Ten tips for choosing and buying quality canned foods

Canned fish and seafood is a fundamental food in Spanish gastronomy and its consumption is part of the diet of most of us.
Therefore, it is not surprising that there are more and more options to choose from, which can make it difficult to find the best options.
These 10 tips will help you! Let’s see how to identify the best canned fish and seafood with these ten tips to choose gourmet quality canned food, which will guarantee you to enjoy an excellent product:

1. Look at the brand

Well-known brands are usually a good choice when choosing a canned food, both gourmet and everyday.
Be sure to choose trusted brands, with good ingredients, the fewer the better, and that have a good reputation in the market.

2. Origin of the main ingredient

If we want to enjoy a good canned fish or seafood, we must ensure that its main ingredient comes from areas recognized for their gastronomic quality.
In Spain this is the case with many seafood products, such as Galician PDO mussels, cockles and clams from the Rías Baixas, anchovies from Santoña, tuna from Andalusia, white tuna from the North, etc.
To make sure that the canned products of Spanish brands are made with raw materials from our coasts, we will have to look at the labeling, where it appears prominently.

3. Quality of coverage

The raw material of the coating is key in a good canned product, since it can highlight its flavor or mask it.
Preparations such as pickled, in olive oil, EVOO or vegetable oil, in scallop sauce, etc. should be checked for the quality of their ingredients on the label.

4. Handcrafting technique

The processing technique is fundamental to guarantee a good canned product and its objective is to preserve the flavor and texture of the seafood or fish as much as possible.
Spanish canned seafood is produced using a traditional technique that is passed from generation to generation and guarantees the superior quality and unique flavor of each brand.

5. List of ingredients

Follow the maxim of the fewer ingredients, the better the product.
And among these, they must be recognizable.

6. Place of manufacture and capture

Choose canned products produced in areas with a long tradition in canning, such as the north of Spain for seafood, white tuna or anchovies.
These areas have a long experience and knowledge in the elaboration of quality canned food, and they are also fed by fishing and catches directly from the fish markets, ensuring the maximum freshness of the product.

7. Expiration date

Check the expiration date before buying any canned food.
Make sure that the expiration date is appropriate and that the canned food is in perfect condition, without bumps, rust or breakage.
Some products require a minimum canning time, such as anchovies, and even increase in value after their best-before date, as is the case of canned aged sardines, highly appreciated by our French neighbors.

8. Conservation at the point of sale

When buying canned foods it is important to make sure that they have been properly preserved before arriving at our home.
When buying them we must make sure that the minimum conditions are met, such as being in a cool, dry and clean place, without direct sunlight or nearby heat sources.
In the case of anchovies, we must make sure that they are for sale in refrigerated counters.

9. Second brands

Try second brands of recognized brands, they usually offer somewhat different elaborations.
You will differentiate them by a more modern packaging, oriented to new consumers who are looking for values such as sustainability, local products, organic products, etc.

10. Follow the shopkeeper’s recommendations

If you want to enjoy special preserves, there is nothing better than being advised by the grocer in your neighborhood or market, he knows the product first hand and will know what to recommend for every occasion, and more than once, he will surprise you with an unexpected delicatessen.

We hope these tips will help you choose the best canned fish and seafood for any occasion.
In our online store you have a wide range of brands and preparations with the best products of our land.
Remember, if you have any doubt, ask us.
Enjoy your meal!