frequently asked questions
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We specialize in providing three types of Pacific salmon for our raw, frozen fillet and portion product options: Chinook, sockeye, and coho. But, what’s the difference?
Chinook salmon, also referred to as “King salmon”, is the largest of the Pacific species and is often favored over other salmon due to its flavor and size. Chinook typically contains high levels of fat, contributing to its rich, succulent flavor. Their meat may vary from white to deep red, is often firm and flakey, and is high in oil (the good kind!). Chinook is great for grilling, baking, or sauteeing and its rich flavor requires very few additional spices.
Sockeye salmon is also very rich in flavor due to its higher fat content. Sockeye feed on shrimp and crustaceans, which contributes to the dark, deep red color and distinct flavor of its meat. Sockeye is great for grilling, smoking, or roasting. (Smoked sockeye is our personal favorite here at The Harbor Fish Company).
Coho tastes similar to Chinook but it contains less fat. The texture of coho is a little more delicate and its meat is usually a bright red color. Coho is great for baking or sauteeing and it takes on additional flavors very well.
What’s the difference between the salmon types?
What makes your fish so good?
Our salmon are treated with care from the moment they join us on the boat. Every fish we offer is hand-selected for its health, quality, and size. Each fish is bled on deck and carefully stored in our fish holds. Our holds contain a slurry mix of ice and seawater, which is circulated and refrigerated at 34 degrees until delivery to our processor where they are later flash frozen. Handling and caring for the salmon in this way ensures that each fish maintains its nutritious value, firm texture, and wildly delicious taste - just as if you were to enjoy it the day it was caught!
These wild salmon are free of added hormones, artificial coloring, antibiotics, and other unnatural chemicals. Because that's the way food should always be...
How do I prepare my salmon?
There are endless ways to enjoy your salmon. The only rule of thumb: be smart & be safe. Here’s a primer on how to handle your frozen salmon fillets and portions properly:
Keep products refrigerated or frozen until ready to be cooked. Refrigerated fillets and portions should be used within 7 days after pulling from the freezer. Frozen fillets and portions last up to many months - even years! Discard frozen products with freezer burn or broken packaging.
Thaw frozen products in a refrigerator or microwave. Frozen fillets typically take 4-6 hours to thaw in the refrigerator. Frozen portions typically take 1-2 hours to thaw in the refrigerator.
Prevent your raw salmon from touching other foods and wash all working surfaces, utensils, and hands after touching raw fish.
Cook thoroughly. Keep hot foods hot then immediately refrigerate or discard leftovers.
For more information, please see the US Food and Drug Administration's Guidelines for Safe Food Handling.
Yes! Fish need bones to retain their structural integrity for swimming before they become your dinner. We opt to keep the bones in our products so they can be frozen as soon as possible, resulting in a fresher tasting fish when you're ready to eat it. Deboning before cooking is optional and easy:
Grab a pair of pliers (yes, from your toolbox is fine).
Run your fingers along the spine and feel for the pin bones.
Pull each bone out in the direction it grows.
You're done! For a full visual demonstration of filleting and removing bones, watch this video by Chef Dan Enos.
Are bones present in your products?
Do you offer wholesale?
Yes! And we love it! Send us an email at harborfishcompany@gmail.com and we'll reach out to you about logistics.
No - not yet. Shipping fresh and frozen food is challenging and expensive. We currently do not offer shipping for general orders. However, contact us! Together, let’s explore a way to get our fish into your hands.
Do you ship?
FROZEN, RAW PRODUCTS - Our fish are brought directly to Icy Strait Seafoods in Juneau, Alaska, within 1-2 days of catching them. At Icy Straits, our salmon are individually processed to remove their heads and guts. They are then frozen and shipped to Home Port Seafoods and Q Sea Seafoods in Bellingham, Washington. The fine folks at Home Port Seafoods and Q Sea cut our fish into fillets and portions. Each fillet or portion is individually wrapped with care and labeled with a product description that consists of the species, weight, catch year, processor and safe-handling instructions. The packages are vacuum-sealed, frozen, and stored at Bellingham Cold Storage until they are picked up by Alex and driven down to Gig Harbor where they are stored at The Harbor Fish Company headquarters until their pick-up date. All packages are inspected at headquarters to ensure excellence in our product quality.
Sometimes, we have small batches of salmon processed at Jerry’s Meats & Seafood in Juneau, Alaska. This allows us to keep our fresh-frozen salmon in stock until our totes arrive in Bellingham to be processed.
SMOKED PRODUCTS - Similar to our raw, frozen products, our fish are brought to Icy Strait Seafoods where they are individually processed to remove their heads and guts. They are then frozen and delivered to Seabolt’s Smokehouse in Oak Harbor, Washington. The crew at Seabolt’s skillfully fillet, smoke and package each fish. The packages are shipped directly to our headquarters in Gig Harbor, Washington where they are inspected and well cared for until consumed by you and your family.
Where is your fish processed and packaged?
Smoked salmon is a type of salmon preparation where raw fillets or portions are first cured with sugars and salts and then smoked with natural wood. Our smoked salmon products are smoked in a designated and FDA-approved facility by the fine folks at Seabolt’s Smokehouse in Oak Harbor, Washington. Our smoked salmon is hand-filleted, cured in a proprietary brine, and smoked with Alderwood for several hours to bring out all the wonderful and delicious smokey flavors. The smoked salmon is vacuum-packed and frozen to -30 degrees F. Smoked salmon should remain frozen until consumed. We recommend that all smoked products are thawed in a refrigerator and eaten within 1-2 days of being thawed.
We use sockeye and coho salmon for our smoked salmon products. Sockeye salmon retains a firm texture and mild, natural taste, which makes it excellent for smoking. We prefer smoked sockeye for party platers, trail meals, and late-night snack cravings. Coho salmon is more delicate and has a naturally light taste. Coho salmon takes on flavor well and does an excellent job at showcasing the Alderwood and other smokey flavors from the smoking process. We prefer smoked coho salmon for seafood chowders/curries, dips, and tacos!