Canned sardines & other tinned seafood

[BeeZee]

Tried this today for lunch, on some Wasa, a sprinkle of lemon juice. I like cracked black pepper and thought they could have had even more. Fish was mild, meaty texture, light smoke. They were pretty fused together in the tin so I found it hard to pull out whole fillets (4 in the tin). Fish was from Latvia.

 

[JohnT]

On 11/23/2022 at 8:35 PM, BeeZee said:

Tried this today for lunch, on some Wasa, a sprinkle of lemon juice. I like cracked black pepper and thought they could have had even more. Fish was mild, meaty texture, light smoke. They were pretty fused together in the tin so I found it hard to pull out whole fillets (4 in the tin). Fish was from Latvia.

 

The label says the product is from the cold waters of the North Sea but you say it is from Latvia. The two are very far from each other and not connected - Latvia is on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea. It appears similar to tinned sardines we get in our local shops. They are branded under the “Lucky Star” label, a fully South African brand, with the processing factory being across the bay from where I live. Reading the fine print on the tin it says “Product of Indonesia”. Questionable? Oh yes! 

[liuzhou]

11 minutes ago, JohnT said:

The label says the product is from the cold waters of the North Sea but you say it is from Latvia. The two are very far from each other and not connected - Latvia is on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea.

 

I think she meant the company is Latvian, if not the fish.

[btbyrd]

The company is based in Maine. They contract with fisheries and canneries to produce a product tailored to their spec (while also producing some products themselves in North America). Latvia is one of the largest fish processors in Europe and their canneries handle fish from all over the North Atlantic. 

[Kerala]

I've gotten through my stash from Portugal, so I'm back to UK supermarket product.

Nice box.

Filleted, skinless, boneless.

 

This has a fishier taste than the Portuguese cans, but less than the cheaper UK supermarket brands. Nice firm texture. The piccanti flavour is hotter than Pinhais', with a whole small red chilli providing the fire. I'll definitely try more from this range.

On the whole, the Portuguese canned fish seems closer to fresh fish. Perhaps the British taste is for a more thoroughly "cooked" fish? I used the term "denatured" earlier. How this relates to ageing a tin of sardines, i have no idea.

[liuzhou]

42 minutes ago, Kerala said:

Filleted, skinless, boneless.

 

Damn! I want skin and bone. It's the calcium, you know.

[Kerala]

So, ongoing investigations.

Owned by the evil empire.

Chilli flavour is very mild.  Some herbal notes from the bay and cucumber.

The fish was definitely superior to John West own label, milder in taste, quite soft.

[scubadoo97]

On 11/29/2022 at 12:31 PM, liuzhou said:

 

Damn! I want skin and bone. It's the calcium, you know.

I always try to buy sardines with skin and bones.  It’s all edible and the little bit of calcium is a bonus 

[Kim Shook]

I've always bought the sardines with skin and bones intact, but recently opened a tin that have been in my cupboard for almost a year (they were in my stocking last Christmas!).  It was a tin of very cheap Bumble Bee skinless, boneless sardines.  I was surprised at the delicate, subtle flavor and would definitely buy them again. I guess I like both now.  

[Anna N]

Apparently, canned seafood is having a moment and Anna Hezel has a book due to be published in April next year titled Tin to Table. 
 

From the Amazon page:

Tin to Table cracks open the secrets of tinned fish cooking with over 50 recipes, from no-fuss snacks to fresh salads, hearty mains, and creative no-recipe recipes for quick pop-and-eat meals.

 

Just as carefree and delicious as the contents of the tins themselves, the recipes in Tin to Table offer an ocean of knowledge and cooking inspiration, whether you're enjoying these preserved delicacies straight out of the can or using them as a base for fancy dinner party fare, including: 

Triple Pickle Smoked Salmon Butter Sandwich 
Canned Clam Garlic Bread 
Sardine Curry Puffs 
Caesar Popcorn (Negronis optional!) 
Tuna Noodle Casserole 2.0 with Salt and Vinegar Crumbs 
Vermouth Hour Potato Chips with Mussels, Olives, and Piparras 
Mac and Mack(erel)

 

 

[farcego]

On 12/7/2022 at 11:18 AM, Kim Shook said:

I've always bought the sardines with skin and bones intact, but recently opened a tin that have been in my cupboard for almost a year (they were in my stocking last Christmas!).  It was a tin of very cheap Bumble Bee skinless, boneless sardines.  I was surprised at the delicate, subtle flavor and would definitely buy them again. I guess I like both now.  

 

back to skin/bones, to my taste, the sardines needs to have them. Actually, The one I like most, are the large ones (2-3 sardines per tin), especially when there are some guts still on the belly and have been processed as a whole.

[liuzhou]

I came across this Spanish tuna in olive oil the other day. Anyone know anything about the brand or the product? The cans are a mere 80 g (less than half the size of most regular cans, but considerbly more expensive).

 

 

Any information gratefully received other than their own website. PR and marketing, I can live without.

[Duvel]

I am not sure which information you are looking for, but Calvo is one of the leading brands in Spain. When we drive down to my parents-in-law, I usually return with 10-15 packs of exactly the one you bought (the 3+1 „special“ offer is the rule, not an exception, though). Very good, also the oil, and at a decent price. 

[farcego]

10 hours ago, liuzhou said:

I came across this Spanish tuna in olive oil the other day. Anyone know anything about the brand or the product? The cans are a mere 80 g (less than half the size of most regular cans, but considerbly more expensive).

 

 

Any information gratefully received other than their own website. PR and marketing, I can live without.

 

One of the best known brands in Spain, and from those easily accessible from almost any supermarket, pretty good for its cost, in the top level.

Both products you got use a generic "atún"/Tuna, which is a generic term for the group of tuna fishes, but also it is used for Skipjack tuna in Spain, which is what you should have in the tins (just in case you came across other products labeled in both languages, the other main tuna species are referred as follows: "atun claro" = yellowfin, "atun rojo" = bluefin and "atun blanco" or "bonito del norte" = albacore).

This are the typical small cans that are used in Spain to toss it on salad, on an omelette, so, independently of the quality (I have not had it for many years, but I have had other products from them and they stand to their quality/price) , but often the product does not have the "integrity" that is shown in the labeling of the 4-pack cardboard.

 

Hope it helps

 

[liuzhou]

On 1/12/2023 at 7:18 AM, farcego said:

just in case you came across other products labeled in both languages

 

This is already labelled in several languages! Spanish, English, Italian and Chinese! Luckily, I can read all four of those! It also has Polish, Czech, Russian, Serbian, Romanian, Albanian, Macedonian, Slovakian, Lithuanian, Latvian, Ukrainian, Hungarian, and Greek. And that's just the box of four. The individual cans also have French and German.

Edited January 13, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[liuzhou]

On 1/12/2023 at 7:18 AM, farcego said:

Both products you got use a generic "atún"/Tuna

 

?

I ony got one product.

 

Anyway I got round to trying it. What a disappointment. I regularly buy Iberian canned sardines and anchovies which are wonderful and was expecting something equally exciting. Poor deluded me.

 

First of all, when I have to break aout a pair of pliers to open a can I get pissed off.

 

 

Then inside, I find a swimming pool of cheap olive oil with stringy bits of tasteless fish. Emptying the tiny quantity onto a saucer I find a tablespoonful of mush.

 

 

 

Never again The cheapo stuff I get here (from SE Asia) is just as bad for a quarter of the price. Bargain.

 

 

[gfweb]

10 minutes ago, liuzhou said:

 

?

I ony got one product.

 

Anyway I got round to trying it. What a disappointment. I regularly buy Iberian canned sardines and anchovies which are wonderful and was expecting something equally exciting. Poor deluded me.

 

First of all, when I have to break aout a pair of pliers to open a can I get pissed off.

 

 

Then inside, I find a swimming pool of cheap olive oil with stringy bits of tasteless fish. Emptying the tiny quantity onto a saucer I find a tablespoonful of mush.

 

 

 

Never again The cheapo stuff I get here (from SE Asia) is just as bad for a quarter of the price. Bargain.

 

 

 

That looks like Starkist dreck...or catfood

[farcego]

@liuzhou I thougth you got a 4-pack plus a different small tin.

 

BTW, nice surprise today for lunch, the eel pieces were pretty large and not really broken. Very different to what I was expecting.

 

 

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/mp7j1RG.jpg[/img]

 

[img]https://i.imgur.com/4SqMTA7.jpg[/img]

 

Edited January 14, 2023 by farcego (log)

[Joe Blowe]

Jumping the (canned) shark?

 

The Latest TikTok Star Is Canned Tuna
Canned-fish sellers launch new products, expand production to meet demand from younger shoppers

https://www.wsj.com/articles/the-latest-tiktok-star-is-canned-tuna-11673878559

 

Quote

U.S. sales of canned seafood rose 9.7% to $2.7 billion in 2022, according to data provider Euromonitor International, with industry executives crediting the increase to a surge in demand from younger shoppers seeking novel but still affordable foods.

 

To capitalize on the trend, canned-fish sellers are launching new products, expanding production and working with social-media influencers. The cans now feature flavored olive oils, tomato sauces and spices, sport snazzy labels and cost as much as $20.

 

[...] A big driver of interest, industry executives say, has been social media. A search on the social-media app TikTok shows to date more than 25 million views for videos tagged #tinnedfish, with users sharing their experiences with different cans and recommending certain brands. 

[Shelby]

My breakfast this morning.  I'm trying to resist eating the rest of the anchovies out of the can.

 

 

 

[liuzhou]

Ngel Slater had a recipe in yesterday's Grauniad for potatoes, onions and sardines with rosemary. Sounds good if simple, but I'm running low on my favourite sardines and everyone is out of stock! 😳

Edited February 1, 2023 by liuzhou (log)

[Susanwusan]

On 11/29/2022 at 4:49 PM, Kerala said:

This has a fishier taste than the Portuguese cans, but less than the cheaper UK supermarket brands.

If you don't want the fishy taste, try Tesco's mackerel in katsu sauce, and Sainsbury's have it in various sauces, such as creamy korma sauce, and others I can't remember.

[Katie Meadow]

New tuna for me: Matiz bonito del norte. Very mild. The flavor can't really stand up to being mixed with a lot of other ingredients, but if you have a very simple tuna forward recipe it would be good. My husband wasn't impressed, but I liked the delicate flavor. He said it was mushy; I don't agree.

 

Meanwhile Ortiz bonito del norte continues to steadily climb in price, but right now Amazon is selling a pack of six oval tins, standard 3.95 oz, for $26.95, which is pretty reasonable I think. It's my favorite for tuna salad.

[Elkyfr]

I like "small sardines" better = "sardinillas" in tomato chili sauce, on a sandwich.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2023 by Elkyfr (log)

[weinoo]

I saw some kids (okay, probably mid-20s) yesterday at my favorite, little local shop: Formaggio Essex.  They carry a nice selection of canned (and jarred) seafoods, as well as a ton of other stuff.

 

Female says to male, and I paraphrase:  "I'd heard tinned fish were so over.  They are so NOT over!"