salmon

[2sunshines]

My family loves salmon. I know that at least in its natural wild form, it is a wonderful healthy food with incredible properties. However, most (all???) of our grocery store fish is farm raised and therefore not of the same quality.

Do you buy wild salmon? How would I go about starting to find this?

Assuming I can only get farm raised, do the benefits of salmon outweigh the risks of it being farm raised assuming that we don't eat too much of it?

[DogwoodMama]

I struggle with this question too... I've actually not been eating farm-raised salmon since I found out about the problems associated it... we can get wild salmon but it is very expensive. I'd love to hear other people's thoughts! :)

[godsgracegiven]

I buy wild salmon, we eat it 4-5 times a week. I get mine at Wal-mart in the fish section. It is frozen when you buy it, but it cooks really nice. :) It comes in a black wrapper. But having wild salmon was a big must for us. I not sure what the price would be in your area but the salmon we buy at Wal-mart is $4.94 a fish. They are nice size too. We use to buy the same brand at another store and it was pretty spendy, between 7-9 dollars a fish. But we do rarely buy any other sort of meat, so it was economical for us.

[2sunshines]

really??? Is it labeled "wild salmon" or something that direct?

I had no idea.

I buy my salmon through the seafood deli at Meijer. I pay between 4 and 5 dollars a pound, so it's not a cheap dinner...

I'm assuming the Meijer salmon is farm raised...???

I'll have to check out my Walmart. Is it in the frozen foods section or what?

[godsgracegiven]

Yes, it is labeled "wild salmon," and has a map of the ocean it is caught in. So I think the fact that is "wild" is one of thier selling points.

I have no idea about the deli but I bet if you asked they would know. Dh and I don't buy anything that doesn't say either way, which can be kinda of a bummer. The reason is because most fish we see on the market is farm-raised. :( Sometime we get halibut from the deli, because it is in season. But dh was saying last night that he thinks that when hulibut is not in season the store depends on the sales of the farm rasied ones. I dunno...I like salmon better anyways. :) But I do think when the deli is selling it "wild" they advertise it more.

At walmart is it in the frozen fish section, it is called Aqua Star Salmon. The label says, Wild Ocean Caught Salmon Fillet.

Edited to fix the title of the fish...I got it wrong the first time. :)

[2sunshines]

Thanks. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to buy wild salmon. I hope my Walmart carries it...

Does anyone know if there is any risk invovled in eating locally caught salmon? I mean, my dh's uncle lives on a river and catches some salmon during salmon season. I'm assuming that this fish would be better than farm raised since it is technically wild, right? But I don't know about the dangers of toxins because of our polluted lakes, etc.

Anyone know?

[Wholly Mama]

Lucretia may get her salmon so cheap because it is local and easily available in WA...
At times I've bought canned Alaskan salmon instead of tuna and made salmon salad sandwiches which were pretty good. My kids loved them. The only salmon we've eaten here has been farm raised, so we don't eat it all that often. My dad and brothers used to work for a fish processing plant, so we always had Alaskan salmon available. It just isn't the same.
I wouldn't commit myself to farm raised salmon for the health benefits. Fish and flax both have what you need, so stick to flax!

[DogwoodMama]

We are having salmon cakes for dinner tonight...I can usually find Deming's Red sockeye fresh alaska salmon (that's from the can) on sale periodically and stock up... it has a seal that says "Wild Fish Premium Quality" so I have always assumed (and hope!) that means it is wild and not farm-raised... it could be marketing though. We usually have salmon cakes 2-4 times a month- tonight I'm serving them with broccoli and oven-baked brown rice (got recipe from ezboard thread). :) Better go start the brown rice now!

[godsgracegiven]

Elizabeth, that sounds yummy!! :yum Our normal salmon dinner is lemon/herb baked salmon, yams and a big green salad. :yum

Lucretia may get her salmon so cheap because it is local and easily available in WA... I am not sure, but I was thinking, we have two Wal-marts here in Vancouver and one of them does not carry food at all. So I guess I should have mentioned that. :O

[2sunshines]

Yea, regular Walmarts do not carry food. Only Super Walmarts. Our local Walmart is just being built up into a Super Walmart but we have a Super Walmart next town over...

It's worth a try.... I might not be able to find it but hey, if I do, I'll be excited!. :highfive

[righteous mama]

What does Salmon taste like? I have a huge fish freak-out thing, but both dh and dd love it. I'm thinking I could give Salmon a try. My mom doesn't like fish, either, but loves Salmon (although she likes tuna, also, and tuna gives me the creeps) I know Salmon in its proper form is extremely healthy for you. I also know Costco sells it...I don't know if its the good stuff, though. So, is it really fishy? Lucretia, would you share your "recipe" with me?

[godsgracegiven]

A lot of people I know who don't like fish, like salmon. It doesn't have a real fishy taste. I don't have a real "recipe" but I can share what I do in a bit...I gotta run. I just wanted to sneak a peek at the boards, real quick...shhhh!! :O

[2sunshines]

I always hated fish. Wouldn't eat it.

I actually like Salmon now.

I think it is one of the more "fishy" tasting fish but I don't know, the taste grew on me.

[righteous mama]

I don't have a real fishy taste.

Lucretia, your typo cracked me up. :lol Don't worry, I won't eat you. ;)

[godsgracegiven]

I don't have a real fishy taste.
Lucretia, your typo cracked me up. Don't worry, I won't eat you.
hehehehe, opps!! :O :lol I can't believe I didn't see that...lol!! :laughtears Gosh, that is the 50th typo I have missed this week... :lol :lol :O

Anyways, I kinda cheat when it comes to baking my salmon. I cover the baking dish with a thin layer of olive oil. Then I sprinkle the fish with olive oil , IMO this keeps it tender. Next I squeeze a whole lemon over the fish, and then I had a herb mix called Grill Crations for fish and chicken. I want to lean how to make it with my own herbs but I have been kinda chicken. Plus, I need something quick because we eat it alot.

Today, my sil and were talking about the way salmon tastes. She thinks it tastes more fishy if it is fresh water salmon. I dunno, I think the taste has probaly grown on me too. :) :lol cause I don't mind it.

[righteous mama]

Well, I think I'll try it.

You just said that you're chicken...that's probably why you don't taste fishy! ;)

[musicmama]

I had the BEEEEEEST salmon salad the other day using canned salmon! I'll have to get the recipe from my friend :)

[godsgracegiven]

Sara we make salads out of leftovers too. Or sometimes we just mix it with rice and veggies, or we make salmon melts, so we don't have to tuna. Very yummmy!! :yum

You just said that you're chicken...that's probably why you don't taste fishy!

Yup! you guessed it!! :lol :lol

[DogwoodMama]

I have another salmon recipe where I cook the salmon on the stove-top & the make a sauce out of soy sauce & orange juice... :yum it is sooooo yummy but SMELLY! :wow It smells like salmon for a couple of days, so I quit making it even though I loved it... :(

Lucretia, is it less smelly when you bake it? :)

[godsgracegiven]

I dunno :shrug my house is small, so it smells like whatever we cooked, atlest overnight. My house is weird. I can cook pocorn and 30 minutes later, I can smell it in my bedroom, even when the has been shut. :shrug

[righteous mama]

My house is like that. I've baked cookies after Mary is in bed and doors shut and she'll come out..."What'cha makin'?" :shifty :cookie :shifty

[cobluegirl]

Thanks. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to buy wild salmon. I hope my Walmart carries it...

Does anyone know if there is any risk invovled in eating locally caught salmon? I mean, my dh's uncle lives on a river and catches some salmon during salmon season. I'm assuming that this fish would be better than farm raised since it is technically wild, right? But I don't know about the dangers of toxins because of our polluted lakes, etc.

Anyone know?


you would want to know where it was caught but that can be a great way to get wild fish. We have a bunch of ladies that have organized a coop for wild fish and oysters, beef, raw milk etc...kind of a Nourishing traditions group...I haven't contacted them much but get the emails..you might check around...

[godsgracegiven]

My house is like that. I've baked cookies after Mary is in bed and doors shut and she'll come out..."What'cha makin'?" Sounds like a cookie radar to me. :lol Baking or not my kids just seem to always know there are cookies. :cookie :cookie :P

Thanks. I'm excited at the prospect of being able to buy wild salmon. I hope my Walmart carries it...

Does anyone know if there is any risk invovled in eating locally caught salmon? I mean, my dh's uncle lives on a river and catches some salmon during salmon season. I'm assuming that this fish would be better than farm raised since it is technically wild, right? But I don't know about the dangers of toxins because of our polluted lakes, etc.

Anyone know?

you would want to know where it was caught but that can be a great way to get wild fish. We have a bunch of ladies that have organized a coop for wild fish and oysters, beef, raw milk etc...kind of a Nourishing traditions group...I haven't contacted them much but get the emails..you might check around...

That is neat, do you know if they work with eggs?

[cobluegirl]

Lucretia there is a lady in Vancouver that sells fresh eggs...will find her info and email it to you.

[godsgracegiven]

Cool, ty!! :)

[believer]

I did not know there was wild vs farmed problems with Salmon. I guess they might have wild at whole foods? I always buy mine at Sams or Costco because it is only $3.99 a pound there. I bake it with garlic powder, lemon juice and butter. I have never used canned salmon. Doesn't it have bones in it or something? How do you deal with that?

[DogwoodMama]

It's very easy to get the bones out of canned salmon... they just sort of flake and you can wipe them off. If one or two remains in, it's fine b/c they are very crumbly and actually add some calcium.

My understanding is that by farming salmon in ocean waters they are creating an unhealthy environment, where disease and fish pests are more likely to be present... I think the fish is somewhat different nutritionally. There is concern that the health of wild salmon could be compromised when they come into contact with the salmon farms, if that makes sense.

It's sort of like most of us would prefer to buy humanely-raised beef, chicken, pork, etc., if we could afford it & there were other options, both for heath & stewardship reasons. :)

[OneSillyMommy]

we buy or catch wild salmon. we do not eat the farm raised stuff. bleck. we live near the coast so its easy to buy especially from local native people who don't have to fish in the same seasons as we do.

[BeckaBlue]

im not a fan of fish, though i eat a lot more recently. salmon is the one i like best, least fishy to me, of course, when you compare it to crawfish :sick almost any fish is better!

[jujubnme]

For those interested in learning about environmental issues related to fish, Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch (http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp) has excellent information including lists of which fish to eat and which to avoid. On my last trip to Trader Joe's I saw some frozen wild salmon, but since I didn't buy it I'm not sure exactly how much it cost. Much less, I'm sure, than the fresh wild salmon I've bought from the local Whole Foods Market.