nm

[Cut-Throat]

nm

 

[pbrane]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Most of the things I've read on salmon say that farm-raised has much higher levels of pcb's and dioxins and also less omega-3 fatty acids than wild-caught. And supposedly the fisheries that wild salmon come from are not overfished (one of the few)...

But you may be right on taste. Maybe the pcb's give it that "extra something.."

pb

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Most of the things I've read on salmon say that farm-raised has much higher levels of pcb's and dioxins and also less omega-3 fatty acids than wild-caught. And supposedly the fisheries that wild salmon come from are not overfished (one of the few)...

But you may be right on taste. Maybe the pcb's give it that "extra something.."

pb

Of course you are reading that Farm raised Salmon have 'bad stuff' in them. This is all part of the Commercial Fishing Lobby. They are going to try to convince the consumer that they cause cancer and every bad thing that you think of.

If you think that farm raised Salmon have bad things in them. Have you ever considered what Bacon, Sausages and other processed meats have in them?

Do not be swayed by the bad press of farm raised salmon. I have been following this scam up close and personal for the last 20 years!

 

[Eagle43]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

C-T,
I like hearing this and really hope it's true.  One caveat; even my doctor tells me not to eat farm-raised salmon.  My uncle raises catfish in Louisiana.  I watched him feed them, by spraying grain into the pond.  I gather this is the equivalent of eating cattle that have been fattened at the feedlot, rather than on the range. 

I don't doubt that the lobbies are rallying against the farm-raised.  The only question, is who do you believe?  I do like the farm-raised salmon because of the price and cannot tell a significant difference between farm-raised and the "wild" salmon.  I will apply the smell test to further purchases, and buy the cheaper brand, because, well... I am inclined to do so. 

BTW: Is this part of the lobbying effort??
http://www.cbc.ca/consumers/market/files/food/salmon/

 

[MJ]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

CT, thanks for the info.
It is only the last 8 months that I started buying store wild salmon because of negative information about farm fed and it didn't hurt that the wild was usually $1 less. Frankly, I always liked the taste of the farm fed salmon better. The wild appears to have a slightly gamy taste. Should it?
Under normal circumstances, I don't eat bacon, sausages and other processed meats, so your analogy doesn't work for me so I am back to questioning the health differences between farm fed and wild.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

The wild appears to have a slightly gamy taste. Should it?

Most farm raised salmon are Atlantic Salmon. - They have a 'milder' taste than wild Sockeye (which has blood red flesh and is leaner). If your Salmon is Fresh it will be delicious!

BTW - Doctors, just claim that they know everything!

 

[JPatrick]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

The definition of fresh fish is what the bear on the left enjoyed about .5 seconds after this picture was snapped, thanks to the salmon on the right.

However, bears aside, the best fish I've ever tasted was at a tourist trap in Ketchikan where they caught the fish behind the barbeque minutes before cooking,  Of course, there were some special cooking secrets at play also.  This where I learned that fresh halibut is about 100 times better than  salmon.  If you cruise to Alaska, be sure to check this place out.

Damn,  I can't believe so many people are not watching Survivor.  A little culture here people  :

 

[AltaRed]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

For the year and a half that I worked out of Anchorage some years back, there was nothing, absolutely nothing, better than fresh Alaskan halibut, right out of the boat.  The downside is that since I left Alaska, I no longer enjoy halibut near as well as I did back then.

I have experienced fresh salmon right out of the water in Alaska as well and it is outstanding. It is worth a trip to Alaska during fishing season just to experience that.

 

[MJ]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Most farm raised salmon are Atlantic Salmon. - They have a 'milder' taste than wild Sockeye (which has blood red flesh and is leaner). If your Salmon is Fresh it will be delicious!

The wild they sell in supermarkets is Silverbrite (Keta) salmon. It has pale beige red colored flesh compared to the bright red Atlantic farm fed.
As I mentioned in another thread the wild can be on sale for $3 while the farm fed is $4. I wonder if the gamier taste of the wild over the farm fed is the reason it is $1 less. I bought my father a couple of lbs of the wild once and he told me not to buy anymore for him. He prefers the farm fed.

I guess which ever I am eating here in NYC, it won't compare to the fresh taste of the one that was just caught. I'm glad my taste buds haven't been spoiled yet. I am running out of decent protein to eat.

 

[JPatrick]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Fresh [/b]Salmon filets about 3/4 inch to 1 inch thick and coat with lemon juice and then baste with Canola oil. Salt and Pepper and sprinkle with Rosemary and Tarragon. Broil for about 5 minutes and remove from Broiler. Flip the Salmon Filet to the other side. Baste with Lemon Juice, Canola oil, salt and pepper, and the Rosemary and Taragon. Return to the Broiler for another 5 minutes. Remove and enjoy. - This is the simplest and 1 of my top 5 ways to enjoy Salmon.

Try it and report back - I guarantee that it will be some of the finest Salmon you've eaten - If the Salmon is Fresh!
OK you're on CT.  I'll get DW to try this next week when DS and DD are home.
Fresh??  Well it has been in the freezer for about a month after the dry ice trip from Anchorage.  I agree that it goes downhill pretty quit, but it is still pretty good.

 

[Cut-Throat]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

OK you're on CT. I'll get DW to try this next week when DS and DD are home.
Fresh?? Well it has been in the freezer for about a month after the dry ice trip from Anchorage. I agree that it goes downhill pretty quit, but it is still pretty good.

Once it has been in the freezer it is no longer fresh, and the taste is marginal at best. Wait and get some fresh Salmon, before you judge the receipe!

I am allowed to take home about 6 Salmon on my yearly trip to Alaska. These fillets total about 50 pounds in weight. I no longer take them home, because they cannot be eaten fresh. I go to Grocery Store and buy a Single Pound, but I make sure it's Fresh.

 

[JPatrick]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Once it has been in the freezer it is no longer fresh, and the taste is marginal at best. Wait and get some fresh Salmon, before you judge the receipe!

The next batch of fresh won't happen til this spring, but I'll try it anyway.  I'll post an outstanding method of deep frying (I know, I know) salmon and halibut nuggets that are less than perfectly fresh.
These guys are great, but I know without asking- - -CT doesn't do deep fried salmon 

 

[Brat]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

"Fresh" salmon can be either farm raised or wild.

The color of salmon is affected by how recently it has consumed other fish. My husband's favorite catch of a King out of the Kenai was not a bright pink and, frankly, not the best flavor. Farm salmon feed contains a dye.

For various reasons I prefer wild salmon over farm raised.

With respect to farm salmon over other farm raised meats, many of the products listed rarely appear in my kitchen. That is not to say “never”. As in all things, moderation.

 

[Danny]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

I don't care to eat farm raised salmon. I've read what are fed to them.
I would rather eat canned Alaskan Socked salmon spread on toast than farm raised salmon.
I want to support the Alaskan fisherman all year round and I would rather pay the canned price than the $6 a pound at the supper maket for farm raised price.

 

[Dawg52]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

I order grilled salmon at the country club and I know it is frozen when they get it and it is more than likely farm raised. Believe it or not.........it is very good! Of course I'm not as picky as some either. I'm an old southern boy that loves fried catfish too! 

 

[Martha]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Very hard to get fresh fish here. The easiest to get tends to be herring. A lot of people don't seem to like herring, but when it is fresh it is great.

 

[Jarhead*]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Would you think a 'Wild' Filet mignon would taste better than a feedlot Filet Mignon?

One of my most cherished memories as a lad was stalking the elusive Mignon. They were
fiesty little characters, and when cornered could be downright nasty.
However, if you were lucky enough to "bag" one, you were rewarded with a taste that far surpassed those "farm fed" Mignons.

 

[REWahoo]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

One of my most cherished memories as a lad was stalking the elusive Mignon. They were
fiesty little characters, and when cornered could be downright nasty.
However, if you were lucky enough to "bag" one, you were rewarded with a taste that far surpassed those "farm fed" Mignons.

Wait,...let me guess. One of your favorites is fresh wild Mignon on wheat.

This thread is way too fishy...

 

[youbet]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

CT:

Do you have any experience with Great Lakes Salmon of the various varieties? There is no commercial fishery for them, thank goodness, but I've managed a few invitations on a friend's boat and some charter trips. Coho's, Kings, whatever, they're delicious. But I've heard some people put them down as not being as good as their salt water cousins.

 

[justin]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

I may have a different take on fresh vs. frozen. In general, I only buy frozen salmon. It is usually fresher than "fresh" salmon (that may have been recently thawed out). At least with frozen salmon you know it was caught, killed, gutted and fast-frozen pretty quickly. "Fresh" salmon may have been sitting in the display case for hours or days. No thanks. We also enjoy the convenience of popping a couple filets out of the freezer for some quick broiled salmon.

The quick-freeze that commercial food prep facilities use is much different from putting a fresh piece of fish in your home freezer. The slow-freeze process from your freezer causes large ice crystals to form, which damage the tissue and cells much more than the quick-freeze that has causes very tiny ice crystals to form.

I learned this preference for frozen over "fresh" from my uncle the fish restaurant owner. Unless you see it caught and gutted, you're probably getting fresher fish if you buy frozen. Even fish flown in "fresh" same day has been sitting on ice decomposing for many hours at a minimum.

 

[WRBT]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

This thread is fascinating.

My question for you wise-in-the-ways-of-salmon types is: what about raw?

One of my favorite foods is raw salmon at the local sushi bar, so I've always wondered what it would take to prep some sashimi on rice at home with salmon bought from the grocery store. Gotta be easier on the wallet eh?

I've read there is a risk of parasites so have never done it, although I've also read commercially frozen will eliminate this risk. I'm not sure how much skill in prep is a factor in preparing.

I'm quite tempted to try it with frozen salmon from Kroger but once saw a picture of a tapeworm on the internet that will forever haunt me... so I seek the wisdom of others.

Comments?

 

[Danny]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Why would you want to support the commercial fishing industry? - Do you think they own all of the Fish in the Sea? If there was an industry that gathered up all of the remaining wild animals on the North American continent like Buffalo, Elk, and Moose would you 'Support' them also?

What is your problem with the commercial fishing industry? and how is farm raised not commercial? You have some problem with helping out Alaskans' make a living on the boats or ashore? I go to the grocery store to buy my food, where are you getting yours?

Do you know what they feed Chickens? - Do you know how they make sausage? Would you think a 'Wild' Filet mignon would taste better than a feedlot Filet Mignon?

Obviously the bad press that Farm raised Salmon has gotten has had an successful effect on you! This is the way the Commercial Fishing Industry has intended it.

Maybe you've been brain washed! I don't think The Journal of Nutruition has their research bought by the Wild caught fishing industry.

Oh, by the way...picked up some Yellowtail for $4.99 at Haskells on Sat...pretty good stuff....don't know if it was farm raised or wild grapes, though, label doesn't say...are they a commercial winery?


Study Cites Risks of Eating Farmed Salmon

By CANDICE CHOI, Associated Press Writer Wed Nov 30, 8:33 PM ET

ALBANY, N.Y. - Before rushing to make salmon a staple of a heart-healthy diet, consumers should check the origin of their fish supply, a new study recommends.

It turns out where the salmon comes from — and what they are fed — determine whether the health risks will outweigh the benefits, according to the study recently published in the Journal of Nutrition.

Researchers found that the contaminant levels in farmed salmon from certain regions of the world increased the risk of cancer enough to outweigh the heart health benefits of salmon.

The toxin levels were so high in some farmed salmon from Europe that people should only eat a single serving once every five months, the study found.

"That's pretty horrendous," said David Carpenter, lead author of the study and director of the Institute for Health and the Environment at the state University at Albany's School of Public Health.

While the toxin levels in wild salmon weren't high enough to exceed the health benefits, the same wasn't true for farmed salmon, which are raised on a diet of fish oil.

The level of contaminants in fish oil — often derived from local fish — vary depending on the region of the world.

"What (the salmon) are fed turns out to be a huge part of the story," said Steven Schwager, an author of the report and researcher at Cornell University.

Farmed salmon from South America had the lowest level of pollutants followed by farmed salmon from North America. Salmon from Europe had the highest level of pollutants, according to the study.

"We think it's because that area's been industrialized much longer," Carpenter said.

Prompted by other studies indicating that fish oil increases the levels of toxins in farm-raised salmon, some fish farmers in recent years have switched to using vegetable oil pellets.

But a study last year found the heart health benefits from fish like salmon were weakened when they were fed vegetable oil instead of fish oil.

To determine whether the heart health benefits of farmed salmon were worth the risk, researchers used advisories developed by the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency for cancer effects and the fish consumption advisory issued by the
American Heart Association.

"In farmed salmon, the cancer risk dominated the health benefits," Carpenter said.

That's not a call for people to shun farmed salmon, however.

Salmon and other fatty fishes like mackerel and sardines are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, the healthy fat that scientists say raises the "good" HDL cholesterol and lowers the "bad" tryglicerides. The AHA recommends people eat fish — particularly fatty fishes — at least twice a week.

"None of us argue that benefits are real. But the dirty little secret is that there are risks," Schwager said.

Even taking into account the risks, however, the benefits of salmon are worthwhile for some groups, including older people who may be recovering from coronary problems, Schwager said.

"But for young people worried about a lifetime accumulation of pollutants, the risks far outweigh the benefits," he said.

Recent studies from Scotland have reported that feeding salmon vegetable oils except in the final stages of farming resulted in salmon with significantly lower levels of contaminants but with most of the omega-3 fatty acids obtained from the standard diet.

"We're not opposed to farmed salmon, just how it's farmed. The industry can reduce the level of toxins by changing how they feed (the salmon)," Carpenter said.

 

[REWahoo]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

This thread is fascinating.

My question for you wise-in-the-ways-of-salmon types is: what about raw?

Makes great bait!

 

[justin]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

Salmon decomposes on ice at the same rate as everything else in your refrigerator does! Salmon stays 'Fresh' about 3-4 days. I can buy it here in Minneapolis fresher than I can bring it home.

I may not know a lot, but trust me, I know Fish! 8)

My taste in fresh fish must not be as delicate as yours... I accept flash-frozen salmon as a compromise between convenience, cost, and quality. Nothing like the convenience and comfort of coming home from a long day at work and whipping up Salmon-n-somethin' in 20 minutes.

 

[TromboneAl]

Re: Farm raised Salmon vs. Wild Salmon

This is an interesting thread.  I also think the commercial fisherman don't care about destroying the fisheries, as long as they make money.

But here are the arguments I've heard against fish farms:

from MIT study:

...if these selectively bred fish escape, they can breed with fish in the wild and threaten the natural biodiversity found in species. Fish feed from farms can also threaten ecosystems if it is present in excess, or if it contains antibiotics.

Other argument: escaped fish can spread disease to the wild population.

------------------------

Final note: this is an overpopulation issue.