Buying canned salmon--anything to look for or avoid?

[Peek-a-boo]

I occasionally see thread about using canned salmon, which honestly is not something it ever occured to me to buy canned. Is there anything to look for or avoid in purchasing it? Any brands that are good or bad?

[wife2jason]

I'll be looking for replies too. All I know is go for Alaskan.

[earthmama4]

We love it here. I avoid companies that use a lined can (plastic coating inside) and I look for wild caught. I buy the big can rather than the tuna size, because it is whole, it will contain the bones and everything, they are very soft and just smash right in when you mix it (great for minerals) whereas the little tuna-size can is just salmon meat, no bones. Unfortunately, you won't know if they use a lined can until you open it unless you call first. I don't have any on the shelf right now and the name of the one I've been using escapes me. Sorry!

[stilllearning85]

My canned salmon is tuna sized and it has bones and skin... so I know it's out there... YUM!

[Magelet]

I always look for line caught salmon. (I'm also always on the lookout for unlined and bpa free cans, but sometimes the linings are clear and I'm not totally sure what those ones look like (vs say the white enamel bpa free linings...)

[Peek-a-boo]

Okay--so I just opened my first can (called "think pink") and it had skin and bones and I have to say, that freaked me out a bit. There were some round bones (the spine?) and they were still pretty crunchy, so I picked those out, but did mash up and eat the straight bones.

Sorry to be a nerd, but just need reassuring that the bones are really okay to eat. My 17 month old was also bumming bites from my sandwich--the bones are okay for her too, yes?

[sewchris2642]

Originally Posted by Peek-a-boo

Okay--so I just opened my first can (called "think pink") and it had skin and bones and I have to say, that freaked me out a bit. There were some round bones (the spine?) and they were still pretty crunchy, so I picked those out, but did mash up and eat the straight bones.

Sorry to be a nerd, but just need reassuring that the bones are really okay to eat. My 17 month old was also bumming bites from my sandwich--the bones are okay for her too, yes?

Yes, the bones are ok to eat. When I was growing up, my mom called them candy bones and we felt lucky to get one in our salmon patty.

Salmon Patties

1 15 ounce (something like that. It's the tall can) salmon
1 cup oatmeal
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin with some green tops (5-6 onions)
1 T lemon juice (I've left this out if I don't have a lemon)
1-2 eggs, depending on size

Mix everything up, including the liquid from the salmon can. Form into 6 patties. Fry in coconut oil until brown on both sides.

[erin_brycesmom]

Interesting, I never knew some came with bones and skin. Whatever I buy must not have that. My ND told me that all canned salmon is wild caught and that farm raised is not canned at all. I haven't confirmed that 100% but so far, I've only seen wild caught.

[Brookesmom]

I've seen canned farmed salmon in little cans at Costco, so buyer beware! I haven't checked recently because I'm not interested in the farmed- That was about a year ago.

[marlee]

wild caught sockeye is the cream de la cream of canned fish

[erin_brycesmom]

Originally Posted by Brookesmom

I've seen canned farmed salmon in little cans at Costco, so buyer beware! I haven't checked recently because I'm not interested in the farmed- That was about a year ago.

Good to know! Thanks for the heads up,

[griffin2004]

Originally Posted by sewchris2642

Salmon Patties

1 15 ounce (something like that. It's the tall can) salmon
1 cup oatmeal
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin with some green tops (5-6 onions)
1 T lemon juice (I've left this out if I don't have a lemon)
1-2 eggs, depending on size

Mix everything up, including the liquid from the salmon can. Form into 6 patties. Fry in coconut oil until brown on both sides.

yum!

[sunnysandiegan]

Originally Posted by sewchris2642

Yes, the bones are ok to eat. When I was growing up, my mom called them candy bones and we felt lucky to get one in our salmon patty.

Salmon Patties

1 15 ounce (something like that. It's the tall can) salmon
1 cup oatmeal
1 bunch green onions, sliced thin with some green tops (5-6 onions)
1 T lemon juice (I've left this out if I don't have a lemon)
1-2 eggs, depending on size

Mix everything up, including the liquid from the salmon can. Form into 6 patties. Fry in coconut oil until brown on both sides.

Thank you! I am about to make my first ever salmon patties and this thread came up in my search for a recipe, so you just saved me a lot of time.

[sunnysandiegan]

Chris - An extra special THANK YOU!!! tonight... Neither DD nor myself have ever eaten salmon patties before (but we like grilled salmon) and DH had them growing up. His mother is a pretty good cook and I am glad he hasn't had hers in years, so he couldn't compare. I've never used oatmeal in place of bread crumbs and I have never cooked with coconut oil before. We didn't have green onions, so I used some fresh parsley and half a slice of a yellow onion. These salmon patties were SOOO YUMMY!!!! We gobbled up dinner (big salad with several raw veggies drizzled with earthmomma's Ranch and fresh-picked corn-on-the-cob from the farmer's market on Sunday and, of course, these awesome salmon patties - bones and all)! AND DD asked to have her second patty for lunch tomorrow at school.

Something else I noticed is frying in coconut oil is a lot easier to clean up than frying in olive oil - both the pan and the stove top.

[sewchris2642]

The original recipe does call for breadcrumbs but I never seemed to have any when I needed them. Being too lazy to make my own, I started using oatmeal instead when the recipe called for breadcrumbs. Besides, we think that meatloaf, meatballs, and salmon patties all taste better made with oatmeal instead of bread crumbs.

I used to use olive oil instead of the coconut oil but the coconut oil fries at a high temperature than the olive and doesn't burn or run the risk of catching on fire on high heat. And it adds a great flavor to the salmon patties, eggs, and meatballs.

In order to have leftovers, I have to make a double batch of salmon patties. They are also good hot or cold as a sandwich, kind of like a hamburger.

[spughy]

The #1 thing to look for in canned salmon IS the bones & skin. That's where all the nutrients are. And salmon bones aren't just "ok" for kids, they're fantastic - great source of calcium!

Salmon sandwiches are my DD's favourite lunch. I'm partial to them myself, and have been since childhood.

If you live someplace where you can get fresh (sustainably caught!) salmon in season, it's easy to can it yourself if you have a pressure cooker (no longer the scary exploding contraptions of yesteryear, I might add.)

[MammaG]

We love canned salmon! We buy anything that is Alaska-caught, but prefer sock-eye when the budget allows.

One of our favourite recipes is Dr Sears' Penne, salmon and peas, which is cheesy and can be found in his "Healthest Kid in the Neighbourhood" book. It's like a sophisticated tuna-noodle casserole. Adults and kids alike love it at our house.

I also make salmon patties, but I do mine with an Asian flair. I put the salmon in the food processor (which helps it stick in a patty and makes sure you don't get a crunchy bone later on). I add in some sesame oil, some soy sauce, fresh-grated ginger, minced garlic, and whatever floats my Asian boat....sometimes some chili sauce to kick it up, sometimes black sesame seeds. After scraping it out of the food processor, I add in some sliced green onion. Make into patties....you can also coat in sesame seeds here if you like, but you have to be careful not to burn them while cooking. I cook the patties on the stovetop in a little grapeseed and sesame oil. I serve with some homemade wasabi mayonnaise, either over a simple arugula salad or hamburger-style in whole-wheat chiabatta rolls with some arugula and the mayo.

My only pitfall with this recipe is that I get mixed results with the patties staying together....sometimes it's problem-free, and other times we have more of a hash-dinner! I'm hesitant to add in egg because with the sesame crust, I only really cook long enough to brown and heat through. Any suggestions?

I've also thought of maybe doing a similar thing but with Indian spices and serve them over jasmine rice (or maybe in folded naan??) with some homemade chutney and raita(sp?).....maybe I'll give that a try this week!

Spughy, what's your method for making salmon sandwiches?

Thanks for this thread....we love how great for you salmon is, but are limited to canned for the most part because of price. More recipes are always welcome in this house!

[spughy]

Salmon sandwich filling:

1 can salmon
*3-5 tbsp homemade mayo (or store-bought, if you're not on the mayo thing)
1 kosher dill pickle chopped finely (half a pickle if they're huge)
*2-3 tbsp ketchup
pinch salt, if canned salmon doesn't contain it.

Mash with fork until well blended and spread on bread. If it will be more than a few minutes before you eat the sandwiches I recommend buttering the bread so it doesn't go mushy.

* amounts very approximate... I never measure. A "dollop" might be more accurate.

[MammaG]

Salmon sandwich filling:

1 can salmon
*3-5 tbsp homemade mayo (or store-bought, if you're not on the mayo thing)
1 kosher dill pickle chopped finely (half a pickle if they're huge)
*2-3 tbsp ketchup
pinch salt, if canned salmon doesn't contain it.

Mash with fork until well blended and spread on bread. If it will be more than a few minutes before you eat the sandwiches I recommend buttering the bread so it doesn't go mushy.

* amounts very approximate... I never measure. A "dollop" might be more accurate.

Thank-you! Lunch today solved!

[Mama2Kayla]

What a great thread! I have never tried canned salmon--now I am inspired