To stock up on sardines for several family meals, compare the number of tins and their drained weight before choosing a recipe. Multipacks of whole sardines are a good option if everyone is happy with the bones. Boneless varieties and sardine fillets in water suit different preferences, but make sure their pack sizes also match the meals you have planned.
You want to keep several tins in the cupboard for quick, convenient meals. The number of tins in a multipack doesn’t tell you everything: the drained weight helps you work out how much fish you’ll have available.
If the backbone or skin puts some people off, compare products labelled ‘boneless’ or ‘skinless and boneless’.
Not sure whether to choose sardines in olive oil or fillets in water that you can season yourself? Check the ingredients, salt content and nutritional information for each product to compare them.
For a family shop, first work out how many meals the tins need to cover, then choose a style and recipe that everyone in your household will actually eat. Auchan’s 3 × 135 g and 4 × 135 g multipacks show why it’s worth checking both the number of tins and the drained weight of each one.
| What to consider | What to check | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Quantity for your meals | Number of tins in the multipack and the drained weight per tin, excluding the oil or water. | If I’m preparing several meals without buying tins one by one, I want to know how much fish each tin contains; around 33% of consumers would put this first. |
| Bones and skin | Look for ‘boneless’ or ‘skinless and boneless’ on the product you choose. | If bones make serving the meal more difficult, I choose a style that suits the people eating it; this convenience would be the top priority for around 25% of consumers. |
| Recipe and ingredients | Check the ingredients and nutritional information per 100 g, especially the fat and salt content of the specific recipe. | If I want to add my own seasoning or choose a recipe in oil, the ingredients matter more than the pack size; around 25% of consumers would prioritise this. |
| Managing your stock | Best-before date, condition of the tin and storage instructions after opening. | To use my stock over several meals, I need to check the dates and plan how to use any opened tin; this would be the first consideration for around 17% of consumers. |
The oil or water in the tin is included in the net weight, but it isn’t fish. For example, Auchan’s product details for a 135 g tin give a drained weight of 95 g.
Compare the drained weight of each tin and how many tins you’ll need for the meals you’ve planned.
Declared nutritional values vary between products. Connétable’s product details and the Parmentier multipack, for example, list different amounts of fat and salt per 100 g.
Check the ingredients and nutritional information for the exact recipe rather than relying on the words ‘olive oil’ alone.
A multipack of whole sardines may be less practical for your household if some people prefer to avoid the backbone. Connétable also offers boneless and skinless and boneless varieties.
Before buying several of the same tin, choose the style you actually plan to serve.
Storage instructions change once a tin has been opened. The Saupiquet, Auchan, Connétable and Parmentier products mentioned here should be refrigerated and eaten within two days.
Follow the instructions on the tin you buy and plan how you’ll use any leftovers.
The range includes whole sardines, boneless sardines and skinless and boneless sardines, as well as a 3 × 135 g multipack sold by Auchan.
The brand offers sardine fillets in water, with no added oil.
The product considered here is a 135 g tin of sardines in extra virgin olive oil.
The range mentioned includes a 135 g tin in extra virgin olive oil, as well as sardines in water.
The products considered include whole sardines in olive oil, available in a 135 g tin and a 4 × 135 g multipack.
These individual tins include sardines in olive oil and a boneless variety in water. To stock up for your family, work out how many tins you’ll need for your meals and compare the quantities listed for each product.
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An individual tin to consider for a quick meal; choose the number of tins to suit the portions you have planned.
Size listed: 140 g. Follow the storage instructions on the tin after opening.
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This individual pack is a handy addition to your stock if you’d rather serve fillets than whole sardines.
The size is listed as 115/81 g; check how much you’ll need for your meal. Follow the instructions on the tin after opening.
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An individual tin of small sardines to consider if this style suits the meals you have planned.
The title lists 16/20u and 115/81 g. Plan to use additional tins if one won’t provide enough for your portions.
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Worth considering if the backbone is a concern for your guests and you prefer sardines in water to sardines in oil.
The tin weighs 98 g; check the label to compare the drained weight of the sardines with other tinned products.
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This individual tin can be kept for a quick meal, but on its own it isn’t a family-sized multipack.
Net weight listed: 135 g. Check the drained weight on the label before comparing the amount of fish with other pack sizes.
If the tin contains liquid, compare the drained weight to estimate how much fish it contains. Net weight also includes the liquid; the DGCCRF states that the drained weight must be shown on the label in this case.
No. Boneless sardines are mainly useful if the backbone bothers anyone in your household. If whole sardines suit everyone, focus instead on the pack sizes and quantities you’ll need for the meals you’ve planned.
Refrigerate them and follow the time limit given for the product you’ve bought. The product details for the Saupiquet, Auchan, Connétable and Parmentier products considered here say to eat them within two days of opening. An opened tin can’t be stored in the cupboard like an unopened one.
Check the recipe, quantity, nutritional information, best-before date and storage instructions for each product. For tinned food packed in liquid, the DGCCRF states that the label must also show the drained weight.