Can we talk about canned salmon?
I love the idea of canned salmon as a better alternative to tuna for salads. But every time I've bought it (multiple brands) it comes skin-on with large bones in (the spine I believe). By the time I finish cleaning it, it has lost volume and sort of grosses me out - not a good prelude to a meal.
Is there a brand of canned salmon out there that avoids these issues, or is it inevitably the shabby leftover from the better parts of the catch that are sold for filets?
And to further complicate matters, a few days ago I saw Rachel Ray open a can of it and dump the whole thing, skin and all, into a recipe. So is the problem merely that I am being too prissy?
How do you hounds feel about canned salmon? Would love your imput.
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When canned Salmon is processed the cans are un-labeled. Different brands buy the cans by the shipping container load and then the brad puts it’s own label on them. So what I’m saying is that, one plant in Alaska could produce canned salmon for many different brands.
Here is one such plant…http://icicleseafoods.com/locations/lsb/about.aspx
Canned Red Salmon is my favorite, firm red fish, Pink Salmon is good too, just a bit softer in texture and not as good flavor. Eat the bones and the skin it’s all good stuff.
Here are some recipes using canned Salmon
http://recipes.alaskaseafood.org/resu... -
Sigh...
The best part of the salmon is the skin and bones in canned salmon.
That's why RR used the whole tin.
If the idea of eating the best part of the tinned salmon 'grosses you out' buy something more to your sensibilities.›4 Replies -
I got a really good deal on Wild Pacific Sockeye Salmon with no salt added - Blue Menu (the "healthy" line) at Loblaws. Sustainable source, MSC, 213g, Alaskan. Kosher. Best before date June 2018.
$1 a tin at my local Loblaws; suspect it is just a matter of the labelling that poorly indicates the comment, with a "serving suggestion".
I bought 2 of those first time and really liked them (salmon has enough natural salt not to be meh without added salt), so now I have, what, about 25 of them? As long as it lasts...
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I am always surprised when someone is so far removed from their sources that they are grossed out by something like fish bones and skin. If you toss the skin that comes in your can of salmon you do away with a lot of the heart healthy omega-3 fatty acids that we eat salmon for. Toss the bones and you are throwing away an excellent source of calcium. The canning process has softened the bones and made them very digestible. When my Japanese wife was pregnant with our two children her doctor suggested that she eat a lot of small fish specifically for the bones.
I eat most of my canned salmon in the form of patties. I drain the liquid then dump the fish into a bowl and thoroughly mash it with a fork until I have a smooth mixture upon which to base my patties. I just had some leftover patties for my breakfast and they were delicious.
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I love using chopsticks to remove the bones. If you have decent chopstick skills, that's the way to go. I drain out the liquid first, then empty the contents in a bowl or plate. I then grab my chopsticks and pull open the seams (that's where the bones are normally located), then, with chopsticks in hand, I lift out the bones. For me, this is much easier than using a fork because you can just pluck them out without having to chase them all over a plate or bowl. I do not like the skin in canned salmon either, so if you are like me, you can use the chopsticks to remove this as well. Just use the side of one chopstick, and scrape it along the skin. It will easily detach, and then you can just use both of your chopsticks to pick up the skin and discard it.
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As most people probably know, because of the differences in what the fish eat wild salmon is more nutritious than farmed salmon.
My understanding is that only cans labeled as "Wild" or "Alaska" (which prohibits salmon farming) contain wild salmon. (My understanding also is that most commercially available Atlantic salmon (canned included) is farmed.)
I hear you on the gross out factor with canned salmon, but I went full circle on it. I found cleaning out the bones and skin so disgusting that I avoided canned salmon for years, until the pouches came out, which brought me back to packaged salmon. Then one day the cans were on sale (and so about 30% of the price of the pouches), so I decided to try them again. This time I went all Rachel Ray on them (independent of Rachel...) and just dumped an entire can into my mixing bowl, water and all. (I think it was more to minimize my time viewing the disgusting mass of skin, meat, bones, and oily water than any culinary insight.) I proceeded with my usual salmon salad recipe and...
...was stunned that it tasted so much better than the recipe using pouched salmon. I haven't bought another pouch since.
Of course, one's preferred taste and mouth feel is very subjective, and if you don't like the taste (and oiliness) of the skin or the texture of the bones (which, like people above have said, can usually be eliminated by mashing), you'll never like canned salmon. But if your objection is to the sight of the gross looking cylindrical lump that falls out of the can, try a favorite (and quick) recipe with the complete can (I sometimes drain the water if it would add too much moisture) and if you like the taste, your mouth will succeed in putting your eyes in their place...
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FoodFuser
Feb 19, 2012 03:21 PM
As to the bones and the skin:
Near top of the list of life's pleasures
is the crumble-to-teeth of canned salmon bones,
as solution to our personal osteo-porization.
Bones softened by steam and by canning pressure.When, in old age, I take inevitable tumble,
and my pelvis survives all that jumble
I'll "chalk" it up to those times of glad eatin' of salmon bones
straight from the can labeled Bumblebee.But if, when I fall,
it fractures my shins,
I'll have to say: "Dang it!...
Shoulda' ate some more skins!!!"›2 Replies -
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re: Puffin3
I avoided salmon bones for the first 50 or so years of my life and have now started to eat them--mainly for the calcium. Don't notice a problem I have to admit that I started to eat them after I saw a work mate eating all the bones of a BBQ'd chicken. Best brand in the Toronto area is Clover Leaf but there are several as good.
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Yup - too prissy. Lol! But all food preferences are personal taste, so you're certainly entitled to your opinions.
But keep in mind that those skin & bones are completely soft & edible. And a lot of people WANT them in there. If that wasn't true, believe me - they wouldn't be in the can because sales would plummet. In fact, personally, I don't know of anyone who attempts to remove them. In addition, the skin & bones are where a large majority of the Omega 3's & calcium hide.
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Everyone says it's either harmless or even beneficial, but there's no way I would eat that. Gross.
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We have a salmon processing plant in SE Alaska which has a small canning division. We do remove the skin and the pin bones. We primarily specialize in smoked coho, King, and sockeye. We're still fairly low tech out here, and we aren't large enough to need to advertise much. Word of mouth is how we get the majority of our business. But recently (as in yesterday) I started a facebook page for our company; I hope that it's acceptable to post the link here.
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?v...
We'll be posting recipes, general information, and providing some insight about what it's like to live and work in the Alaska seafood industry. Please feel free to friend us.
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oana
May 6, 2011 07:36 AM
Hi Ngal, You don't need to remove any of those things. Just chop everything together and use it the same as you always would. The canning process makes the tasty and bones edible and they are full of the best nutrients. It's really good, just give it a shot.
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re: ospreycove
Sam Salmon
May 10, 2011 06:55 PM
I used to see a skinless/boneless product on the shelves here in BC maybe it's still around but given how the price of canned Sockeye has dropped I would never notice it.
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Just saw this kid-friendly recipe for canned salmon. they use bumble bee wild pink salmon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature... -
Just saw this kid-friendly recipe for canned salmon. they use bumble bee wild pink salmon.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...Wild Salmon Salad Sandwiches
From The Six O’Clock Scramble cookbook and e-newsletter by Aviva Goldfarb. For more family-friendly recipe’s order Aviva’s cookbook online.
About 6 servings
A quick and healthy no-cook meal, these sandwiches are also fun to eat on a busy night. We topped them with sliced tomatoes and tortilla chips for extra crunch! Serve them with celery sticks dipped in peanut butter.
1/4 cup reduced fat mayonnaise
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 teaspoon honey2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice (about ½ a lemon
)1 can (15 oz.) wild Alaskan pink salmon, drained (can used “boneless & skinless” or “regular”)
1 cup finely chopped celery (about 2 stalks)
6 hamburger/sandwich buns, whole wheat or white
In the measuring cup used to measure the mayonnaise, combine the mayonnaise, mustard, honey and lemon juice. In a medium bowl, mix the salmon, celery and dressing ingredients. Put a scoop of the salmon salad in each bun and eat them cold.›1 Reply -
The Drama Queen
May 2, 2011 08:41 PM
I like Demings Sockeye salmon. It's very expensive (about $6.00 per can) but it's far superior than any other canned salmon. I remove the skin but never the bones. They're soft and contian a high amount of calcium. And when I make salmon patties or croquettes as some call them, I also save the liquid and add half of it to a sauce pan along with a roux to make a great sauce. I add 1/2 liquid and 1/2 cream or half and half, then a Tablespoon of capers and lemon juice. Awesome!! The salmon liquid gives the sauce an great intense flavor.
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One of my favorite Friday night suppers as a kid was canned salmon, German fried potatoes, and a lettuce salad. Mom would dump out the contents of a large can of red salmon into a bowl, and would season it with a sprinkle of cider vinegar. It was always red salmon, never pink. I remember loving the crunchy bones, but left what skin there was on my plate.
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You are being too prissy...
I live in Maine where salmon is still a household word whether you are talking wild Atlantic, farm-raised/smoked, rare landlocked fishin', or wild Pacific - shipped in.
The best grocery brand canned salmon I have tried recently is Rubensteins's and I doubt the small can versus the larger makes any difference.
There is nothing wrong with ingesting the skin OR the bones, in fact, both are good for you nutritionally. Aesthetically, one may wish to dispense with either one, but most of the dishes I adore are cold salmon salad sandwiches, hot burgers, or salmon loaf where inventive and tasty ingredients get all mushed together. No problem. It's great and I LOVE IT!
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re: salmonlover
I'm glad that YOU LOVE IT. I don't. Ngal doesn't. Guess what? That's OK. Yes, it would be great -- as in, I WOULD LOVE IT -- if everyone in the world used little and wasted nothing, but some of our likes/dislikes can't be overcome. (Do you eat the eyeballs and brains and guts of every animal that comes across your plate? Do you want someone telling you that "You are being too prissy" because you don't?)
How about a side dish of chill-out/be-tolerant with your salmon?
By the way, Ngal, I like Bumble Bee Prime Fillet Atlantic Salmon -- of the grocery-store brands, I think it's the tastiest. And, if the can doesn't specify "skinless/boneless," then it contains skin and bones.
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re: Passadumkeg
Passadumkeg, could you please post your chowder recipe here? I'd love to try it.
I love canned salmon too. The answer to the question of skin and bones is that bones contain calcium and they are completely cooked when the cans are retorted, so they can easily be mashed and blended into the salmon flesh. The skin contains a very high level of omega3 fats, so should be mashed into the flesh also, so you're not losing the good fats that we eat salmon for and that gives it the great flavor. A food processor helps blend everything smoothly (with mayonnaise, and a hard boled egg is great too) so that you won't notice either flavor or texture from bones or skin.
Wrapped in lettuce leaves, it's low carb too!-
re: Hazeleyes3923
Passadumkeg
Oct 4, 2011 10:36 AM
A simple Maine common folk recipe. I don't measure, but cook by eye, so here goes:
This is the modern "healthy" version so I'll put the more traditional ingredients in brackets.
Fry a hunk (1/4 lb.?) of finely dice bacon (salt pork) until brown, add 1-2 diced onions and cook til wilted, dice 2-4 potatoes and add to onions and saute for 20 min. Add 3 or more cans of condensed milk (cream) and bring to a simmer. Add a can or 2 of deskinned and boned salmon, gently broken into chunks to the milk and warm up, salt and pepper to taste.. Serve w/ corn bread or oyster crackeras. I have blended the skin and bones into the chowder, but the appearance isn't as pleasing. Sometimes I fry the skin and we eat it and Ms. Keg and I will goof around and chaw on the bones for the calcium, but usually Chocolate Labkeg gets it in her bowl.
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pdxgastro
Nov 27, 2010 10:50 PM
Wasn't eating canned fish like salmon and sardines part of Alton Brown's recent weight loss? My favorite dish containing it is buttered noodles with peas and canned salmon. Easy, tasty.
I don't mind/notice the bones and skin. I actually love salmon skin. Kyle, the only non-Asian sushi chef at Toyoda Sushi in Seattle makes his Kyle Roll with roasted salmon skin. Yum.
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re: pdxgastro
I've read on a variety of health blogs that one serving of wild-caught canned salmon has more Omega 3's than sardines or kippers (though sardines and kippers are good sources too)...plus the added benefits from the bones and skin for calcium and other nutrients. Great stuff! I'm not surprised he did so well choosing that for his lean protein source.
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SpeDuMidi
Nov 27, 2010 03:45 PM
The skin's full of wonderful omega polyunsaturated oil that reduces the risk of heart attack.
And I LOVE the crunchy cartiladge, at least the ones found in the Clover Leaf brand. It's so satisfying to bite on them and it melts away in the mouth with an interesting texture.
Clover Leaf does offer the skinless+boneless version but it's much more expensive, by over $1 (considering the regular is about $2.5, that's nearly a 40% hike.
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I am somewhat grossed out by cheap canned salmon, such as pink sockyee in the usual supermarket brands, but the best canned salmon I have ever had is from the Pike Place market. They sell several kinds of smoked salmon in a can, from King to Coho, and they are wonderful. The skin does not bother me on these, and they can be mixed with cream cheese to form fabulous dips. Price is over $7 per can, but worth it. You need to call them -- these are not on the web site.
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re: RGC1982
MsDiPesto
Feb 6, 2009 08:15 PM
Like RGC1982, I love the Alaskan canned smoked salmon, all you need is cream cheese. Or I can just eat it alone. Or with all the condiments; chopped hard boiled egg, red onion, capers, etc. I had some shipped home during my one and only trip to AK in 05, and there are several cans at my ex's house, which I am fortunately welcome to.
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Phoo_d
Feb 2, 2009 12:02 PM
My favorite source for canned salmon (and tuna too) is the Tuna Guys. This outfit creates a wonderful product using sashimi grade cuts. All the fish are line caught in the Pacific Northwest, hand packed, and cooked in the can so you don't lose any of the juices. The salmon is boneless and skinless. http://www.tunaguys.net/index.html
Phoo-D
http://www.phoo-d.com›2 Replies-
re: Phoo_d
I like high grade canned salmon and eat it about twice per week but cannot find a brand that tastes like fresh salmon either sashimi or grilled that has that like the buttery melt in your mouth component. Does any brand of canned salmon taste like fresh buttery salmon or is it just lost in the canning?
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Scargod
May 19, 2008 07:11 PM
Prissy is not the word I would use, but to each his own. I'd daresay you have never cleaned a fish....
I grew up fighting over the salmon bones with my brothers before the rest of it went into salmon croquetes.
I love fresh. but canned is OK. for use in some dishes. I wouldn't use it in a salad.›1 Reply-
re: Scargod
Passadumkeg
Aug 9, 2008 07:14 AM
Canned salmon makes wicked good fish cakes along w/ baked beans and fried eggs, the quintessential old time New England breakfast.
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For those voting for Bumble Bee Prime Filet steaks, my question is: Where does this salmon come from? In fact, only their canned Red and Medium Red salmon indicate Alaskan salmon. From a conservation standpoint if the other products are farmed Atlantic salmon that is as horrible environment-wise as eating canned tuna.
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Funny, but canned salmon is the only type of canned fish I can't stand. Tuna? Excellent for salads or sandwiches. Crab? Sure - stuff avocados with it. Oysters? Give me crackers, and let me have at 'em! Sardines - so many choices - mustard, tomato, spicy - I like them all.
But canned salmon? Just doesn't do it for me (and I love salmon sashimi, grilled salmon, salmon teriyaki, etc.). I just don't like it in a can.
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re: davmar77
Pollo
May 15, 2008 06:01 PM
Salmon in retort pouches is nothing more than doing someting with nothing. You take the cheapest and poorest quality "Pinks" from Alaska and you ship them to Philipines or Thailand where manual labor is cheap and you make a a $0.07 piece of fish sell for $3.00+ in the US....but then again if the market is willing to pay...why not?
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yemoss
May 15, 2008 08:32 AM
Ngal you'd be surprised how many cultures leave virtually no part of an animal or plant left to waste when it comes to dinnertime. Brasil and China come to mind. Compared to them, they sure do make us Yankees look like prisses. Nonetheless, there are canned salmon varieties made just for you. Me, I like the skin and bones - it does a body good. I also eat shrimp unpeeled with the tails on, it gives them greater texture and again, the calcium can't be beat.
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re: yemoss
Prissiness is a luxury not afforded to the majority of the world's inhabitants. Ironic, as picky eating tends to make for a less nutritious meal.
My advice, prepare the salmon in ways which allow you to mash the salmon up whole, it's what canned salmon is best for anyway in my opinion.
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No one in my family would even think about removing the bones and skin from canned salmon. The high heat sterilization process softens them to the point where they can be easily mashed and blended into salmon salads, casseroles, and other delicious meals. There is no waste in canned salmon -- the liquid, skin, and bones are all edible and supply important nutrients such as calcium and phosphorus. The oily skin is high in Omega 3 fatty acids. As a kid, my mother would remove the bones and drop them in the tin and I would grab them and eat them. Now she has osteoporosis, and found out that you should eat the salmon bones from tinned salmon for increased calcium intake. She doesn't take them out any more.
It's never to late to learn new things about our food. But life long habits and dislikes are hard to break for some people. Everything in a tin of canned salmon can be eaten, including the juice.›1 Reply-
re: Catoni52
EWSflash
Jan 30, 2009 06:59 PM
There's so much calcium in canned fish with bones, I wish I liked them, but I can't. Like sweet iced tea, i'ts been spit out before I realize I've done it. With the Beach Cliff fish steaks with hot chiles, I do pick out the spinal cords, but eat the other bones, because they're actually soft, not even discernible from the lovely meat. I guess that's my criterion- how soft are the bones?
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I'm going to commit heresy and confess that I like canned salmon about as much as fresh. I grew up in pre-frozen foods/pre-fast refrigerated shipping inland Texas when fresh fish--if you didn't catch it yourself--was hard to come by. So it was usually canned tuna & salmon or no fish at all.
Some people tend to dislike things they ate a lot of as a child; not me. I still love 'em all. Mama had a fine touch for seasoning and for foods that complimented each other, and her very simple meals, even during WWII rationing, were always nutritious and appetizing.
She made salmon croquettes with an egg/cracker crumbs/scallions most every week and smashed/mixed in the skin and bones so that they were unnoticeable. It's never entered my mind that anyone would remove them.
I love a cold lunch of a small can of chilled salmon topped with Hellman's Mayo & sprinkled with chives or scallions, a big pile of Cabot's excellent cottage cheese, a sliced back porch tomato. And I swear I could eat a whole cold salmon loaf all by myself.
(And I've come close to doing just that on several occasions. I'll never forgive myself for not getting the recipe for one I ate ( about 90% of) at a cocktail party years ago. Does anyone have an outstanding salmon loaf recipe?)
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re: PhoebeB
ddavis
Jun 12, 2007 08:24 PM
PhoebeB you bring back memories of my childhood in Texas when my mother would cook salmon (pronounced sal-mon) patties every week. However, she did not smash the bones and I always hated the crunchy vertebrae! I haven't had canned salmon since I was able to buy my own.
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Not only do I love those bones (always have, always will) and don't really mind the skin, but I always get the cheapest canned salmon I can find, mostly at the 99¢ Only store. I do slide off whatever skin I can, just for appearance's sake, but the only other thing I discard is the water. I usually snitch a bite or two from the can while I'm making whatever is on the agenda, too - usually salmon salad for sandwiches or snacking, sometimes cold jelled loaf, sometimes fried cakes. Love that stuff, and so does Mrs. O.
I'm surprised that Rachel Ray would do that; generates a bit of grudging respect... -
I worked canning salmon in Alaska and I must say, I don't care for it. At least at the place I worked, there is no difference in the quality of the salmon frozen, shipped fresh or canned. It all came off the same boats. It's packed into the can fresh and then cooked in the can. I think the stuff we made was sold to the Army. I would chose Red salmon over pink if you have the chance. Pinks were cheaper fish and often lower quality than the reds we saw.
If its any consolation, apparently tuna is much, much worse. It's all caught in places like Indonesia way way offshore and the fish are falling apart by the time they get them back to the dock and the cannery.›1 Reply -
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If you're being too prissy, I'm right there with you. The softness of the bones really grosses me out. I try to pick them all out. I can tell immediately if I've missed one by the chalky, slight resistance to my teeth. Thanks for posting your question - I'm glad to find out that there is no-bone canned salmon out there.
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Only you can decide what level of prissiness is appropriate for you. I have been fond of canned red salmon since I was a kid. My mom, who relied on shortcuts infrequently, when pressed for time would sometimes pan-fry some potatoes and onions and open a can of red salmon and a can of baked beans. I always loved that meal and still fix it for myself sometimes. I eat everything from the salmon can just as it comes from the can. Yum! Honey Boy Fancy Alaska Sockeye Red Salmon is what I have used since forever.
Jim -
My favorite canned wild salmon comes from a small cannery in Santa Cruz, CA. You can buy a number of varieties of Dave's Gourmet Salmon, Albacore or other Tuna via mail order or at some Whole Foods stores. Here's a link for more info. I highly recommend this product!!
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re: Pat Hammond
I'm not a fan of Trader Joe's pink but there red (wild caught sockeye) is very good. It has skin and bones but is pretty solid and at $2.59 for a 7.5 oz. can is a very good value. I'm not a fan of the bones but they're easy to pick out. Being a middle age male calcium is not something I need or want in my diet.
The best skinless/boneless variety I've had so far is Wild Planet sockeye. Their pink variety is also boneless/skinless and cost about $1 less per can.
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Vital Choice canned salmon is way beyond anything
you can get in the supermarket. It is so good many
people eat it out of the can. And it is lab tested to
ensure it is safe to eat. I've provided a link to their website below.›3 Replies-
re: Faith Lubitz
mollyomormon
May 15, 2008 09:54 AM
Second this. I eat it out of the can at least a few times a week for lunch and it's wonderful!
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re: Faith Lubitz
EWSflash
Jan 30, 2009 06:48 PM
Faith is right on. Vital Choice has a wide variety of sustainably caught wild north Pacific salmon, and they even identify what type of salmon it is. They have a sample package which I ordered, and we decided that the skinless, boneless salmon was the way to go. Pure beautiful goodness. Pricey, yes, but absolutely the pure, real thing.
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No you are NOT being too prissy. Don't get the big cans of salmon that look like soup cans, but get the little cans that look like tuna - it is skinless and boneless and lovely.
I hate the stuff with skin and bones, who cares if it is healthy if it tastes yucky.
The absolute best canned salmon is Bumble Bee prime filet canned salmon. It tastes close to fresh. It is the last can in the link below. The can looks similar to the skinless and boneless pink salmon, but not the same.
Other skinless, boneless pink salmon is close to tuna in texture. The little bagged salmon is fine, but it is too pricy for me.
The red salmon always has bones in it.›1 Reply -
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Rubenstein's red sockeye canned salmon is the best. It does have skin, which I dipose of and bones, which are soft and mash up easily (and are full of calcium).
So good for salads and sandwiches. After all the hype about how healthy salmon is I am sick of eating broiled salmon but the canned stuff is so good as an alternative to tuna - can;t get sick of it. -
I like canned salmon, too, but hate the skin, so I slide the skin off, but leave the bones in. They're very soft, so you don't have to worry about choking on them, and they're good for you (calcium). If you're mixing the salmon up with other ingredients for a salad or patties, the bones are going to get mushed up in there anyway and you'll never be aware of them.
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While canned salmon has its fans, I'm not one since "going fresh"...however, there's merit to leaving skin 'n' bones inside.
Cooked in the can, the bones soften up and are an excellent calcium supplement...chewable, too. The skin, while slimy and metallic, offers a color contrast and your cat won't reject it. -
Ngal, Unlike many of the items served at the Olive Garden, everything in a can of Salmon is edible. (Bones are the cartilidge; (non-Salmon) cartilidge prepared several ways is served at some very high end Sushi houses.) Sushi restaurants also serve the skin as Salmon rolls. So look upon that $2.89 can of Salmon as an amazing Sushi bargain, sip some Saki and cook away!
