Can You Eat Canned Herring Right Out Of The Tin?

Maybe you love the flavor of fish but fear the process of skinning, deboning, and cooking it at home. Luckily, with the rise in popularity of tinned fish, there are several ways to enjoy this form of seafood without any cooking involved on your end.

Herring, in particular, is a fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids (a healthy kind of fat), meaning that incorporating this fish into your diet will benefit your body and your tastebuds. Beyond its health benefits, herring is also easy and efficient to enjoy, as it can be eaten straight from its tin. While there are several tinned herring options to choose from today, you may also see these tiny fish labeled as "canned herring." It's worth noting that "tinned" and "canned" are often used interchangeably to refer to the process of storing food in a format that is safe and does not require refrigeration.

As it pertains to tinned herring, the fish are first thoroughly cleaned (removing any sharp bones) and cut into pieces for storage. The fish are then flavored in some format (usually smoked) before getting submerged into a brine — typically an oil, water, or acidic solution — which serves as an active agent in preserving the fish and preventing any bacterial growth. During the canning process, the herring are also heated, vacuum sealed, and then cooled — ultimately making them safe to eat straight from the tin.

Not only is tinned herring an accessible fish to eat straight from the container, but it's also bursting with flavor. Given that the herrings are so quickly cleaned, cooked, and canned, they maintain their initial freshness and develop a depth of flavor while soaking in their brine.

You may be intrigued to try herring and curious about what it actually tastes like. Since the herring are typically smoked in the canning process, they develop a rich, smoky flavor. If you enjoy that flavor profile, consuming your herring straight from the tin may be your most delicious and convenient option. Alternatively, you can use your tinned herring as a base ingredient to inspire your next meal and whip up a myriad of tinned herring dishes ranging from herring pâté or pasta to herring tacos as well as herring and potato hash. The recipe possibilities are abundant.

Maybe you're sold on the ease of use and health benefits of herring, but you're not a fan of the smoky flavor. If you still want to explore this tasty fish, understanding other flavor profiles, such as the taste of pickled herring, may be the secret to having your herring and enjoying it, too.