When the weather turns cold in Sicily, mackerel season begins. This is when the Testa family steers their boats, the Futura Prima and the Atlante, out into the Mediterranean, near the Aeolian Islands, to fish for Sgombro Occhiuto, or big-eyed mackerel. It’s not just a beautiful fish. It’s one of the most flavorful, freshest-tasting tinned/canned/jarred mackerels you’ll ever try.
If you’ve been searching for a sustainable canned wild mackerel that tastes like the sea (and not like metal), this is the one. Our customers say it’s “firm but buttery,” “nothing like supermarket fish,” and “shockingly delicious straight from the jar.” No bitterness. No mush. Just clean, honest flavor from expertly handled wild fish and extraordinary Sicilian EVOO.
Why This Wild Mackerel Stands Out
- Sustainably fished during the coldest months of the year
- Caught in small quantities with methods that respect marine life cycles
- Never frozen, never boiled. It’s just delicately steamed, filleted by hand, and packed within 24 hours
- Preserved in organic Sicilian EVOO, which only gets better over time
- Fully traceable, caught and packed by the Testa family in Sicily
Recently, you may have read about declining mackerel populations due to overfishing and warming waters. We want you to know that small, family-run producers in Italy, like the Testa fish company, have been making thoughtful, sustainable choices for generations.
The Testa family has fished the Mediterranean since the 1600s. Today, their mackerel, tuna, and anchovies are still processed completely by hand, with a deep respect for biodiversity and the long-term health of the sea.
How to Use Our Small-Scale Mackerel
- Break it up over warm farro or brown rice
- Make a pasta with lemon zest and the oil from the jar
- Or, eat it right out of the jar with a squeeze of lemon
And don’t forget, the olive oil in the jar is liquid gold. Drizzle it on roasted vegetables. Use it to start a soffritto. Make a ridiculously good mayo. Nothing should go to waste.
