FOOD NEWS
Stop Making These 10 Mistakes With Canned Sardines
BY LUCIA CAPRETTI
Wasting The Oil
Sardines are a simple solution to mealtime woes, but if you’re pouring out the oil, you’re losing out on a lot of potential flavor.
The best sardines are packed in oil rather than water. You can use that oil in many dishes from vinaigrettes and marinades to pasta and rice dishes that need extra flavor.
Buying Low-Quality Products
The adage "you get what you pay for" applies to sardines. A slightly higher price point often means more attention to ingredients and processing.
You certainly don’t have to spend $40 on a tin of sardines, but you should taste the difference of variously priced options to see what’s best for your budget and taste buds.
Buying Unsustainably
Sustainability may not be your first thought when it comes to seafood, but for sardines, there’s an easy way to find environmentally friendly options.
Sustainable options will be stamped with a blue MSC logo from the Marine Stewardship Council, which ensures the preservation of sardine habitats and populations.
Buying Sardines In Water
If you’re watching the fat content in your diet, you might lean towards sardines canned in water, which is a great option for health but not for flavor.
If your diet allows, you should buy sardines in oil which enhances the richness and mouthfeel of the fatty fish rather than water packing which enhances the fishiness.
Deboning Them
Sardine bones and spines are very small and hard to notice, so although the fish come whole with their heads still on, you don’t have to debone them.
You don’t have to debone the fish if you don’t mind the slight textural element, especially since they're already cooked, meaning the bones have had time to soften.