If you had as many negative childhood experiences with anchovies as I did, an aversion to tinned seafood is a guarantee.

I was hesitant to try tinned seafood again as an adult - I overwhelmed with the variety (there are SO many options!), prices, and labels in foreign languages.

But after my first bite of brine-y tinned cockles, I saw that tinned seafood IS worth exploring. And celebrating! They were WAY better than clams!

Tinned seafood is becoming a popular addition to restaurant menus and grocery shopping lists because the quality is amazing, the flavors are delectable, and there are so many ways to enjoy the varieties.

To help you on this new journey, I compiled five questions that will help you evaluate what type of tinned seafood you may enjoy the most. Here they are…

*Note: If you purchase tinned seafood through any of the Amazon links below, Amazon donates a small percentage of your total order to Our Wicked Fish. It’s a win-win!

1.) Do I Want To Be Part of the Bone Club?

Fish have bones. Some people love bones in their tinned fish, others find it distracting (ahem, me!). Which club would you rather explore?

Bone-in: Many tins will state if the fish inside still have bones. Tins that commonly have bone-in fish include sardines, mackerel, and anchovies.

Boneless: If you know bones are not for you, I suggest trying a seafood that naturally doesn’t contain bones. Cockles, squid, and octopus are a great choice if you don’t want to be part of the bone club.

If you’re looking for fish where bones have been removed, there are tins with boneless mackerel and sardines (yay!)

2.) How Saucey Am I?

Tinned seafood is going to be set in some sort of liquid, or ‘sauce’. The sauces is often olive oil. The olive oil could be as is or it could be dressed up with lemon, herbs, chili flakes, chili oil, or a variety of other additions.

One of my favorite tinned seafood items goes beyondr - it is squid stuffed with rice and spices set in a romesco sauce! I wasn’t sure if I’d like all the sauce and extras but I did!

3.) How Deep are My Pockets?

You can easily find $150+ tins (maybe one day I could afford that), but there are really delicious and special options that are less than $15.

In fact, one of my favorites - boneless mackerel in olive oil - is between $4-6 / tin AND there’s no way I can eat it in one sitting.

Splurging on some pricey tins would be great for a dinner party or special occasion. But when it comes to a weekly tinned fish item, you can find great quality at an approachable price.

4.) how do i want to eat it?

Tinned seafood is great on its own, or paired with about a million other items!

I keep it simple - warm crusty bread rubbed with a garlic clove, a schmear of mustard, lots of fresh lemon juice, and coarse salt.

Salads and pastas are also very popular vessels for tinned seafood.

Ask yourself how you want to eat it. If you’re looking or some ideas, here are a few resources.

• How To Served Tinned Seafood - The Perfect Party Food by Food and Wine
  

• Tinned Fish is Everywhere and Here’s How to Serve It by Bon Appetit
  

5.) Do I stay In the Comfort Zone?

I think the funnest part about tinned seafood is the variety. The items I wasn’t sure I would like but ended up devouring were cockles in brine and stuffed squid in romesco.

I’m also only comfortable eating tinned items that are align with my sustainability guidelines. While I prioritize eating domestic seafood, most tinned seafood is imported (sigh).

Therefore, when it comes to tinned seafood (and each person has their own deal-breakers), I won’t eat tinned tuna because they’re high on the food chain, have sensitive populations, and there are so many reports of IUU fishing and slave labor within the foreign fisheries.

Instead, I only eat tinned mackerel a few times a year and I prioritize eating tinned shellfish (mussels, clams, cockles, etc.) and squid because they are low on the food chain and reproduce quickly.

Diversifying - which may mean trying items outside your comfort zone - is key to eating seafood in a sustainable way.

What was your first experience with tinned seafood?

What is your favorite way to prepare it?

Tell us in the comments below!