- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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currently eating TJ smoked sardines in olive oil.
they had boneless skinless ones for a dollar more but it didn't say if they were smoked or not. do they make unsmoked canned sardines?
mixed it with garlic, lemon juice, black pepper, spicy mustard. on some 12 grain crackers. tastes good.
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Mar 23, 2014 18:44
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May 18, 2024 00:01
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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drat that sounds good.
I'm thinking about trying to make some sardine and chicken meatballs. Mix with breadcrumbs, kind of like a crab cake, but make them tiny. Panfry and add to pasta. I dunno what seasoning to put in it.
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Mar 23, 2014 19:13
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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Wow ! These Japanese style sardine meatballs in miso udon soup look amazing. http://kyotofoodie.com/sardine-meatballs-iwashi-tsumire-iri-miso-udon/
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Mar 23, 2014 19:16
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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Mackerel sushi is really fishy it's the only sushi I dislike
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Mar 23, 2014 19:45
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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A brown-people store near where I live sells frozen sardines. Can I just thaw them, fry it up and then eat it with some sort of sauce? What's the deal with bones in that situation? I might give the head to my cat to try to win her love.
My cat was like, "oh poo poo dude that smells wonderful" and started freaking out when I opened the tin of sardines. I cut a small piece off and gave it to her, and she just licked it and then lost interest. loving cats.
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Mar 24, 2014 14:07
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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i've had octopus a few times, supposedly prepared well at good restaurants. it's just not that flavorful and the texture is really meh. i never sit down at a place and say "oh man i'm hungry gotta try their octopus"
Octopodes are also super intelligent so if you'd eat octopus but balk at eating dolphin you're silly and wrong
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Mar 24, 2014 16:17
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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Not very smart compared to any bird or mammal.
Octopuses have some interesting behaviors with regards to learning, pattern recognition and pack hunting, but they don't have the same kind of cognitive capabilities that land animals have.
Seems a little spurious. An octopus can figure out how to open a screw-top jar to get at the contents. They can learn to hide and disguise themselves. They have a concept of what they are, as a living creature. There are humans that can't figure that out. Studies of octopus intelligence, and comparative intelligence in general, is nascent and I find it egotistical to make a strong claim that they're unintelligent comparatively, given the amount of research that's been done in the past few decades.
I would prefer to err on the side of caution and not eat potentially sentient creatures.
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Mar 24, 2014 17:42
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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I enjoy the conradery we've build here and I'd even join a crew! But I can't keep eating all these sardines you know?
are you switching your recipes up?
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Mar 26, 2014 05:46
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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Am I the only one that likes smoked mussles?
Waht do you do with them
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Mar 29, 2014 16:59
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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last time i got the cheapest trader joe's diners, they were "lightly smoked in oil" and pretty good
this time I got the more expensive premium organic whatever ones but they don't say if they are smoked 
im gonna mix them with mustard and garlic and serve on crackers
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Apr 27, 2014 21:38
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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Any fish sauce connoisseurs in gbs today? I have a big bottle of sauce with three crabs on the label and it's pretty pungent. Is my stuff good stuff or scrub sauce??
I like that one and I've seen it in a lot of Thai restaurant kitchens
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Apr 27, 2014 21:50
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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What do you do with sardines in tomato? I bought some Alshark brand Moroccan sardines solely because of the name.
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May 10, 2014 22:52
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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Sorry to be a downer in the happy canned fish thread, but seriously don't eat eel, any kind of eel.
There are plenty of fish species that can be fished sustainably, but eels are not among them. All major commercially fished species of eel are actually critically endangered and could go extinct withing our lifetime. The catches of European eel have dropped with 99% since the 1970s, and it's all from overfishing. The American and Asian eel stocks have dropped dramatically but are not yet critically endangered.
Eels can't be farmed, and no one really knows how they reproduce. Eels leave fresh water to head into the deep ocean to breed right in the middle of the ocean far from land. There's been many unsuccessful attempts to get eels to spawn in captivity, but it's still a mystery what actually triggers spawning.
All farm raised eel have been caught wild as young glass eels. These catches are way down too.
Eat fish, but please avoid eel, sharks, and bluefin. Those are the ones that could really permanently go extinct on us.
hmm I stopped eating eel but every sushi place still has it
have you tried asking sushi places not to serve it❓
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May 12, 2014 22:46
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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I was not a big fan of the Alshark brand sardines in tomato sauce. Not much flavor. I ate them on Trader Joe's 12 grain crackers with Tapatio.
Are all sardines smoked? The Trader Joe's brand sardines had a much more pronounced smokey flavor.
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May 13, 2014 22:00
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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dayum some good sardine knowledge here
http://www.styleforum.net/t/163955/guide-to-buying-canned-sardines posted:
I. Types of Sardines
Sardines can be found throughout the oceans and seas of the world, but they vary by region just as all types of seafood do. Sardines from Mediterranean taste different from Baltic sardines. The most important thing to remember is that the sardine fish is not always the sardine food. Labeling laws are not standardized in America and many other regions regarding small canned fish. Sardines can often really be brisling, sprats, sardines, pilchards, and other less common varieties. For the purpose of this guide, I will always refer to sardines qua food not zoology. The most common types of sardines will depend on the waters they are fished from -- Baltic, North Atlantic, and other cold regions tend to have more sprats and brisling, while warmer waters tend to have more sardines.
II. Distributors
Keep in mind that many distributors have rights to multiple canneries. Roland, for instance, has canneries all over Western Europe and their product quality and packaging varies among the different canneries. Do not rely on distributor names for sardine quality!
III. Country of Processing
Most sardines will be processed somewhere in Western Europe and imported to the United States. A few Canadian companies exist as well. I have yet to encounter any canned sardine processed in the United States. The country of processing will always be marked in the United States as 'Product of [Country]'. Note that this does not indicate the waters it was fished from. However, the country of processing is generally indicative of the sardines' waters. This is not a comprehensive list, so feel free to suggest additions. I've listed the countries of processing in a descending order of general quality.
All the EU countries seem to have their information in a circle on the tin. It will say something like LV 44 Z, where LV denotes it comes from Latvia and the rest is the EU commercial approval number. Other countries will say things like DE GI-310 EG, where DE denotes German origin and the rest is again the approval number (I'm guessing some numbers are larger than others because of the higher number of EU commerce permits in those countries).
A. List of Countries of Processing
1. Baltic States
The Baltic States (Latvia, Estonia, Lithuania) are all members of the EU with fishing as an important industry. Most of the sardines are fished from the Baltic Sea and are sprats or brisling, with sprats being by far the most common. Sprats from this region are soft, plump, and small with a very concentrated flavor. They are often smoked but can be found canned in oil and unsmoked as well. People from this region have eaten smoked sardines for centuries. The sprats are usually first smoked before being canned with a light oil (sunflower oil tends to be the most common from this region, but I've seen rapeseed oil as well I think). The sprats imported into the US are mostly from Riga, the capital of Latvia and a large seaport with extensive fishing industry. These are the same sprats processed and canned the same way many Latvians eat them. The best varieties (and 95% of those I've encountered) come in a heavy tin and are labeled as 'Rigas Zelts'. These can be found for $2.50/6 oz. tin or less due to the relativity of the Baltic economies compared to the rest of the EU.
2. Germany
Germany does most of its fishing out of the North Atlantic, and the types of sardines vary. I've encountered mostly sprats and brisling from Germany. German imports of sardines tend to be from the same company that processes them. The three biggest are Appel, Rugenfisch, and Alstertor. These are either smoked or unsmoked, with the unsmoked varieties usually packed in some type of sauce. Appel tends to pack theirs in canola oil, Alstertor packs theirs in canola and rapeseed oil, and Rugenfisch tends to use vegetable oil (often soybean). There's more varieties than I've eaten, but in terms of general quality Appel tends to be the best. The mustard and dill sauces are my personal favorites for unsmoked sardines. I've even seen weird stuff like sardines canned in ketchup. They are usually canned via steaming, but sometimes are first fried and then canned with onions and/or chiles. German brands tend to be expensive ($3.50/6 oz. tin), but they're great quality.
3. Canada
Canadian varieties are usually brisling and sardines. I've seen both smoked and unsmoked varieties, but both aren't too great. I think most Canadian processors make them for the US market and therefore make them as cheaply as possible. The fish are good quality, but I swear they just throw them in the tins and then into the canner. These are usually plainly packed in vegetable or olive oil, with the olive oil varieties being obviously much better. I've seen lots of big seafood distributors with their hands in the Canadian market, including Roland, Ocean Prince, and I think Chicken of the Sea. These are relatively cheap depending on the distributor, so don't overspend because the product quality isn't generally worth it.
4. Poland
Polish varieties tend to be fished from the Baltic Sea and are usually sprats or brisling. I've seen only a few Polish varieties and the fish are as good quality as the Baltic States', but Poland tends to be cheap when they process their fish. I've only ever seen them in vegetable oil (likely soybean or canola) and I've only seen them unsmoked. The biggest importer of Polish sardines in the United States is Seasons' Brand, which for some reason prices their sardines above the value of their quality of processing.
5. Morocco
Pretty much all Mediterranean sardines found in the US are processed in Morocco. The most common variety is a sardine. I've had some decent stuff from here, but I generally avoid 'Product of Morocco' since there's really no point in filling the distributors' pockets for what are often previously-frozen sardines. I prefer sprats to sardines themselves, since sprats tend to be better in almost every criteria, namely flavor and texture. Many are packed in vegetable oil, but the better varieties originating from the Mediterranean are packed in olive oil (or at least that's my guess). The biggest problem with Morocco is that it's a complete mystery where the fish came from, how it was handled, and even what kind of fish it is to begin with.
IV. Methods of Processing
A. Freshness
Some sardines are first frozen before being canned. It's impossible to tell from the label which varieties are frozen before canning, but my guess is that the sardines that are not intact within the tin are likely frozen before canning. This is my list of distributors that I believe use frozen sardines from time to time:
Roland
Ocean Prince
Chicken of the Sea
Rugenfisch
Crown Prince
Reese
B. Smoked and Unsmoked
This difference should be obvious, but with the smoked varieties look to see if they are naturally smoked. Some canneries put liquid smoke in the tin with the oil before canning. Liquid smoke may taste fine in other products, but it is not a substitute for sardines where the smoking process changes the fish in other ways, notably its texture.
C. Type of Oil
In my experience, lighter oils tend to be better. Heavier oils (the heaviest I've seen is soybean oil) are too stable and won't hold onto the flavor, especially with the smoked varieties. Forget about varieties in water -- they are not comparable in quality at all and should not be bought.
D. Processing Before Canning
Most sardines are minimally-processed before canning: they are sorted, their heads are removed and they are canned. The more they are processed and handled, the worse quality they tend to be. Some companies do a poor job of sorting the sardines by size and ruin some sardines because the tins are only inspected as a whole. Furthermore, some sardines are smoked before canning and some are fried before canning. I tend to prefer smoked. The fried varieties are rare and I've only ever seen them from German importers, but Spain, Portugal, and France I believe all sometimes fry their sardines before canning. If you see them from these countries, give me a heads up.
1. What To Look For
As a summary of the above, the most important criteria for the quality of sardines will be their processing: they should ostensibly be minimally handled, equally sized, and packed tightly in a sturdy tin.
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May 15, 2014 05:22
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May 18, 2024 00:01
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- ashgromnies
- Jun 19, 2004
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tonight's midnight snack consists of
1 can lightly smoked trader joes sardines in olive oil
1 anchovy
some mustard
some hot sauce
chopped clove garlic
chopped 1/2 shallot
1 tbsp romano/parmesan
eaten atop sourdough
kind of a mess but whatever it's good
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Jun 2, 2014 06:48
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Mar 23, 2014 18:44
