Wild Columbia River King Salmon

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The Spring-run of Columbia River King Salmon is recognized as “some of the best salmon in the world – better than the highly marketed Copper River salmon.” http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/612565

Millions of years of evolution have gone into creating the world’s most flavorful fish, the wild Columbia River King Salmon. With an oil content as high as 22 percent it even out ranks its popular cousin from the Alaskan Copper River which weighs in with an oil content reaching only 18 percent.

Since salmon don’t feed once they reach fresh water they’ll spend their lives in the ocean building up energy reserves in the form of oil which is intended to sustain their treacherous journey back upstream to the spawning grounds from which their life began. The spring-run salmon which navigate the powerful waters of the Columbia River basin will be up against over 2000 miles of waterways. By comparison the Copper River salmon have a steep 300 mile journey. These massive oil reserves required for this long journey is what gives the Columbia River King its amazing flavor.

Also known as the Chinook Salmon, the Columbia River King salmon have played a major role in the livelihood of the Pacific Northwest Chinook Indians as not only a major source of food but also a spiritual and economic resource as well. The Chinook tribe understood that catching these salmon early in their journey was essential in finding the fish at their healthiest. This also meant a maximum oil reserve ensuring the best possible flavor which made the salmon a valuable commodity. Today that practice holds true.

We buy our Columbia River King salmon directly from the fishermen in order to have complete control over our exacting quality standards. Whether you’re after whole fish or prefer our cut-to-order fillets we’ll be sure to ship it to you the same day ensuring you receive the absolute freshest salmon possible.

In addition to working to deliver the absolute highest grade of fresh Columbia River King Salmon, Foods In Season continues to focus on sustainability by working with seafoodwatch.com and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife in order to ensure maximum sustainability of every fish we sell.

Fresh Wild Day Boat Halibut

 

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This Father and Son team in SE Alaska supply
us with many of our Wild Day Boat Halibut
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Foods In Season places an intense focus on making sure you receive the absolute freshest halibut possible. We start by purchasing our halibut strictly from day boat fishermen. When fishing for halibut, day boat fishermen take extreme pride in caring for their catch to make sure you receive the freshest product possible. Our Washington caught halibut are brought right to our door the same day they’re caught. Alaskan halibut are air freighted in overnight. Both varieties are shipped out the same day they’re received.

When you compare that to the fish which sit on ice for a week or more before reaching your door, you begin to see how Foods In Season has earned our reputation for providing the absolute freshest products available.

We also feature the tightest specs in the industry. We size all our halibut in 5 pound increments in comparison to the industry standard of sizing halibut in 20 pound increments. This allows you to maintain an extremely consistent fillet size, resulting in a more consistent cooking time and plate presentation.

Let us do the dirty work for you. With our Cut-to-Order program, just pick the size of fillet you want and we will cut it for you and ship it within hours of being cut. We also cut our own halibut cheeks to order… get in line early for these, they go fast. All packaging and processing is done in our facility under strict HACCP and SSOP compliance.

The mild, sweet taste of fresh halibut gives it the potential to be one of the most popular entrees in the world. It’s flakey yet firm texture holds up to a wide variety of preparation methods allowing it to be quite versatile.

So if you’re planning to feature halibut on your menu this season, you can rest assured that when you order your fresh halibut from Foods In Season you’re getting the best halibut you can find short of going out and reeling one in yourself.

Fresh Wild Columbia River Sturgeon

Sturgeon1Also known as the White Sturgeon, the Columbia River Sturgeon falls into the category one of the oldest families of boney fish in existence.  White Sturgeon can live to be over 100 years old and grow up to 15 feet in length making them the largest freshwater fish in North America.

Wild Sturgeon fishing seasons, regulations, and catch methods are highly regulated by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.  Our fishermen catch their fish downstream from the Bonneville Dam ensuring they’re not land-locked allowing them to retain the full health and vitaility of their anadromous nature. 

 
Placing our continued focus on sustainable products, Foods In Season works with seafoodwatch.com to validate the sustainability of every fish we sell.  Wild Sturgeon can be legally harvested between 43-54 inches in length and range between 20-40 lbs.  Considering the most flavorful meat comes from Sturgeon ranging from 3-6 feet you can rest assured you will receive your fish within optimal range to achieve the most tender meat and full bodied taste possible.  

Since Foods In Season buys their Wild Sturgeon directly from the fishermen, butchers and ships your fish all in the same day, you’re guaranteed to receive the absolute freshest product available. 

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Fresh Wild Sturgeon yeilds a firm, dense meat which prevents it from flaking apart like other fish.  The lack of bones tends to make it much easier to prepare and is often smoked, grilled, quickly fried or sauteed.  Order your fresh Sturgeon today by calling 1-866-767-2464 then be sure to share how you prepared your dish with us by leaving a comment here on our blog or by sharing it with our fans on Facebook.

Quinault River Steelhead

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Click to enlarge

This morning we received some exceptionally large Quinault River Steelhead. These two shown in the photo weigh in at over 16lbs each!

These Steelhead were caught by the Quinault Indian Tribe who fish the same waters their ancestors did centuries ago. With their firm flesh and shiny chrome skin these fish were at the peak of health when caught and would have put up a rigorous fight.

Considered one of the best kept seafood secrets of Northwest Chefs, you’re sure to find the light, clean flavor of these beauties to be a fabulous addition to your menu.