Sardines! (School me?) - Page 2

[Koalamom]

Originally Posted by ursusarctos

I haven't had boneless skinless so can't compare, but my strategy is just not to look too closely

Same here. Just don't look at it. I love sardines though and 3 yr dd will eat them out of the can. She begs me for the little spines and I let her have them as I am not a fan. I eat the bones since I know there is oads of nutrients

[Ammaarah]

I butter the heck out of crackers and pile sardines or kippers on. I love those salty little devils.

[Koalamom]

Hey fellow sardine lovers- My local grocery store has Beach Cliff Maine sardines for sale for 99 cents a 3.75 oz can. Is that a good deal to stock up on?

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by bluebirdmama1

Hey fellow sardine lovers- My local grocery store has Beach Cliff Maine sardines for sale for 99 cents a 3.75 oz can. Is that a good deal to stock up on?

That sounds good to me... Where I am they're over a euro (which is almost 2 bucks) per that sized can if they're in olive oil.

Oh, and they usually seem to come from Morocco over here. And they don't have heads either. I didn't actually know there were sardines in the Baltic at all, and I live next to it Lots of herring for sure though...

OP, how did the experiment go?

[New_Natural_Mom]

Just bought them this morning. My husband keeps daring me to eat them.

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by New_Natural_Mom

My husband keeps daring me to eat them.

They're better than they smell! My DP won't eat them either though.

[sunkist33]

We LOVE sardines here! But I have to say they are NOT all created equal...and we don't like the Trader Joe's brand (for sardines, that is, we do love Trader Joe's for many other products!).
You want ones in extra virgin olive oil and the "fancy brisling" ones are tiny (hence, tiny bones & easier to eat, esp. if you're not a big fan of fish).
We buy the King Oscar "fancy brisling" and they are yummy!
I like the idea of eating them on buttered toast, but we usually end up just eating them right out of the tin.
Sardines are an excellent source of calcium & omega oils, happy eating!
Stacy

[raksmama]

The brand we used to get are called “Millionnaires”. The sardines are really tiny and Ds and DH find them tasty. I find them better than the other kinds but I am still trying to convince myself to like sardines. We stopped buying this brand because it said they were a product of Poland. Not that we have anything against Poland, but we just could not see buying something from so far when we should have them from where we live, Canada. I just assumed they must be from the Baltic sea since it is the nearest sea to Poland.
Today I was at the grocery store and saw that the smoked variety of Millionnaires are from Scotland (don’t know if that is any better in terms of pollution) and the non smoked variety are from Morocco.

[raksmama]

Originally Posted by New_Natural_Mom

I am interested in trying sardines. I am trying to get more fish in my diet. DS just turned 2 and he will not eat tuna. He will barely eat cod, and halibut. He *lurves* calamari (though only had once.)

I want to try sardines (will get canned from Trader Joes.) How does one eat them. I confess, I don't love the way fish tastes or smells particularly - especially strong ones. I like Tilapia, salmon - meh. I found a recipe for sardine pate that sounded good, but it called for boneless skinless. Aren't the bones and skin good to eat (but :Puke at the thought of it, which is why pate sounded like a nice start.)

Any help here? (Sorry this is so rambly.)

It occurred to me you could try sardines like croquettes. I do canned salmon that way and it is really tasty.
I have never tried them with sardines but I imagine it would be good.
For the salmon croquettes:
Mix one egg with one piece of diced toast.
Drain one can of salmon and flake it and the mix it with the egg mixture.
Add 1 TBS Dijon mustard and 1 tsp Worchester or tamari sauce.
Mix well, crushing the toast together and the salmon bones with a fork.
Form in patties and fry until golden.

[neverdoingitagain]

I love sardines, oh how I love sardines...I'm having a huge craving now thanks alot (none in the house )
I love the bones though, they are my favorite. Same with canned salmon. So many tasty suggestions here, cream cheese and sardines on toast? god, I'm drooling.
I get Brunswick sardines, they're a Canadian company that fishes between New Brunswick and Maine. Just always have, didn't even realize until I looked it up that they were Canadian.

[New_Natural_Mom]

OP here, so I just tried some - the reaction........gagging, tears, and huge disappointment.

I made some cream cheese last night, mixed in the sardines (TJ brand, lightly smoked.) Added some dijon mustard, garlic, dill, pepper, herbs and spices...and blended it all up in a food processor. I tasted it - gagged - and added A LOT more mustard and garlic.

I am going to save it and see if DS will try it but I think that sardines are not for me. I was actually really looking forward to it too.

[nukuspot]

Wild Planet sardines are now in BPA free tins! I know that made me happy...And you know what? They are the best sardines I have ever tasted!

[zinemama]

OP, try them whole, on toast and see if you like that better. Like I said, I love sardines, but gag at the idea of them processed with cream cheese.

(I get Brunswick sardines, too. TJ carries them.)

[ursusarctos]

Originally Posted by zinemama

OP, try them whole, on toast and see if you like that better. Like I said, I love sardines, but gag at the idea of them processed with cream cheese.

(I get Brunswick sardines, too. TJ carries them.)

This. Somehow the idea of them all blended up with stuff is gross to me too.

[mbravebird]

Verrrrrrrryy inspiring thread...

[raksmama]

New_Natural_Mom you have got to try this!
I just did.
I am the one who wrote that my DH and Ds loved sardines but that I did not really like them myself. following a friends suggestion I had the sardines in a sandwich on toasted sourdough bread spread with dijon mustard and a little mayo.
They were so yummy!

[LCBMAX]

I am dubious about the olive oil used for packing the sardines. Does anyone buy them in water, drain, and add their own high quality olive oil? I'm considering doing this, lazy though I am.

[decolady]

We like the ones that come packed with little hot green peppers best. And we just eat them on crackers.

When I was growing up Thursday night supper at my grandparent's house was sardines, crackers and what was really a very simple gazpacho - home canned tomatoes served in a bowl with some chopped onion and pepper from the garden, seasoned with salt and pepper. I still like to have them that way.

[Althetrainer]

We love sardines

We love sardines. My 8-year-old son would eat sardines straight out the can, without anything else. Last year, he begged me to put sardines in his lunch box. Knowing his friends would tease him, I warned him but he didn't care. He loved sardines that much.

If eating straight sardines seems gross to you, you can try cooking ( more like heating) it with some herbs and spices to eat with cooked vegetables. I love to stir fry vegetables in a bit of coconut oil, season with salt, pepper, ginger, garlic, and curry powder. Once the vegetables are cooked to the right texture, I gentle pour in the whole sardines (I used sardines in tomato sauce or in chili sauce). Let it sit there and cook for a bit, sprinkle more fresh herbs and spices if I feel like it. DH doesn't like sardines as much as we do but he can tolerate the dish much better when I add ginger and garlic into it.

We don't eat sardines on crackers too often but we love to roll whole sardines in bread. Using a rolling pin, I roll a piece of bread flat like a tortilla. Butter it up, line two pieces of tomato sardine in the bread, plus a slice or two of avocado, roll up the whole thing like a sushi. Slice into small rolls and dip into tartar sauce or salsa. Makes a very good snack.

Another thing you can try is to make sardine omelet. Beat some eggs, add a bit oil, salt, pepper and whatever you normally put into your omelet eggs. Stir fry some peas and corn with seasonings, pour the beaten eggs all over the vegetables and cook until the bottom begins to firm up. Put whole sardines pieces in the middle, add spices if desire, sprinkle fresh cilantro or parsley over sardines, add shredded cheese of your choice over everything. Fold up omelet and cook until done. Server with salsa.

We love sardines and would eat them any time, anywhere. But for those who haven't eaten a lot of sardines, it will take a while to get used to the taste and smell. Once you're used to it, you will be hooked.

Al

[BeagleMommy]

Let me put in my vote for King Oscar brisling two layer sardines in olive oil!
They were headless and I didn't notice the bones, just the yummy fishy flavor. I can't believe I have only had sardines once since I was a kid. I have really been missing out.

I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy them in part because I find olive oil pretty disgusting, but they were so good! And talk about a fast lunch for a mom! I enjoyed them with fire roasted pepper Kashi crackers.

Try it! You'll probably like it! And if not, it's cheaper than a lot of things you've bought and didn't really like, I bet. We've all wasted more money than this, one time or another.