I will take Columbia River Spring Chinook over any other salmon out there. Bit of a definitive statement, I know, but hey, it’s WineBerserkers and I’ve tried most of the fish out there from CR to Yukon to Yakutat (god bless Seattle, and Gemini Fish Market). Those Columbia springers are just mind-blowing. First week prices for Columbia and CR are always exponentially higher, with Gemini charging mad money for first day fish from the “Salmon Thirty Salmon” plane
FWIW - I’ve tried freezing both king and sockeye at home and much like another poster mentioned, it’s come out very poorly. The meat dried out and was very chewy. With this crowd, I’m sure there’s a scientific answer that has something to do with fat content, but my best explanation is… “bleh.” Fish was tossed in a freezer bag and put in the freezer - no vacuuming, etc. Bleh.
It’s a big Copper run this year and prices will drop fast. We splurged on a couple pounds of sockeye last Saturday (we do every year), but we also get a bit of a price break for reasons related to my work. (I’m much more upset about the ever-escalating prices for spot prawns.) I also love the Columbia River fish, bluebacks from Quinault, Queen Charlotte Islands fish, and really all the other Alaskan runs. They are all delicious even if different. And while I definitely prefer fresh to frozen, Bruce Gore makes a good enough product such that you really should keep salmon as a part of your diet year-round. Farmed fish on the other hand …
I think it’s important to point out that all farmed fish are not equal. My fish monger gets a great farmed king in off season that I’m happy to buy when I need a fix.
That’s just wrong
Living in the middle of Salmon country and being a fisher woman, nothing comes close to our Chinook (King) we catch locally. I vacumn pack and freeze, no problem, but we also tend to go through it rather quickly. We go catching 5 or 6 times a year and that’s enough for us and to share.
Cheers !
I know discussing this with you Pacific Northwesterners is like denying Jesus at the Vatican . I’m just saying when I need my salmon fix in December I’m happy to get it.
I would do both and also have a local shop smoke some for you. Or freeze first and smoke later. Studies have shown you actually get a better pellicle with frozen fish.
Our Costco has some whole CR sockeye trickling in. 8.99 per pound- Big fish so far so $50-60 per fish. I didn’t want/need a whole fish this weekend so stuck with a nice fat slab of troll caught king.
I am not a fan of sockeye. It is a much harder fish to cook just right, and the consequences of under or over cooking are too severe. I much prefer Chinook, with Coho being an OK substitute. I avoid Chum (Keta) salmon at all costs.
