Atlantic sardines...

[Externet]

Hi.  A SHAME : 

And it is not the first time I see this.

They are capturing babies, well under reproduction age, leaving no hope to future populations .   With a third of contents being cheap oil.  Remember when there were two to three tightly packed.  Like 15 now. 

[Product of Poland]

 

[iNow]

One can still get cans with 2-3 tightly packed, but they cost more. You get what you pay for. 

[StringJunky]

Sardines use to be the emergency food I put in the cupboard for when I was skint as a youngster. They were dirt cheap. I didn't really like them but they shut my guts up when I had nothing else. .;)

I do remember they were packed to the top and you'd get 3 or 4.

[iNow]

6 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

Sardines use to be the emergency food I put in the cupboard

Used to? We’ve got a stack of about 5 cans right now. And big bags of rice and dry beans. 

[StringJunky]

9 minutes ago, iNow said:

Used to? We’ve got a stack of about 5 cans right now. And big bags of rice and dry beans. 

What do you do with them? I put them on toast. They were in a tomato sauce.

[Sensei]

3 minutes ago, StringJunky said:

What do you do with them? I put them on toast. They were in a tomato sauce.

Seafood pizza?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seafood_pizza

 

[iNow]

1 hour ago, StringJunky said:

What do you do with them? I put them on toast. They were in a tomato sauce.

It depends. I like them on rye crackers, mostly. I’ve often made a sandwich out of them, usually adding a bit of mayo, sriracha, and pickle. My 5 year old and I sometimes just eat them straight out of the can with a fork and she loves them!

1 hour ago, Sensei said:

Seafood pizza?

Hmmm... I think anchovies (or even clams) may be the better choice for that, but suppose it could be worth a try!

[studiot]

I remember a story - think it was a louis lamour one so a book, but perhaps also one that became a film - about a bounty hunter who used to pack sardines live on on the trail.

There were some very humerous asides as he was force feeding the baddie he was bringing in.

 

Note about size.

I grew up with canned sardines being small and there being many in a can.

So I was suprised how very big the fish on offer as 'sardines' were in the Medirranean - some at least 10x, when I was there.

In recent years, since we have been in the EU, I noticed the size in cans creeping up, not down, with fewer fish per can.

[mistermack]

On 8/4/2018 at 12:29 PM, studiot said:

Note about size.

I grew up with canned sardines being small and there being many in a can.

So I was suprised how very big the fish on offer as 'sardines' were in the Medirranean - some at least 10x, when I was there.

In recent years, since we have been in the EU, I noticed the size in cans creeping up, not down, with fewer fish per can.

My experience was the same. Sardines were little ones, packed like the pic in the OP. Bigger ones were called Pilchards, and came in a tomato based sauce, in the ordinary cylindrical tin. I always liked them, and never saw them as a bargain snack. ( I prefer the Pilchards version though ). 

I really prefer tinned pilchards to tinned Pacific Salmon, even though the Salmon is double the price.

One thing I have noticed in the fishmongers is the smaller size of Mackerel. I won't buy them, if they are taking them that small. Firstly for the conservation reason, and secondly, the big ones are better anyway. But it is very sad that they're catching them that small. I'd rather go hungry.

[CharonY]

Just as a side-point, but the National Marine Fisheries Service published last year that the Northern Pacific sardine population is reduced by 95% since 2006. Considering that it is an important prey fish, connected food webs are also in peril. Populations of the European pilchard seem not to be as well monitored (and are mostly based on landing numbers).

Edited August 14, 2018 by CharonY