I was in the supermarket buying provisions for my hike to the top of Mount Whitney, located east of Bakersfield, California. This year we are taking a more leisurely trip to the top, so that my two buddies that had altitude–and attitude–problems won’t be affected. I love strolling through nature’s beauty and am glad we do not have to push through the remnants of a late August snowstorm or traverse icy, slippery rocks near the top at 14,000 feet.
"Fresh," smoked kippered herring
So I’m in the store, and when I walked past the tunafish aisle, I spotted kipper snacks and remembered eating those as a kid. This produced an instant craving, and I bought a few for the trip up. Then I realized that these little oily sardines may make a pretty good and economical treat for my dogs…and cats. So I bought a few more and took them home to try them out.
That’s when I realized that “kippered” was a word I have used a number of times without knowing the meaning. Sounds a bit like “neutered,” but it means preparing a small oily fish by splitting, gutting, brining and smoking. Brining is soaking in salt water for half an hour; hot smoking is drying out at 150 degrees, then a bit longer at a lower temperature, while cold smoking is drying out slower at a constant lower temperature. To protect against spoiling, cold-smoked kippers are salted (brined) a bit more.
I opened the can and eyed the saber-sharp edge as I reached in to pull a few briny, kippered, sardines for my “herd.” They gobbled down the snacks like candy. What a great way to give them extra protein, Omega 3 fatty acids (which I discuss in detail in my new book Dog Dish Diet: Sensible Nutrition for the Health of Your Dog), and a bit of brine….all for a buck! Bone Appétit!
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
Dr. Martinez, what a great idea. And the sodium won’t be a problem for the pets?
I wondered about the salt too.
The body will take care of the excess salt, as long as these kippers are given as snacks or “fish oil supplements” and not the main diet