194 THE WEALTH OF THE SEA 



Herring are prepared by smoking in three dif- 

 ferent ways. The bulk of the herring is thoroughly 

 salted, and smoked until hard and dry ; the product 

 is termed red or hard herring. Much of the red 

 herring is boned, skinned, and packed in small pack- 

 ages. This grade is sold as boneless. Lightly smoked 

 herring are prepared in two ways. The heavily salted, 

 lightly smoked round herring prepared for immedi- 

 ate consumption are termed bloaters. Kippered 

 herring are usually prepared by splitting and evis- 

 cerating the fish before lightly salting and smoking 

 them. Some lightly salted and smoked herring are 

 canned in one-pound oval tin cans. After being ster- 

 ilized with heat, this product will keep indefinitely. 



The first step in the smoking process is salting. 

 This is effected by placing the fish in pickling vats 

 partially filled with weak brine. Salt is also sprinkled 

 over each layer of herring. When the tank has been 

 filled with fish, three or four bushels of salt is piled 

 on top of the fish. Altogether from six to nine bushels 

 of salt is used on each vat of fish (about four hogs- 

 heads). The fresher the fish and the cooler the 

 weather, the less salt is required. Most of the salt 

 is placed on or near the top of the vat of fish, so that, 

 in working down, it will dissolve before it reaches 

 the bottom. If the fish are small they are removed 

 in twenty-four or thirty-six hours, whereas the larger 

 herring are kept in the brine for forty-eight hours or 

 slightly longer. In cool weather the fish are salted for 

 a longer period than in warm weather. The herring 

 are removed from the vats by means of dip nets or 

 wash nets in which they are washed by a brief immer- 



