Bar Harbor Archives

Bar Harbor Natural Smoked Wild Kippers

These Bar Harbor Natural Smoked Wild Kippers came from Whole Foods, where they were on sale. Amazon Prime membership reduced the price even further, to $3.28.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.9/5.

About as expected for kippers, aka kipper snacks. The aroma is both smoky and a little fishy, but not in a bad way. A sip of the salted packing water reveals the fish has imparted some flavor that gives the impression of a seafood broth. The bronze appearance confirms the claim of natural wood smoke. I see what appears to be bones protruding from the middle, but it turns out just to be a bit of fin.

Let's Eat

I'm able to coerce the entire contents out over rice in one big chunk. It's the typical four fillets, about 5 inches long each, skin on. Getting it all out of the tin in one piece meant the packing liquid all came out, too, but I had intended to pour some over the fish anyway.

The flavor is no surprise. Smoky, salty, mild fish. The salty packing liquid has kept the meat moist, or perhaps "made" it moist. This tin conforms to the usual form factor for herring. A little light at 6.7oz, but the drained weight is listed at the typical-for-herring 130gm, about two-thirds of the net weight.

Most tins like this are labeled as two servings, but this one calls it only one. I usually consume an entire can regardless, so it doesn't matter to me. It helps to be a little extra hungry.

Having said that, I need to find a different way to enjoy kippers/kipper snacks than just basically plain. Although I appreciate natural wood smoke whenever possible, in this case, it became a little fatiguing towards the end of the tin.

The salt level is listed as 364mg. for the entire can. That's about average, and I didn't find it to be a problem. A little extra saltiness is to be expected with kippered herring, though.

Well, that makes three cans of herring in a row, and I'll have to say the MW Polar Smoked Herring with Pepper was the all-around winner of the bunch. Now, to see what else is in the stash for next time.

Main Takeaways

Generous portion
Good smoke flavor, but a little fatiguing towards the end
Priced well, even not on sale

Brand: Bar Harbor Foods
Description: Natural smoked wild kippers
Species: Clupea harengus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/No
Net Wt: 6.7 oz.
Price Range: $4-5

Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines Revisited

DeenLeave a comment

I tasted these Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines a while ago, and expressed my intention to revisit them at some point. They are on sale at Whole Foods right now, so this seemed an opportune time to do so.

Initial impression upon opening the can: Same as last time.

10 fish on top with six more underneath. As you may recall, these are not smoked. Just sardines (sprats), EVOO and salt. The first time around, although I thought they were some quality sprats, I found them a little bland. I tried perking them up with a little Salsa Espinaler, but found it to be a little too much.

I theorized back then that just a little fresh-squeezed lemon juice might be the ticket, and I was correct. Rather than mask the intrinsic flavor of the fish, the lemon juice complemented it. And it didn't take much, less than a quarter of the lemon's juice for the entire can. Really good.

Main Takeaways

Still a good quality sprat
Plenty of fish in the can
Lemon juice just what they needed to brighten them up

See it at Amazon.

Brand: Bar Harbor Foods
Description: Wild Petite Sardines in EVOO
Species: Sprattus sprattus
Country of Origin: Latvia
Source: FAO 27, Northeast Atlantic
Skin/Bones: Yes/Yes
Net Wt: 4.2 oz.
Price Range: $5-6

Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines in EVOO

DeenLeave a comment

I got these Bar Harbor Wild Petite Sardines on sale at Whole Foods. They were intriguing because, as sprats in a round can like this go, they were not smoked. As such, I expected a more premium experience.

Initial impression upon opening the can: 4.8/5.

Nicer presentation than in the stock photo of the package. An oddly bland aroma, which I attributed to the lack of smoke. There are ten fish and a fraction visible in the top layer, with 6 more beneath.

The fish are very tender, the flavor mild, the texture buttery. As for the EVOO, it was neutral, not really adding anything. The tails are mostly removed, an acknowledgement of the prickliness often found in Latvian sprats.

But, as with the aroma, the taste was a bit bland. These might be the brisling purist's cup of tea, but I thought they needed a little kick. A little Salsa Espinaler did the trick. But, in retrospect, I think just a squeeze of fresh lemon juice might be the perfect balance between purist bland and the want of a little zest. If I catch these on sale again, that's how I will revisit them.

Main Takeaways

Unsmoked sprats?
Great texture and flavor, but still kind of bland
Needed something to brighten things up

See it at Amazon.