Where to Buy Wild Sockeye Salmon Online
The NOAA Fisheries commercial fishing database has some astounding numbers from 2021!
In that year alone, commercial landings of sockeye salmon totaled 272 million pounds, valuing at almost $459,000,000!
These numbers demonstrate a true love for this wildly popular red-orange fish - hailing primarily from Alaska - both for its nutritional value and its fantastic flavor.
If you've landed here today, you're no doubt also a fan, and you're wondering where to buy the best wild sockeye salmon online. Depending on where you live, you might not have access to sockeye salmon, leaving you feeling empty after another week's meals without it.
In this guide, we not only tell you where to buy quality wild-caught salmon, but what to look for in your fish, how to vet companies selling it, and more.
Quality You Should Expect From Sockeye Salmon
Wild-caught salmon is exceptionally nutritious. Delicious taste aside, many people eat it specifically because of how healthy it is!
Wild-caught Alaskan sockeye salmon are always at the top of the nutrition lists. People who eat salmon every week statistically have lower risks of heart disease and cancer, improved mental capacity, glowing moisturized skin, and many other health advantages.
Salmon are one of the most nutrient-dense foods on the planet. They are packed with protein, vitamins and minerals - nutrients that are linked to countless positive health outcomes. Registered dietitian-nutritionists urge us to eat two or three servings of oily fish like salmon per week.
Wild-caught sockeye salmon are known for their bright red-orange color, which is a result of their wild diet. They feed on microscopic zooplankton, amphipods (tiny, shrimp-like crustaceans, called krill) and small fish. The crustaceans in their natural diet provide them with carotenoids, which are responsible for their appealing bright-orange color and legendary health benefits.
Wild-caught salmon are especially rich in vitamin B12, vitamin D, omega-3 fatty acids, calcium and selenium. And of course wild salmon are a rich source of protein!
Farm-raised salmon, which you may see at your grocery store, are a paler pink than wild salmon. Farmed salmon are fed on an artificial diet that lacks carotenoids. Without carotenoids being added to their diet, the flesh of farm-raised salmon would be a white-grey color. But that doesn't appeal to consumers, so salmon farmers add carotenoids to their farmed fish diets. They also may add antiobiotics to the diets of their farmed fish because in their pens, those fish may be subject to more contaminants and toxins. Furthermore, farmed fish are fed other additives designed to speed up their growth and increases their size. One result is that farmed fish have a higher omega-6 (the bad fat) to omega-3 (the good fat) ratio.
In the battle between wild-caught and farm-raised, the clear winner is wild-caught.
But how best to order on-line?
Ordering Sockeye Salmon Online: How to choose wisely
Sure, wild-caught salmon is chock-full of nutrients, but does freezing it compromise its quality? Is it healthy or safe to order frozen fish online?
If you're hesistant about buying frozen fish, we urge you to reconsider. Frozen fish is just as fresh, if not more so, than what's getting served in the refrigerator aisles of your local grocery store. In fact, much of that fish has been previously frozen in order to import it.
More often than not, wild-caught fish gets frozen while it's still on the boat, within minutes of being caught. Then, it gets shipped to your front door in a food-safe method using a frozen package delivery. You can thaw it when you're ready, and not a minute before - meaning your frozen delivery is even fresher than that already-thawed fillet that's in stores.
And here's a secret you might not know: most of the restaurants that serve fish are serving previously-frozen fish. And it's delicious! They know that today's amazing flash-freezing techniques are the guarantee of fresh-tasting fish. Unless your favorite chic restaurant is catching fish from the pier out their back door, they are undoubtedly ordering it flash frozen, just as you should.
Where to Buy Wild Sockeye Salmon Online
Now the question remains: Where can you buy the highest-quality, frozen fish?
There are a few things to look for when ordering wild sockeye salmon.
First, make sure its premium, wild-caught salmon, and not farmed salmon. Then, opt for a company that vacuum-seals its products, as this is the best way to retain freshness when freezing food. Sealing individual fillets is ideal, making for convenient thawing. The fish should remain bright in color with no fading, which might be an indicator of a compromised bag.
Other packaging considerations include insulated boxes and a layer of dry ice. These two things, combined with vacuum-sealed bags, are the best ways to preserve quality and freshness. If you're not home when your fish gets delivered, it should be packed in a way that means it'll be safe to sit until you get back.
(Of course, the sooner you can get it unpacked and put away, the better.)
Another consideration is sustainability and environmental consideration. A company that places priority on these areas is always worth supporting.
Look for a business that sources its seafood from sustainable fisheries and works with local fishermen, as that's the best way to ensure quality and responsible fishing methods. Preserving the ocean and its resources is a great way to guarantee that we keep getting delicious, healthy salmon (and other fish) for years to come.
Finally, look for a company that isn't there to price-gouge or force you into a subscription commitment. The company's quality alone should be the reason you keep coming back - not a financial obligation. Choose a supplier with fair prices, delivery insurance, and no subscription required.
How to Store Salmon After It Arrives in the Mail
When ordering any type of frozen food delivery, it's important to open the box and put the items away as quickly as possible.
Although dry ice and insulation should keep your package cold for long periods of time, the sooner you can unpack your box, the safer. Since your fish arrives frozen, you can put it right back into the freezer, especially if you're not ready to eat it right away.
When you are ready to defrost the fish, allow it to thaw overnight (10-12 hours, or longer) in the refrigerator. If you haven't planned your meal in advance, you can quickly thaw it by running cold water over the sealed bag for a few minutes. Never defrost fish with hot water.
Wild Salmon: The Best of the Best!
No matter where you live, you should have access to high-quality, wild-caught salmon!
Not only is it delicious, but it's nutritious and easy to fix. There's no lack of recipes - from grilled, skin-on fillets to smoked salmon dip, crispy salmon cakes, and beyond - and no limit to the many ways you can cook salmon. It's a versatile food that everyone needs in their fridge or freezer (or better yet, in their bellies).
There's no more need to wonder where to buy wild sockeye salmon online. The Popsie Fish Company, a three-generation, family-owned business, ships premium-grade, sustainably harvested, ready-to-cook, wild-caught fish, fresh-frozen, packed in dry-iced boxes, from Alaska, right to your front door! (That was a mouthful!) Since 1987, this well-respected company has been bringing Bristol Bay salmon "from the fisher to the fork" to people just like you.
Click here to order now—no subscription required!
