Sardines?

I love them as well. My only gripe is I can't find whole, wild caught sardines that are NOT smoked. And after eating some boneless and skinless ones that were not smoked and finding the flavor way superior, I don't want the whole ones much anymore :( Anyone know where I can get some that are whole and unsmoked plus wild and in olive oil?

The best tasting I have had are the crown prince boneless and skinless in olive oil. But, as mentioned, the skin and bones are SO good for you!

Id really like to, but am not brave enough to try them yet.
I do give them to my cats occasionally.

Maybe if I mushed them up and mixed them with something like sour cream, I might be able to. I am sure they taste great, its just getting past the ick factor LOL.
I know i should just suck it up and do it.

I like to have sardines and herring with sliced avocado and hard-boiled eggs with with hot ground pepper paste (like a relish) over it.

I just bought a can today. Just wild caught sardines in tomato sauce and salt.
I've never had them before and I'm curious. Why would anyone feel squeamish about eating them? You guys make me feel nervous about trying the fish.
Is it because they are all intact?

[QUOTE=Graycat;1084040]I just bought a can today. Just wild caught sardines in tomato sauce and salt.
I've never had them before and I'm curious. Why would anyone feel squeamish about eating them? You guys make me feel nervous about trying the fish.
Is it because they are all intact?[/QUOTE]

Yes. I have actually caught and gutted many fish, but once they're on my plate they look nothing like their whole selves.

I suppose it's just a new food, but sometimes new meats can be scary. Like, if you fed me a cow tongue and it tasted awesome and then told me it was a cow tongue I'd be cool since I'd already eaten it.

If you tell me before I eat it that it's a cow tongue my brain can't stop thinking of a cow tongue.

I suppose I'll just have to eat the sardine to figure it out. I imagine if they taste amazing I'll start eating them all the time.

I wouldn't be opposed to eating the bones if they don't crunch. I just can't do the crunching....I don't know why. Bones are probably super healthy.

My caveman self and middle-class white girl self are conflicted. :(

*Crunch crunch crunch* Mmmm... bones good. Love them.

It might be where you grew up. People who grew up on the coasts probably got used to some fish in their diets from childhood. My parents regularly had canned smoked fish in the house, and once I received Communion, Mom made salmon patties from canned salmon every Friday (way to be creative mom). ;)

We also regularly ate shrimp, clams, and squid. And not deep fried, but usually sauteed. Clams went on top of pasta with a garlic sauce. Mussels were usually a holiday thing. And like the good (cough) Sicilian Catholics that we were, on Christmas Eve, there were no meat meals, so we ate a lot of fish. Even silly 1950s hors d'oeuvres like cream cheese and anchovies on crackers. In summer, Mom and Dad would go to the Cape and bring home lobsters, so not an every day treat.

Another vote for Wild Planet. They are so plump in comparison to sardines I've had from the grocery store. Cans are bpa free, which I think is important for an old lady (me). And honestly, the bones aren't like hard bones, they're just a little crunchy. They make one (and other brands do also) that are in lemon and olive oil, so that might be a nice introduction to them.

If you're squeamish re: sardines, I'm guessing sucking the heads of crawfish would be out? Just kidding - I can't get past my ick factor and eat turtle soup, even though I'm a five block walk from a restaurant that prides itself in its turtle soup. It's not the turtle, it's ripping the shell off that gives me nightmares. *whimper*

OMG, I love turtles so much, please, guys, don't eat them.
Stop, help them across the road, they're so precious (and slow:)
Ck out the sea turtle museum if you're ever on Jekyll island, GA.

Love sardines, tuna, anchovies, catfish, almost anything that swims, but much more if it's oily. Swordfish is too dry for me. I love them meat, bones, head, and all (well, not really the tail). Mix them with Mayo in a salad, then you won't see them. Chop them in a sauce, it adds great taste, mix them in a spread, in cottage cheese, etc, and put on celery, on slices of turnips, make a dip for carrots. I love them anyway I can think of.

Just wanted to update - after reading this thread I'm having the tin of sardines I had in my pantry for breakfast, with some organic garlic tomato sauce. I add it to the spring water they're in and it's aaaalmost like cioppino! Okay, not really, but it's still really good. I also get Wild Planet, whose tins are BPA free. The fish are scaled, but still have skin. I'm not sure if they're smoked or not - I looked on the packaging and on their website just now but didn't see anything about how they're cooked. Here is their website, you can order from it!: [url=http://www.wildplanetfoods.com/store/products]Products and Online Shopping[/url]

Got about 10 cans in the pantry right now. I eat a few tins each week.

Love me some [URL="http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.chow.com/blog-media/2010/05/sardine_fishermans_eggs_600.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.chow.com/food-news/47126/7-things-to-do-with-canned-sardines/&h=400&w=600&sz=105&tbnid=j4R_K1EQpukGVM:&tbnh=90&tbnw=135&zoom=1&usg=__FIZoBOT1FfZ5uT9dX47800JvY1o=&docid=bn195qLjs-wDlM&sa=X&ei=rJgSUazDEubE2QXzvIGQBQ&ved=0CDkQ9QEwAQ&dur=2864"]fisherman's eggs[/URL]