Sockeye salmon may spend as many as four years in fresh water before making their way to the sea. Entering the sea as silvery smolt weighing only a few ounces, they quickly mature to a weight of 4 to 8 pounds and approximately 25 inches long. However, some have been known to weigh as much as 15 pounds and grow to almost three feet in length.
After one to four years, the mature fish find their way home during the summer months, back to the freshwater systems of their birth, to spawn. Although how they find their way back still remains a relative mystery.
Sockeye salmon have a firm texture and deep red flesh, even after cooking. They are available fresh June through July, fresh frozen all year-round and available in shelf-stable cans and pouches.