For The Most Flavorful Fresh Salmon, Buy It During This Season

Salmon is among the most versatile and delicious fish you can get your hands on, as it can be prepared in numerous ways and still be delicious. However, regardless of whether you're picking up salmon from Aldi (which is known for great salmon), grabbing some from Costco and using it for sushi, or going to your local fish market, it's always important to keep in mind the seasonality of the fish in order to get the freshest form of it possible. When it comes to wild salmon, the summer is generally the best time to purchase the fish.

Seasonality is pivotal to the taste, freshness, and overall quality of wild salmon. However, different salmon species have different periods of time each year when they're at their peak. In the case of Sockeye, there are only two months — June and July — when they can be found at their best. Pink salmon is even rarer, since it's only in season from June until September every other year. On the opposite end of the spectrum, Chinook salmon are at peak season for nearly half the year from May until September.

While this summer-centric freshness may concern those who have bought or consumed fresh salmon outside of its key months, it's important to note that seasonality only applies to wild salmon. Farm-raised salmon is safely and readily available all year long. With that being said, farm-raised salmon and wild-caught salmon do differ in many ways, from the nutrients they contain to what they consume before being fished. Because of this, while there are certain things that farm salmon can accomplish just fine, many say the taste of wild salmon is second-to-none, so the summertime is when these dishes shine the brightest.

If the freshness of the salmon isn't an issue, the two best ways to enjoy wild salmon in the winter are either frozen or from a can. While canned salmon is often said to taste more similar to canned tuna than fresh salmon (which can be a turn-off for some fans of the fish), its frozen counterpart is more well-liked. In fact, many would suggest cooking salmon straight from frozen, a convenient method that's best when you want to make single-sized servings of the fish.