Did You Know Tuesday

Did you know that the only sardine plant still existing in Maine is the Beech Cliff factory in Prospect Harbor, Maine? The sardine-canning business had been a staple in Maine since the 1870s, but has decreased considerably since the late 1970s.

Stinson Seafood ran the plants (there's also one in Bath, Maine) until 2000, when it purchased by another company.  But, the two facilities continue to produce these tasty (and amazingly healthy) treats to this very day, as well as canned Fish Steaks and Kippered (smoked) herring.

Sardines (named for the Island of Sardinia) are actually herring, and the herring caught for Beech Cliff are caught off the coast of Maine.  The herring population is healthy and not in danger of being decimated.  Varieties of the canned fish include those canned in water, oil, mustard and tomato sauce.  The herrings are put into the cans, then cooked, and shipped to your local store.

Sardines are LOADED with nutrition: omega-3s, iron, potassium, and protein.  And because herring a low on the food chain, the levels  of mercury in them is minimal.