106 U. §. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
marked differences in the quality of the salted product. Cooking 
solutions were used which had been made from salts containing as 
high as 10 per cent by weight of calcium and of magnesium chlorides. 
Except for having a slightly sharper taste, no material difference was 
noted between fish cooked in these solutions and those cooked in pure 
sodium chloride. 
Several packs of brine-cooked fish were prepared. In some cases, 
for purposes of comparison, similar packs were prepared from the 
same lot of fish by the regular cooking-in-oil process. These packs 
showed that cooking in brine, when carried out properly, produces 
an excellent pound-oval pack at least equal in quality to the fried-in- 
oil product. The brine-cooked packs would have been better, as far 
as flavor and appearance go, had the fried pack been cooked in 
“old” oil. Very good quarter-oil packs were produced, except that 
all were too salty. The process is not suitable for small fish. 
PROCEDURE RECOMMENDED 
Brine cooking is best suited for preparing fish for the California 
pound-oval and the Maine three-quarters mustard packs. It is 
best to use ‘‘cut”’ fish that have not been brined or otherwise salted. 
The skins should be toughened by drying in the same way as fish 
are prepared for cooking in oil.*® The dried fish should be scattered 
in wire baskets not more than two or three deep and cooked in a 
saturated salt solution kept at or near the boiling point (about 227°). 
Vigorous boiling should be avoided, as it tends to move the fish about 
and causes brusing. Cooking for 6 to 12 minutes (depending on the 
result desired) should be enough; however, cooking should be at 
least sufficient to enable the backbone to be removed easily and show 
no uncooked blood. The baskets of fish then should be stacked and 
set aside to drain and cool, preferably over night. The amount of 
salt in the final pack can be controlled by varying the amount of 
salt in the sauce. 
RECOMMENDATIONS REGARDING EQUIPMENT 
Ordinary galvanized-iron cooking vats and wire baskets used for 
cooking fish in oil also can be used for brine cooking. The hot brine, 
however, soon removes the zinc from the iron, which then rusts 
badly. It is preferable to use either Monel metal or heavily tinned 
copper for all metal parts. These combinations of metals (Monel 
metal being an alloy) are very resistant to hot brine. 
Heavily tinned copper equipment was used in the experiments 
with excellent results. In addition, concentrated brine was kept in 
the cooking vat for over two years. The metal appeared to be in 
excellent condition at the end of this time. 
ADVANTAGES 
Cooking in brine, like frying in oil, furnishes a rapid and efficient 
way of removing water from the fish. 
Cooking equipment, although more expensive than for frying in 
oil, is still relatively inexpensive and does not take up excessive 
space. 


38 Details described on pp. 125 to 129, 

