102 U. 8S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
There is one rather serious disadvantage in using a fat that is solid 
at ordinary temperatures. It is difficult to handle unless hot, and 
that which is carried out of the vat solidifies on the fish and gives 
an undesirable appearance to them. Some canners tried cocoanut 
oil, which is solid at ordinary temperatures, and found this to be the 
main objection to it. 
It is possible to lower frying costs by using a cheaper oil than 
‘cottonseed oil. Since it is but a short time until almost pure fish oil 
is being used when fat fish are fried, there is little reason why high- 
grade fish oil should not be used in the first place. Whenever avail- 
able, it is considered cheaper than cottonseed oil. Except for the 
solid nature of hydrogenated fish oil, it would make an especially 
valuable frying oil. 
In an endeavor to get around the expense for frying oil, one canner 
at least packing pound-oval sardines at times took fish oil from his 
by-products plant for cooking purposes, using a new lot each day. 
It was claimed that the fish were in good shape for canning, having 
been cooked in fresh oil, and that so little damage was done to the oil 
that it sold for the same price as other oil from the by-products 
plant. Another canner, packing quarter-oil sardines, cooked fish in 
new olive oil for a few hours, then removed it from the cooking vat, 
and used it in packing the fish. These developments are very inter- 
esting. I have been unable actually to observe the results obtained 
and therefore can give no more than an opinion as to what results 
are to be expected. High-grade fish oil should make a good cooking 
oil. I believe, however, that an oil good enough for this purpose 
will, even in one day, undergo changes that probably will lower its 
quality more than enough to offset any advantage gained by using 
it. If the oil is not high-grade to start with, it will lower the quality 
of the prepared fish. As for cooking in olive oil and then using the 
oil for packing purposes, it is probable that the changes that take 
place in the oil will detract enough from its value as a packing oil to 
minimize any advantage gained. 
Lessening the amount of frying oil that gets into the canned product.— 
An improvement in the results obtained from frying can be brought 
about by lessening the amount of frying oil that gets into the can 
with the fish. Improving draining conditions will help to do this. 
It is customary to stack the baskets of cooked fish several deep, one 
on top of another. The oil and water that drain out of one basket 
run down over the fish below. It would be better, in order to facili- 
tate draining, to have under each layer of baskets some sort of drip 
pan to protect the other fish and to convey the drippings away. 
Attempts have been made to remove at least a good part of the 
frying oil from fried fish by steaming them. I am not familiar with 
the actual results obtained. JI do not think, however, that such a 
procedure would do enough good to pay for the extra trouble and ex- 
pense involved, 
ELIMINATING FRYING IN OIL 
The research has shown ways in which frying in oil can be im- 
proved and cheapened but not how the difficulties met can be over- 
come. It is improbable that further research will do this, although 
other improvements probably would follow from such work. Even 

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