Canned Salmon. In the 1960s, I grew up with it in landlocked Northwest Iowa. And I didn’t like it. There was a time I’d tell you that you were nuts if you thought I’d buy and use it.

Let’s face it, though, if you’re on a limited budget and want to get some healthy fish in, if you want to save time, or if you want to make certain dishes, Canned Salmon can be the way to go.

Canned Salmon

When I had to start consciously budgeting for food, my food snobbery (of course, I “only liked” fresh Salmon) left me missing some essential nutrients. I had to learn a few tricks to work fish into my diet. One is to be open to canned or frozen Salmon.

What To Know About The Canned Salmon Lurking in the Pantry?:

If you haven’t used it before, canned salmon can be a shock when opened! You’re talking chunks of cooked salmon, usually with some of the skin and often small bones, swimming in a murky liquid. And even though the taste is ok, if a little bland, the salmon is overcooked and on the soft side.

On the plus side, if you know how to deal with it, know how to cook with it, and when to use (and when not to), you might be surprised. Bonus: Most canned salmon is wild-caught and has the same nutritional profile as freshly caught wild salmon of the same species.

About the Salmon:

There are several species of salmon commercially fished in the US and available to consumers; what you’ll usually find at your grocery canned, is usually Sockeye Salmon (Red Salmon) or Pink Salmon. Both are “Wild-Caught.” The label is true, but it’s a bit of a market ploy. The information below on the status is from NOAA:

Sockeye (Red) Salmon is firm and dense, known for its distinct flavor, high in fatty acids and oils. It is found along the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and Alaska. It is protected, either endangered and/or threatened, along the west coast; Alaskan Sockeye is available in most areas, fresh, frozen, and canned.

Pink Salmon is considered less desirable than Sockeye, leaner, but also less expensive. It is a smaller species, common across the West Coast and Alaska. It’s a sustainable option, not endangered or threatened. Most is sold canned and will be labeled “Alaskan” if fished from those waters. Cans are readily available in most areas.

You might find other species (for example, Coho) sold canned in specialty markets or online; generally, they’re pricy and not commonly available.

Read the labels carefully, and if you’re concerned about farmed salmon, avoid Atlantic salmon. It has been nearly fished to extinction, so fresh, frozen, or canned is farmed.

Spring Pea & Salmon Salad with Lemon Yogurt Dressing

What To Know About Shopping:

Canned Salmon comes in various sizes, although 14.75-ounce cans are the standard; if a recipe doesn’t specify, it’s safe to assume it’s looking for this size.

Larger cans cost more than smaller ones, but are a better bargain; always compare price per pound. Price per ounce works, too, and is how cans are labeled, but most people are more comfortable with a price per pound for comparison to other proteins.

When to Buy:

There are two times of the year when canned salmon (and other canned fish and seafood) is heavily discounted; if you use this product and find it at rock bottom, stock up for the year:

• The best sales are during Lent, the weeks before Easter. For more items likely to be on sale, see Easter & Lent, Leveraging the Sales.
• The other is during Advent, the weeks leading up to Christmas. The sales will be sporadic and likely not as good. See my post on Winter Holidays for other items.

As with any item, there will be sporadic sales throughout the year, but possibly not as good.

Where to Buy:

Shop around, especially during Lent and Advent, and check pricing at multiple stores, including discount and dollar stores. A surprise option is pharmacies, where the sales might include digital store coupons; watch for great honey prices there, too..

Usually, on canned fish, the discounted sale prices during Lent at the standard groceries or pharmacy are less than the dollar stores, discount stores like Aldi and Lidl, and your buyers’ club.

For pantry items, follow coupon-matching sites and your store’s shopping experts (do a search for them). They’ll alert you to great sales even if you’re not using coupons. After Easter, keep an eye on your store’s discount bins; if they’ve overstocked, you might find bargains there.

Ina Garten’s Guacamole Salmon Sandwiches

Comparing Canned Salmon To Fresh Salmon:

How much cheaper is a can of Salmon compared to fresh? It depends on what you’re paying for each.

Considerations:

• Both Fresh and Canned Salmon may contain skin and bones, which can affect the usable amounts depending on whether you eat either.
• It’s safe to eat the skin from fresh or canned, and safe to eat the bones of canned. It’s nearly impossible to factor in what’s discarded from fresh or canned.
• The comparisons are for Sockeye salmon, which is available fresh, frozen, or canned. Pink canned salmon costs less than Sockeye.

Fresh Sockeye: at a once in a blue moon sale during Lent or Advent, fresh salmon can drop down to $6.99 a pound, but most excellent sales are between $7.99 and $8.99 a pound, and regular sales $11.99 to 12.99 a pound.

Canned Salmon: a once in a blue moon sale during price of $1.00 per can. An excellent price is $2.99 a can and regular sale price is around $4.99 a pound.

• At $1.00 a can, Salmon is the equivalent, after being cleaned of skin, bones, and water, of $1.68 a pound.
• At $1.99 a can, Salmon, again, after being cleaned of skin, bones, and water, is $3.35 a pound.

So, if you’re on a budget and fresh or frozen Salmon isn’t a consideration, canned Salmon is a budget-friendly option.

It compares very favorably, price-wise, to other proteins we might consider to be “cheap” but don’t offer the positive health benefits of salmon: ground beef, cheaper cuts of pork, or dark meat chicken.

Salmon Burgers – these are outstanding!

What To Know About Storing Canned Salmon:

Canned products in the US are usually stamped with some version of a “Best If Used By” date. These are dates chosen by the producer, with no oversight by any federal government agency, although around 20 states have some regulations.

These dates are not expiration dates and are not related to food safety. It is a date the producer has determined the product will still be at peak quality, and is generally conservative.

Properly stored, canned salmon will be good for three to five years, perhaps longer. At some point during longer storage, the quality may suffer, with changes in texture or color, but if properly stored, it will be safe.

If any canned product is bulging, rusted, or dented (especially at the rim) or when opened has an off-color, smell, or any appearance of spoilage, discard. Do not put contents down the garbage disposal.

Wrap in heavy plastic (like a heavy-duty garbage bag), then in newspaper, and discard in such a manner that people or animals will not come into contact with it. Wash up well, yourself and anything that it has been in contact with.

Select all canned goods that are sound, preferably with no dents, although current science says that today’s cans are fine if slightly dented, unless those dents are at the rim. If the rim is dented, discard as above.

According to the USDA: “Store canned foods and other shelf-stable products in a cool, dry place. Never put them above or beside the stove, under the sink, in a damp garage or basement, or any place exposed to high or low temperature extremes. Temperatures below 85 degrees F are best. Check your pantry every few weeks and use canned goods you have had on hand for a while.” My note: temperatures between 50 and 70 degrees are considered ideal.

Once opened, if not used immediately, remove salmon from the can and store it in an airtight container in the fridge. Use within three to four days. For the best quality, if the canned salmon is frozen after opening, use it within three months.

What To Know About Cooking With Canned Salmon:

Since canned salmon is already cooked, think of ways to use it that normally depend on cooked salmon. It can be eaten as is for a high-protein snack, but most people like to give it a bit of help; it’s tasty but a bit bland out of the can. Canned Salmon can be used in any way canned tuna can be used.

It’s good in spreads and dips like My Mom’s Smoky Salmon Spread, chunked in salads, like in the pea salad shown here, which is just peas, a little finely diced onion and a touch of bell pepper over a bed of lettuce. The dressing is an easy Lemon Yogurt Dressing and just “makes” the salad. Canned salmon can come to the table as a salmon salad sandwich or tucked into wraps or in a recipe like this one, originally from Ina Garten for Salmon & Guacamole Sandwiches. Canned salmon shines in Salmon Burgers, just sub in the canned for fresh and don’t put in the food processor.

It’s really the thing to use in Not Grandma’s Salmon Loaf. It can be made into Salmon Cakes, just follow the recipe for these Tuna Cakes and use Salmon, instead. You can even turn canned salmon out for breakfast, subbing it in for the fresh Salmon in this recipe for Salmon and Asparagus Hash – just be careful not to mush the salmon up.

And of course, there are all kinds of classic recipes for salmon, including casseroles, croquettes, mousse, terrines or a souffle, just to name a few. Many of the producers have websites with ideas and recipes, like this one from The Pure Alaskan Salmon Company or this one from Bumblebee.

Salmon & Asparagus Hash with Hollandaise Sauce

How To Deal With That Canned Salmon, Prepping It:

I know, too, from my cruises around the internet, that I’m not alone in my squeamishness about dealing with canned salmon. Here’s how I roll – and the first thing I do is tell myself this might be a little unpleasant but will be over in a minute or two! Plus, any squeamishness usually evaporates after a few cans are under your belt.

Just open the can of salmon and use the lid to press down as you drain any juices. Unlike some canned fish, those juices are fine to use in recipes, maybe to boost the salmon flavor by subbing in for other liquid, or to give to pets. Turn the can over, then lay the salmon gently on its side. A little care makes it so much easier to deal!

You’ll see definite lines of demarcation where different portions have been packed together. Just gently touch along the lines with a knife or a fork and it will separate into chunks.

Carefully examine the chunks and you’ll usually find any bones are going to be easily visible in a line and can be picked up or scraped off with the edge of your knife and the skin if you’d like to remove it is exposed. Both the skin and the bones, which are very soft, are edible and the bones add calcium; it’s up to you how you’d like to proceed. I’d definitely remove any large bones.

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What To Know About Canned Salmon, Nutrition And Health Benefits:

According to Consumer Reports, Canned Salmon and Fresh Salmon are very close in nutritional benefits, and canned salmon may contain slightly more Omega-3 fatty acids than fresh. One isn’t necessarily healthier than the other. The nutritional benefits of salmon are so many that it would be possible to only scratch the surface, here. I’m sending you to one of my favorite sites, The World’s Healthiest Foods to read more.

Taking a look at the nutritional label of a can of salmon (from My Fitness Pal) gives very little hint at what this powerhouse food has to offer. Keep in mind, the serving size says 2 ounces, while the USDA recommends two 3.5 ounce servings of fish per week. Be sure to check the next section on the “downside” below. And be sure to read the ingredients on any can of salmon so you know what you’re buying and you know if there are any additives and/or colorings.

What To Know About Canned Salmon, The Downside:

All fish and seafood inherently contain some mercury and there are certain groups who should be especially careful with their consumption, choose fish lower in mercury and limit intake. They include women of childbearing age (about 16-49 years old), pregnant and breastfeeding women, and young children. See the EPA’s site for more information.

At this point in time, it’s estimated that over 90 percent of the world’s global fish stocks are rated as fully or over-exploited. While we quest to increase our health and to eat more fish, I think it’s important to think about the nations and the people throughout the world who depend almost entirely and always have, on fish as the main portion of their diets. (USDA September 2016, see link below)

If you’re interested in Sustainability, you can’t go wrong with visiting and exploring Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch as a first step to learning more.

Not Grandma’s Salmon Loaf – this is the recipe that will win you over!

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I hope you’ve enjoyed “What to do with that Canned Salmon Lurking in the Pantry?” and found some inspiration, here, on how to use this budget-friendly product. I know I’ve only scratched the surface, but additional resources are listed below!

Sources:

• Good Housekeeping: Four Canned Fish To Avoid
• Unlock Food: All About Canned Salmon
• Storing Salmon: StillTasty
• Alaskan Salmon Company: Using Canned Salmon
• Bumblebee: Recipes
• Canned vs Fresh: Consumer Reports
• World’s Healthiest Foods: Salmon
• USDA: Eat Fish, Which Fish
• EPA: Advice about Fish & Shellfish
• Monterrey Bay Seafood Watch: Consumer Guides

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This post was updated March of 2019; I’ll be sharing What To Do With That Canned Salmon Lurking In The Pantry? at Fiesta Friday #268. Fiesta Friday is co-hosted this week by Julianna @ Foodie on Board and Angie, herself, who puts on Fiesta Friday!