an ethical and sustainable manner as well
It's a little extra work, but that peace of mind is sure to make your sardine feast taste even
better. We're very interested in sustainability because it's our future. If we harvest everything
then we have nothing