The best tinned sardines: what to look for
Between a discount supermarket sardine tin and one from a Breton cannery lie two euros and two worlds. In one, fish pieces lie in sunflower oil; in the other, six whole sardines, placed side by side by hand, lie in olive oil that can later be used for dressing. This article explains how to recognize good sardines in a tin, the different varieties, the brands that make them – and how to eat them.
How to recognize good sardines in a tin
Five things say more than any award-winning sticker:
1. Whole fish. Good sardines lie in the tin as whole, headed fish, arranged evenly side by side. If you open the tin and see fragments or “sardine fillets” in a pool of oil, you are looking at machine-processed goods. Handwork is visible – the fish are intact, the skin is whole.
2. Olive oil. The oil is not just an accompaniment, but part of the product. Olive oil adds flavor, protects the fish, and allows it to mature in the tin. Sunflower or rapeseed oil is cheaper and a sure sign of mass production. One notable exception: La Quiberonnaise packs some sardines in peanut oil – a Breton tradition that gives the fish a particularly neutral taste.
3. A short list of ingredients. Sardines, olive oil, salt. A good tin lists no more, unless lemon, chili, or herbs are specified. Flavorings, preservatives, or unspecified “vegetable oil” have no place in a tin of sardines.
4. Origin and cannery on the tin. A place and a name: Quiberon, Concarneau, Matosinhos, Saint-Jean-de-Luz, Anzio. Canneries that put their name on the tin usually process fish from their own port, within hours of catching it. Brands without a manufacturer’s name often buy from wherever is cheapest at the time.
5. The method. In Brittany, the gold standard is à l'ancienne: The cleaned sardines are briefly fried or steamed in oil, dried, and then placed by hand in the tin before the olive oil is added. The industrial counterpart cooks the raw sardines in the sealed tin – faster, but the fish remains watery.
Three varieties of sardines in a tin
| Variety | What’s behind it | What it’s for |
|---|---|---|
| Oil-packed sardines | Cooked whole sardines in olive oil, plain or with lemon, chili, herbs; also in tomato sauce | Bread, salad, pasta, tapas – the everyday classic |
| Vintage sardines | Caught at the end of the season, rich in fat, they mature in the tin for years; vintage is printed on the lid | Plain, with bread and butter, with wine – the sardine for connoisseurs and collectors |
| Sardines for frying | Packed raw, for example with Bordier butter or piment d'Espelette | Two minutes per side in the pan – the fastest fish dish in the world |
Two special varieties are also available: Small sardines (petites sardines, sardinillas) are young fish, tender and finer in flavor, ideal on bread. Boneless sardines without skin or bones are the perfect starting point for anyone who dislikes soft bones – for example from la belle-iloise or La Perle des Dieux.
Where the best tins of sardines come from
Brittany and Vendée: the home of the tin of sardines
The tin of sardines was invented in Nantes – in 1824, Joseph Colin filled the first tins of sardines in oil there. To this day, the most renowned canneries are located along the French Atlantic coast: La Quiberonnaise (Quiberon, since 1921) and la belle-iloise (Quiberon, since 1932), Les Mouettes d'Arvor from the Gonidec cannery (Concarneau, since 1959), and La Perle des Dieux (Saint-Gilles-Croix-de-Vie, Vendée). All four clean the fish by hand, all four pack them by hand, and no more than 48 hours pass from catch to tin.
Portugal: the sardine as the national fish
In Matosinhos near Porto, every tin of NURI sardines undergoes 37 production steps, almost all by hand – the yellow tin is the best-known tin of sardines in the world. From the same port come Porthos and Briosa Gourmet from Conservas Portugal Norte (since 1912), Jose Gourmet from Lisbon with its artist-designed boxes, and A Banca da Sardinha. Portuguese sardines are usually more strongly seasoned: in tomato sauce, with chili, or with lemon. You can find them all together under Sardines from Portugal.
Basque Country, Cantabria, and Italy
In Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the small Conserverie Jean de Luz packs sardines from the Bay of Biscay with piment d'Espelette. Conservas Ortiz has cleaned every sardine by hand in Cantabria for over 100 years. And in Anzio, south of Rome, Pollastrini has been the only Italian manufacturer of tinned sardines since 1889 – known for its recipe with red chilies.
What’s inside sardines in a tin
Sardines provide long-chain omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), around 20 grams of protein per 100 grams, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, and – when eaten with the soft bones – calcium. As a small schooling fish at the bottom of the food chain, sardines accumulate significantly less mercury than tuna or swordfish; they are considered one of the safest sea fish of all. Their stocks are also relatively robust.
Two limitations: sardines in sauce often contain significantly more salt than sardines in oil – those who need to watch their salt intake should choose oil-packed sardines or sardines in their own juice. And sardines are high in purines; they should not be part of the daily diet for people with gout.
How to eat sardines in a tin
The simplest answer is the best: on bread. Toasted sourdough bread, a little butter or the oil from the tin, a sardine, a squeeze of lemon, pepper. In Brittany, salted butter is the accompaniment; in Portugal, a glass of Vinho Verde.
In addition: pasta with sardines, fennel, raisins, and pine nuts (the Sicilian pasta con le sarde); salad with lukewarm potatoes, egg, and capers; tapas straight from the tin, with olives and bread; on toast with tomato and onion. The bones are soft after cooking and can be eaten – those who dislike them should choose boneless fillets. The oil from the tin is an aromatic oil: use it as a dressing or to fry garlic for the pasta.
A tip from Brittany: eat oil-packed sardines cold; do not heat them. Sardines for frying, on the other hand, go into the hot pan raw, two minutes per side.
Storage: sardines do not deteriorate; they get better
Unopened, oil-packed sardines last for many years – the printed date is a best-before date, not an expiration date. Over time, the olive oil penetrates the fish, the flesh becomes more tender, and the bones softer. This is the purpose of vintage sardines: they are stored like wine and turned every six months. Opened tins should be stored in the refrigerator and eaten within two days. If the tin is bulging or makes an unusual hissing sound when opened, throw it away.
Our recommendation: five tins to get started
- NURI sardines in olive oil – the yellow tin from Matosinhos, the classic from Portugal
- La Quiberonnaise oil-packed sardines with lemon – Breton, à l'ancienne, with a slice of lemon in the tin
- La Perle des Dieux vintage sardines – the current vintage to eat immediately or store away
- Jean de Luz sardines with piment d'Espelette – Basque, with a gentle heat
- La Quiberonnaise sardines for frying with Bordier butter – for the pan
You can find all 129 sardines from twelve canneries in our sardines category.
Frequently asked questions
Which sardines in a tin are the best?
Whole fish in olive oil, packed by hand, with a short list of ingredients and the cannery's name on the tin. Breton brands such as La Quiberonnaise, la belle-iloise, or Les Mouettes d'Arvor, NURI from Portugal, and Jean de Luz from the Basque Country are among them. At the top are vintage sardines, which mature in the tin for years.
What is the difference between sardines and oil-packed sardines?
Oil-packed sardines are cooked sardines in oil – the classic tin. There are also sardines in tomato sauce, in marinade, or raw for frying. Olive oil is the best choice; sunflower oil indicates mass-produced goods.
What’s inside sardines in a tin?
Omega-3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), protein, vitamin D, vitamin B12, selenium, and – when eaten with the soft bones – calcium. As a small fish, sardines contain very little mercury. The salt content of sardines in sauce and the purine content for people with gout should be taken into account.
How long do sardines in a tin last?
Unopened, they last for several years beyond the printed date; vintage sardines last ten years or more, during which time they become more tender. Once opened, eat them in the refrigerator within two days.
Do you eat the bones of tinned sardines?
Yes. Cooking and storing them in oil make the bones and backbone soft, and they provide most of the calcium. Those who dislike them should choose boneless sardines without skin or bones.
Sardines or anchovies – what is the difference?
The sardine is a distinct fish that is cooked whole and marinated mildly. The anchovy is smaller, matures raw in salt, and comes as a strongly savory, salty fillet in a tin or jar.
