116 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES 
the process is not well suited to small fish. In Monterey, where 
conditions are different, there are possibilities for this process to be 
developed into a good substitute process for frying in oil. The 
steaming process offers possibilities of being developed into a good 
substitute process if a procedure is developed that will permit the 
preparation of pound-oval sardines as cheaply as they can be prepared 
by frying in oil. 
Research on ways of carrying out the brine-cooking and steaming 
processes and on the development of the right kind of equipment 
probably would yield good results. This, however, did not seem to 
be the best path for further research. Instead, the investigation 
was continued upon the development of a new process having the 
desired advantages. This research is covered in the section entitled 
“‘New process for preparing the fish.”’ 
APPLICATION OF EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS TO THE MAINE INDUSTRY 
In Maine it has been customary to prepare the better grades of 
sardines by the frying-in-oil process and the “‘standard”’ grades by 
steaming. Frying i in “oil has been found to be unsatisfactory for the 
same reasons that obtain in California, and steaming is objected to 
because it removes so much salt, oil, and soluble extractives and 
because the fish frequently break badly when cooked. 
Although the research on methods of preparing the fish for canning 
as sardines applies directly to California pilchards, the results should 
apply almost equally well to the preparation of Maine herring. 
Maine’s three-quarter mustard pack is very similar in character to 
the California pound-oval pack in tomato sauce. The bulk of the 
total pack, however, consists of quarter-oil sardines. 
The results of the study on methods of preparing the fish indicates 
no process that would better conditions in Maine. Frying and 
steaming, as well as baking in Ferris-type ovens, have already 
proved unsatisfactory. It seems doubtful, therefore, if further 
research on the methods already studied would lead to information 
of much value to the Maine industry. This is another reason why 
work was continued upon the development of a new process. 
PARTIALLY DRYING THE FISH 
INTRODUCTION 
In the section ‘‘Methods of preparing the fish,’’ under the heading 
“Raw packing” (p. 110), it was pointed out that for the raw-packing 
method to supplant frying in oil it would be necessary for the long 
drying period to be shortened. The primary reason for undertaking 
the investigation described in this section was to learn, if possible, 
how to do this. A secondary reason was to gain information of 
value in improving existing drying methods used by sardine canners. 
The results of this research, as applied to the raw-packing process, 
have been discussed previously. This section of the document is 
devoted to a general discussion of drying and of the experimental 
results of the investigation and their application to commercial 
practices. 
Partial dehydration is an important step in the preparation of 
fish for canning as sardines. So far the removal of some water from 
