April 2025 - Sardeenz!

Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon

I'd seen a couple of youtube videos reviewing some low-priced and moderately-priced cans of sardines with lemon. In both, the reviewer was less than impressed. I had a can of the Fishwife Sardines with Preserved Lemon I was waiting to try. My hope was this more premium offering might do a better job on the lemon flavor.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

Really nice looking fish with intact skin. Three sizeable pilchards. My preference would be smaller, but that's OK. Clean fish aroma. A definite "essence" of lemon flavor infusing the oil.

Lemon always adds a zing to the flavor of most fish, so it's not surprising many canners offer a lemon flavored variant. It's typically seen in the form of a slice of lemon added to the can, on top of the fish. How much flavor it imparts to the fish and the packing oil can vary.

What exactly makes the slice of lemon in this can "preserved", I don't know. Unfortunately, the package does not specify. It looked pretty much the same as the one in one of the video reviews, i.e. a cooked sliced of lemon. Rather than being laid on top of the fish, it was squeezed in between two of them.

One complaint the reviewer had about the moderately-priced can was that the fish were mushy. A commenter blamed that on the lemon, claiming that the acidity denatured the proteins in the fish. A plausible theory, but I did not find this to be the case with the Fishwife brand. The reviewer's can was smaller brislings. Conversely, the Fishwife contains three sizeable pilchards, so that difference may or may not be a factor.

I found bites with smaller pieces of fish and a piece of the lemon gave a more satisfying lemon "experience". But was it an experience worth the $8 price? You'll have to decide that for yourself.

See it on Amazon (Whole Foods)

Brand: Fishwife Tinned Seafood Co.
Description: Sardines with preserved lemon
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Spain
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $8

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Aldi Herring in Mango Pepper Sauce

DeenLeave a comment

Deutsche Kuche brand Herring Fillets in Mango Pepper Sauce are one of three herring selections Aldi sells seasonally, usually twice a year, along with an array of other German style products. The other two are in a tomato sauce and a curry pineapple sauce. This one sounded the most appealing of the three. At only $1.69, it wasn't going to break the bank if I didn't like it.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

What's in the can isn't as pretty as what's on the can. Kind of a mish-mash of fish and sauce. But there really are some little green peppercorns floating around in the sauce. The sauce was pleasant, the mango flavor not being as forward as one might expect. The pepper was subtle, being more evident on the back end of a bite.

I always like to try the sauce or oil by itself on a cracker, and thought maybe a little hot sauce might have perked things up a bit. I won't necessarily be rushing back to Aldi to stock up, but if I see them the next time they're available, I'll grab a can or two.

At 7.05 ounces, this is a big serving of canned fish, although the label lists the contents as two servings. Not being one to want to deal with canned fish leftovers, I made a lunch of the whole can. Along with a half sleeve of saltines, the calorie count came in at 650. By comparison, a 6" Subway Club on wheat bread with provolone cheese, some veggies and mayo is about 635. The sandwich, though, has about twice the fat, and 50% more sodium. And that's even including the saltines in the calculation.

DK is an Aldi exclusive brand, so don't bother trying to find them at a good price on Amazon or elsewhere.

Brand: Deutsche Kuche
Description: Herring Fillets in Mango Pepper Sauce
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 7.05 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Smoked Oyster Duel

DeenLeave a comment

Smoked oysters are a tinned fish staple. If you've had canned sardines, chances are you've also had canned smoked oysters. If you want a change of pace from sardines, mackerel, herring, etc, they can be a good choice. In our smoked oyster duel, we compare two popular brands.

Northern Catch Smoked Oysters

Northern Catch is an Aldi house brand, like many of their products. The first thing you notice about these Northern Catch Smoked Oysters is that they're packed in cottonseed oil. A quick search revealed the jury's deadlocked on whether it's a good or a bad thing. One also has to wonder what problem the state of California has with these. (The answer is here).

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3.5/5.

As with many canned smoked oysters, the texture was a little mealy. The oil is very neutral, and doesn't add to or subtract anything from the flavor. The smallness means there's more in the can, so perhaps a good option for use in a pasta dish.

Inexpensive, at under a buck and a half, they were worth a try. Like most tinned smoked oysters, they're small; it would take at least four to equal the size of an average Louisiana oyster.

Brand: Aldi/Northern Catch
Description: Smoked Oysters in Cottonseed Oil
Species: Crassostrea Gigas
Country of Origin: China
Source: Farmed
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $1-2

Next, we compare to the Crown Prince.

Crown Prince Natural Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil

These were found at Trader Joe's, but can be found most anywhere. At $3.49, they were quite a bit pricier, but the quality difference was notable. There doesn't seem to be any of the brand offered at a reasonable price at Amazon. I will continue to try to find these at a better price.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

The first thing you notice when opening the can is how much larger they are than the ones from Aldi. I counted 11 in the can. The texture was a bit "meatier" as well, which was a plus. That they are packed in olive oil is also preferable.

I noticed that Crown Prince also offers a version packed in cottonseed oil, sourced from China like the Aldi brand. They also sell a China-sourced version in Spanish olive oil. Both bear the description "Fancy Whole", whereas the version I tried just had the word "Natural". It bears noting that you really need to pay attention to make sure you're getting what you want.

Brand: Crown Prince
Description: Smoked Oysters in Olive Oil
Species: NS
Country of Origin: South Korea
Source: FAO61, Northwest Pacific
Skin/Bones: N/A
Net Wt: 3.0 oz.
Price Range: $3-4

Kipper Snacks Shootout

DeenLeave a comment

While perusing the tinned fish shelf at your local store, you will undoubtedly come across what are called kipper snacks. As opposed to the typical 4x3 dimensional ratio of a typical sardine can, kipper snack cans are usually longer by half, sometimes narrower and shallower as well.

Kipper is a term used to describe herring fillets which have been salt-cured and cold smoked, a process also known as kippering. They are most often packed in brine, but are sometimes seen packed in oil. Delicious as a snack, they have long been served in Europe and Scandinavia. In England, they are often served as a breakfast meat.

Ounce for ounce, they are typically less expensive than sardines (pilchards and brisling), and are high in healthful Omega-3 fatty acids. On the other hand, they are salt-cured, so if sodium content is a concern you may want to tread carefully.

Here are some you are most likely to see in the US market. We tried them all, and to be honest, they're all good and also inexpensive. But we liked the Brunswick Golden Smoked we got from Amazon for both taste and value. You'll most likely find the MW Polar brand in your local area. While local stores stock a few King Oscar products, their kipper snacks were not among them.

Brunswick Golden Smoked Herring Fillets

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

While not noted as kipper, kippered or kipper snacks on the label, these are still essentially just that. They were under $2 on Amazon. 160 calories and they had a nice smoke flavor that didn't taste fake. Some people say they find these too smoky. Maybe it's because these are actually smoked as opposed having "natural smoke flavor" added, so there could be some variation in smoke level from one lot to another.

Brunswick does offer another version described as "Kipper Style", which only contains "natural smoke flavoring". It may be worth noting that the "Kipper Style" clocks in at 600mg sodium, while these "Golden Smoked" only have 460mg.

Ours came in the cellophane-wrapped package shown here, but we understand updated cans will have the graphics and information on the can itself.

See it on Amazon.

Brand: Brunswick
Description: Golden Smoked Herring fillets
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Canada
Source:
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.25 oz.
Price Range: $2

MW Polar Kipper Snacks

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

These were also under $2 at Walmart, and it's a big can, so you feel like you're getting a lot. The label says they're naturally smoked, and the dark coloration of the surface of the fillets bears this out.

Of the three, they have only 130 calories and contain a low 100mg. sodium per can. At the price, we would have no problem buying these again. Perfect for a low calorie mid-day snack.

See it on Amazon.

Brand: MW Polar
Description: Kipper Snacks
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Germany
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.53 oz.
Price Range: $2

King Oscar Kipper Snacks

King Oscar Kipper Snacks are available both packed in brine and juices, and packed in olive oil. We weren't paying attention and bought this version from Amazon. Of the three, they were the most expensive, about 25% more than the others.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

The lighter color compared to the MW Polar tends to confirm the claim of lightly smoked. They have 140 calories and 360mg. sodium per can. The quality we have come to expect from King Oscar was there, but we can't say there was enough difference to want to pay more. Hopefully, we can try the olive oil packed version at a later time, and see if that's something worth considering.

See it on Amazon.

Brand: King Oscar
Description: Kipper Snacks
Species: Clupea Harengus
Country of Origin: Poland
Source: FAO27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.54 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Two Sardines From Trader Joe’s

DeenLeave a comment

Went to Trader Joe's in search of some of their sardines I had seen reviewed on youtube. It took two trips as they were out of stock on one of them. I liked the first one, wanted to purchase more, and of course, when I went back it was out of stock on the second trip. Sigh...

Skinless & Boneless Sardines In Olive Oil

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4/5.

This is one of the few seen that list net weight (3.75oz.) as well as drained weight (2.8oz.). The can seems big; maybe it's just the atypical ratio of length to width that makes it appear that way.

I think it may be because the can I got had the fillets oriented parallel to the width of the can vs. the more typical lengthwise. The ingredients list "Sardines, olive oil, salt", so no indication of what you're getting until you open the can. They might have been pilchards, but after seeing other opened cans of the same online, with the fish packed lengthwise, I'm not so sure. At $2.49, the quality and taste were more than acceptable, in line with similar offerings costing 10 to 20% more.

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Skinless & Boneless Sardines In Olive Oil
Species: Pilchards?
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source:
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 3.75 oz.
Price Range: $2-3

Lightly Smoked Sardines in Olive Oil

The second was the one in the hard-to-miss hot pink can. It, too, listed net weight (4.25oz.) and drained weight (3oz.) which, at over an ounce, was a big swing compared to the first one.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 3/5.

Ingredients were listed as "Sardines, olive oil, salt, natural smoke flavor." According to the TJ website they are pilchards, although they seem a little large, with only 3 or so per can. It hadn't dawned on me to check if these were skinless/boneless; they were not. Best advice: if it doesn't say, don't assume. These tasted fine, but reminded me that I prefer skinless/boneless, or at least boneless. Don't hate me for not being a purist.

Brand: Trader Joe's
Description: Lightly Smoked Sardines in Olive Oil
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Portugal
Source:
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.25 oz.
Price Range: $2

These are actually sold at Amazon, but at really stupidly high prices, so don't bother looking for them there.

Brunswick Sardines with Mild Red Peppers

DeenLeave a comment

Tried these Brunswick Sardines with Mild Red Peppers after having the Brunswick plain skinless/boneless. They are of exactly the same quality, but with the addition of two or three skinny little red peppers. The ingredient list also states vinegar and citric acid, but it's hard to tell if that's added to the olive oil, or just required to be stated because it's in the peppers.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.5/5.

They are skinless/boneless pilchards, with the peppers adding a not-overpowering spicy pepper flavor. Initially, they look like most any can of skinless boneless pilchards. After extracting a few fish, the rather substantial single pepper appeared. It is indeed a mild red pepper. Not much else to add. I like them and have re-ordered them multiple times, paying about 20% less than comparable King Oscar.

A bit of background, Brunswick was a Canadian cannery dating back to the late 19th century. It was acquired by Bumblebee, and some say the quality has suffered as a result. There's no way to make that comparison now, but suffice it to say the quality is on par with other well-regarding contemporaries.

Anyway, this is a definite try it/buy it again selection, and hard to beat at just over $2 a can. Available individually, or in lots of six or twelve at Amazon.

Brand: Bumblebee/Brunswick
Description: Sardines Served in Olive Oil with Mild Red Peppers
Species: Pilchards
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: No/No
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $2-3