Alaska is famous for its wild salmon. The flavor of Alaskan salmon depends upon fat content and the environment in which it matured. Alaska’s pure waters and the abundance of natural food give Alaska salmon unique flavor.
Although salmon are caught in Alaska’s spotless waters year-round, fishing season in port and southcentral Alaska truly heats up in late May, when the cherished king salmon returns home to spawn in the area’s glacier-fed, freshwater streams.
The remaining 4 sorts of Pacific salmon-sockeye, coho, chum and pink-are also found in the general area.
Many anglers are now attempting to catch what’s known as a “grand slam”-all five species of salmon. Some say an easy way to recollect which kind is which is to match them up with the fingers on your hand.
&8226 ; Thumb-Chum salmon (Dog). The best fishing for this fish is mid-July to late August. Buddy salmon have a firm texture, enticing orange-pink color and delicate flavor that makes it a perfect fish for smoking. The average weight is eight pounds and they can grow to be twenty-five to twenty-seven inches long.
&8226 ; Pointer finger-Sockeye salmon (Red). Most available late May to early June or mid-July, sockeye salmon are the 2nd most abundant Alaskan salmon species. This species turns from a silvery color to a bright red body and green head as they start the journey upriver to spawn. Their average weight is six pounds and they can grow to almost 3 feet in length.
• Middle finger-King salmon (Chinook). The best fishing for king salmon is mid-June to mid- July. The biggest species of salmon in Alaska, they are prized for their color, high oil content, firm texture and tender taste. Average weight is roughly twenty pounds and length ranges from thirty to forty inches.
&8226 ; Ring finger-Silver salmon (Coho). With its orange-red flesh, firm texture and delicate flavor, cohos are really preferred among neighbors. The best fishing for them is found in early August to mid-September. Cohos are the second biggest of the species, with average weights of 12 pounds, and range from 25 to 35 inches in length.
&8226 ; Pinky finger-Pink salmon (Humpy). At the height of their run, millions of pinks swim up the freshwater brooks and streams to spawning grounds. Pinks are the smallest and most common of the species and average about 2 – 3 pounds. The best fishing for pinks happens in mid-July to late August.
How much time do you spend cooking each day? For some easy recipes you can use daily to create some of the best meals, visit cooking101.org and have a look at easy salmon croquettes recipe.
