No. 2 (I92l) REMARKS ON CANNING II5 



173. Many other recipes are of course possible at the discretion 

 or ingenuity of the canner. Another method is to proceed as 

 before up to drying inclusive ; then fry the fish in oil, or steam and 

 bake them, and pack them with a marinade of tarragon vinegar 

 mixed with good mustard or with tomato sauce, etc. 



174. A favourite method of putting up mackerel in the United 

 States was to pack salted mackerel ; in this case canning is practised 

 rather as an assistance to marketing than to preserving. Good 

 well salted mackerel are washed, their heads and tails removed, 

 and packed in large cans of 3 lb. and upwards, some fine salt 

 being sprinkled among the fish as they are packed. After the top 

 has been soldered on, a puncture is made, strong brine is inserted 

 and the can then tipped. It does not appear that these mackerel 

 are processed, but this might be done at ordinary boiling tempera- 

 ture (212° F.). 



175. No fish — mackerel or other—prepared with vinegar should 

 be packed otherwise than in cans enamelled or double lacquered 

 inside, since vinegar acts rapidly upon the metal. These products 

 should be sold off as soon as prepared, in order to prevent any risk 

 of such corrosion. 



176. Large fish. — These may be seer (Cybitim commersonii) 

 pomfret (Stromateus niger and argenteus), bamin or Indian salmon 

 (Poly)iemus), etc. They must be cut in slices by a guillotine slicer, 

 the slices being somewhat thicker than the depth of the tin which 

 is usually cylindrical or oval. ; or they may be cut into chunks like 

 salmon and packed in cylindrical tall tins. The slices shrink 

 somewhat in brining, drying, etc. ; hence the need for a slight extra 

 thickness. In brining it is to be remembered that salt is very 

 rapidly absorbed by cut tissues ; hence a slice of fish presenting 

 two cut surfaces, brines with great rapidity, and requires only a 

 few minutes — according to the fish and the thickness of the slices — 

 in saturated brine. In drying also the heat should be moderate, to 

 keep the surfaces from too rapid hardening which prevents internal 

 drying. In frying again the oil should be of moderate temperature 

 to permit of a thorough sterilization and firming of the inner tissues 

 especially those near the bone. 



177. Plain packing. — In this case nothing is needed except salting, 

 drying, and packing without any frying, spices, or oil ; the products 

 are quite good and may be used in lieu of fresh fish or for made 

 dishes, curries, moli, etc. Salmon as ordinarily packed is 



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