California has canceled salmon season — here’s why that matters

After years of drought finally fade, Californians are hit with yet another devastating problem

By Lindsay Parrill March 22, 2023

For most Californians currently getting pummeled by atmospheric rivers of rain, it’s hard to believe there could possibly still be effects of a drought that, right about now, seems like a distant memory. USA Today reports that after all of the recent California storms, data reveals that parts of California are 200% over the historical average for rainfall year to date.

In fact, after decades of California’s uncomfortable parch, only 36% of the state is still in drought, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. And while this is obviously welcome news after such a difficult period, there is, of course, a chain reaction after such drastic dryness. One of those reactions is that California has had to cancel its 2023 ocean salmon fishing season.

Due to the drought, salmon populations have decreased significantly. In 2022, of the 196,000 Chinook salmon expected, only 60,000 adults returned to the Sacramento River to spawn. According to the fish and wildlife department, this was dangerously close to a record low for the area.

Public Domain Images/Pixabay

As a result, the state has teamed up with the National Marine Fisheries Service, including state agencies in Oregon, to ban salmon fishing along the coast from Cape Falcon, Oregon, to the U.S./Mexico border. The ban will run until May 15, and could potentially last through April 2024.

This isn’t the first time this has happened. Salmon fishing was also banned due to drought during the 2008/2009 season. And while the ban did increase the salmon population, it also resulted in what NOAA called a “collapse of the salmon fishery.” According to their research, the 2008 ban forced 1,200 fishing boats to stay in port, and as many as 23,000 jobs were lost. The salmon fishing industry is one upon which tens of thousands of Californians depend, and another ban could result in an absolutely devastating loss.

In the meantime, you’re likely to see higher-priced salmon dishes when you go out to eat (or other fish entirely) — and it’s probably a good time to perfect your cooking skills when it comes to salmon alternatives.

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Lindsay Parrill

Contributor

Lindsay is a graduate of California Culinary Academy, Le Cordon Bleu, San Francisco, from where she holds a degree in…

Food & Drink

Is honey a superfood? Here are 11 reasons we think so

Have you heard the buzz? This sticky sweetness is not only delicious, but incredibly good for you, too!

Honey

Whether you love to stir a teaspoon of sweet honey into your favorite herbal tea to enjoy a light, soothing treat before bedtime, or you like a dash of this naturally sweet nectar in your oatmeal, honey is a delicious natural sweetener with many applications. Moreover, while excessive sugar consumption is associated with weight gain, obesity, inflammatory diseases, type 2 diabetes, and even acne and other skin conditions, there are potential health benefits from consuming raw honey in moderation. In fact, raw honey has been used in traditional medicine for years for a variety of health and medical purposes.
Unlike most of the honey found on grocery store shelves, which is pasteurized by treating it with heat, raw honey is unpasteurized and retains potent natural compounds that provide health benefits. As with any high-sugar food, consuming too much honey can lead to weight gain, but incorporating a serving or two of raw honey into your daily diet can provide health benefits while satisfying your sweet tooth. Keep reading for a list of the benefits of honey.

Health benefits of honey
Raw honey is essentially straight from the hive. It is unprocessed, unpasteurized, and retains all its antioxidants. Unlike pasteurized honey, which is clear, silky, and preserved to last on the shelf, raw honey is cloudy and should be refrigerated. Note that honey should not be given to any child under the age of 1 year old, due to the risk of botulism.

Food & Drink

You’re probably not using the broiler setting on your oven, but it’s a game-changer — here’s why

What is a broiler, you ask? Only the best oven setting you're not using.

Pizzas on oven racks

In the summertime, we talk an awful lot about grilling. And who can blame us? Grilling is a hoot, and grilled foods are spectacularly delicious. But for many reasons, grilling isn't always an option. Perhaps you haven't yet been inspired to buy a grill for yourself, or you live in a place that's especially rainy with no covered patio. Maybe you had a particularly embarrassing experience years ago that involved burning off your eyebrows, and you've been too scared to pick up the tongs ever since. Whatever the reason, it's okay. There is another option. In fact, it's likely something you already have in your kitchen and may not even be aware of. It's your broiler setting.
In addition to being a fantastic substitute for a grill, your broiler can also do a multitude of other impressive culinary tasks, from cooking to crisping to browning to brûléeing. So it's in your best interest to learn how to use this handy tool as soon as possible.
Broilers come standard with almost every oven on the market, be it gas or electric. In most cases, the broiler will be on the inside of your oven, the heat coming directly from the top. You'll access the broiler's heat by placing one of your oven racks on the highest setting — usually two to three inches from the broiler. In other cases, the broiler may be located in a drawer at the bottom of the oven and will work similarly, but with less control as to how closely your food can be placed to the heat source. Either way, it should be fairly obvious when you give your oven a quick inspection. So in case you've ever wondered what that button is for, or, if you're just noticing it for the first time since you moved in, this is how to use your broiler.

Cook
A broiler is, essentially, an upside-down grill inside your oven. If you know your way around a grill and think about it this way, cooking with the broiler will become quite simple. It gives off very high heat, so it's designed to cook quickly. Anything that cooks well on fast, high heat will do well in the broiler. Things like thin cuts of meat, smaller vegetables, and even pizza all cook beautifully this way. Simply adjust your settings according to your ingredients.

Food & Drink

Stop tossing your garlic and onion skins: Here are 6 incredible reasons why

It turns out you might be throwing away the best part of your everyday ingredients

Onions and garlic

They may be the first thing we toss in the bin when it comes time for dinner prep, but it turns out that papery onion and garlic skin actually has some pretty incredible talents other than frustratingly sticking to our fingers. These are our favorite onion skin and garlic skin benefits.
Benefits of onion and garlic peels
1. They add nutrients to your diet
It may sound peculiar, but you can actually eat your onion and garlic skins. And while that papery skin may not be the first thing you want to turn to when it comes time for a midnight snack, it can actually be incorporated into your recipes. Add garlic and onion peels to stock for added flavor, grind, and mix them into savory baked goods. However you choose to include them in your cooking, you can rest assured that you're getting extra boosts of vitamins A, C, E, as well as many additional antioxidants. Skins are also a hefty source of flavonoids, including quercetin, a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory.
2. They add protection and flavor during the cooking process
Keeping the skins on onions and garlic during the roasting process has many benefits. Firstly, all of the wonderful health benefits mentioned above. By keeping the skin intact as long as possible in the cooking process, more nutrients can make their way from the skin into your dish. But by keeping that skin on, you're also protecting the ingredients themselves from harsh cooking and over-browning. Onion and garlic skin will help to protect the more fragile flesh beneath from high heat, providing you with a softer, gentler, more flavorful ingredient.
3. They can relieve muscle cramps
Onions — especially onion skins — are rich in anti-inflammatory properties. By steeping your onion skins in hot water for a few minutes to make tea, you can help to alleviate muscle cramps and tension throughout your entire body. Enjoy before bedtime for full-body relaxation.

4. They're great for the garden
It turns out all those added nutrients in onion and garlic skins aren't just good for your body. They're great for your garden, too. Instead of tossing those skins in the garbage, compost them and put them right back into the ground where all of those wonderful nutrients can help other ingredients grow and flourish.
5. They relieve itchy skin
In addition to all of their other health benefits, garlic and onion skins contain anti-fungal properties that help to alleviate itchy skin ailments, including bug bites and athlete's foot. Simply apply onion or garlic skin-infused water to the affected area for instant relief.
6. They're to dye for
Did you know that onion and garlic skins can be used for dyes? By boiling skins in water, you can create a solution that will give a beautiful golden brown hue to most fabrics, including wool, linen, and silk. It will even help to eliminate gray hairs and give them a natural shine and bouncy texture. Who knew?!