Why It Pays To Buy Salmon From Costco

Are you a fan of smoked salmon bagels or grilled salmon? If you love cooking and eating salmon and just can't seem to get enough of the pink-fleshed fish, then you should consider buying your fillets at Costco. Unless you're purchasing wild-caught salmon, the chain takes steps to remove all of the pesky skin as well as bones and extra fat. Costco confirmed to Chowhound that its farm-raised Atlantic salmon fillets are both boneless and skinless. Meanwhile, the retailer sells the wild-caught stuff without being deboned or skinned.

The lack of bones, skin, or fat on Costco's salmon fillets will save you money when it comes to paying by the pound for your fish. Combine that with the comparably lower prices for salmon at Costco, and you end up saving more by buying in bulk. While prices may fluctuate from store to store, Costco undercuts many of its competitors by charging around $12.99 a pound for its salmon filets. Meanwhile, similar salmon fillets can cost anywhere from $9 to $30 a pound elsewhere. In some places, the farm-raised fish can even cost as much as $35 per pound. 

That means you're getting salmon at the lower end of the cost spectrum at Costco, but since the fillets lack bones, skin, or extraneous fat, you're getting more for your money as well since those parts add extra weight that would end up costing you more. Likewise, you'll spend less time preparing your meal.

As the saying goes, "Time is money," and another benefit of buying salmon at Costco is that home cooks in a hurry don't have to spend time removing the salmon's skin or deboning those fillets. Similarly, buying in bulk saves time because you can cut the fish into smaller portions and store it for later. If you're cooking the salmon during the week, you can rinse the fillets, dry them with paper towels, and store them in an air-tight container in the fridge or freezer.

Not everyone will be a fan of Costco discarding that precious salmon skin and extra fat, as both can add flavor as well as extra nutrients to your meal. If you're a salmon skin hater, then you're missing out on a good dose of Omega-3s, vitamin D, and vitamin B. Plus, removing the skin prior to cooking is one mistake many home cooks make when cooking salmon as it helps hold the fish together.  However, it's not recommended for everyone to eat salmon skin. For instance, those who are pregnant or nursing should avoid eating salmon skin due to the potential for harmful reactions, according to Medical News Today. It's something to keep in mind when buying your fish from Costco. Once you have your salmon, trying pairing it with a wine by avoiding this mistake.