Wild salmon season is officially here! That means the seafood counter at your local grocery store will be flooded with various types of the pinky-orange fish. It also means confusion: Which salmon is healthiest? How should I store it? Should the flesh be firm or flaky, aromatic or odorless? Personally, I get a little overwhelmed by all of the options, and though I know what I want — the freshest and healthiest fish — I don’t know the right questions to ask about all the different salmon. As a result, I spend more time browsing than actually buying the fish. 

Fortunately, third-generation Alaska commercial salmon fisherman, Hannah Heimbuch, is here to save the day by sharing her advice on how to buy wild Alaska salmon.

Before you choose a salmon fillet, it’s important to know what you’re looking for. Heimbuch tells First for Women that wild Alaska salmon comes in five species — king, coho, sockeye, pink, and keta. “Most of what you’ll see at the seafood counter is [either] sockeye, king, coho, or pink,” she notes.

Heimbuch gives a quick breakdown of the four most common species of wild Alaska salmon, plus some suggestions on how to prepare them:

Heimbuch has harvested a wide range of wild seafood from regions across Alaska, and specializes in sustainable fishing practices. She shared five things you can ask the person behind the seafood counter about this fish before purchasing it.

It’s clear that salmon is an extremely popular fish to cook. So, we asked one of our FFW readers, Cindy Cartusciello of New Jersey, for her tips on making salmon shopping a breeze.

First, she tells us that a quick 45-second look at a fillet should indicate how fresh it is. “It’s worth [taking] the time to check on the quality of fish before making a dinner purchase such as fresh salmon, for which you are paying a premium,” she says.

Cartusciello also suggests asking for the person behind the counter to scale or remove the skin from the fillets, if that’s how you prefer to enjoy them. This step saves you time in the kitchen for cooking and cleaning up afterwards.

Keep these tips in mind to keep your seafood counter visits stress-free and to enjoy the freshest picks, from wild salmon harvest season through the rest of the year!

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