Yep, I did it again. Bought sardines in water. Not paying attention to the small print right there on the carton: Safe Catch Wild Sardines in Water. Oh, well, let's see how they are.
Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.2/5.
I thought the version on olive oil with lemon were OK, so I hoped these wouldn't be a total disappointment.
They have that pallid look I think sardines in water often have. At first there appear to be only two huge pilchards, another minus. The aroma is a bit fishy. A cautious sip of the packing liquid tastes like a salty broth.
Digging In
Pulling the fish from the can, there are three more smaller ones hiding under the large pair. I'm not used to seeing this much inconsistency in size, fish-to-fish, in a single can. They are a bit "fall-apart-y" as I lift them out. There are a couple of tails and some scales here and there. For reasons I'm not quite sure, I poured a couple of tablespoons-worth of the liquid over the fish and rice,
Some of the first bites have a good sardine flavor, but there's a dryness to the meat. Continuing on, the rest of the tin I can only characterize as unremarkable. I briefly considered adding something to liven things up a bit, but ended up not doing so.
The fish are not as salty as the liquid tasted, the listed sodium being a lower than average 280mg.
Once again, it was impossible to find these or any sardines on Safe Catch's own website. They've been around long enough to have had a packaging redesign, so I'm not sure what the story is.
Main Takeaways
- Inconsistent fish size
- Tender, but dry
- Really need to read labels
Brand: Safe Catch
Description: Sardines in water
Species: Sardina pilchardus
Country of Origin: Morocco
Source: FAO34, Eastern Central Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.4 oz.
Price Range: $4-5