136 U. S. BUREAU OF FISHERIES. 



From the coloring tank, the pieces are placed on a tray with wood 

 frame and bottom of one-half inch square meshed wire; care is taken 

 that the pieces do not touch each other. 



The tray is then slipped into a rack which will hold a number of 

 these, placed one above the other, and this rack is then run on a 

 track into the smokehouse. 



A medium fire is then kindled which dries and slightly smokes 

 the pieces from 16 to 18 hours. 



When they reach a proper stage the fire is enlarged, but great care 

 must be exercised in order to prevent their being overheated, and 

 this is done by means of the damper at the bottom of the smoke- 

 house and the ventilator at the top. The fish are baked in this 

 manner from 25 to 35 minutes, the thermometer showing from 250 

 to 275° of heat. 



When the cooking is completed the cars are pulled out and the 

 fish allowed to cool, after which each piece is wrapped in a square 

 of parchment paper and packed in a box or basket which holds 10 

 pounds. 



The product is quite perishable, and if it can not be used at once, 

 when of course it is at its best, must be placed in cold storage. The 

 packer endeavors to turn out daily only the amount he can market 

 that day. 



Bdehe. — A smoked product, known locally as "beleke," is put up 

 at Kodiak, Alaska, from red and coho salmons. Steelhead trout are 

 the best for this purpose, but are not often utilized owing to their 

 scarcit}^ in this region. In preparing "beleke" only the backs of the 

 fish arc used, the belly part being cut out and pickled separately. 

 The backs are divided into three grades, according to size, viz, 

 "small," "medium," and "large." They are first put into a brine, the 

 "large" being put in first, followed by the "medium" and "small" 

 at intervals of one hour each, so that all will be cured at about the 

 same time. The coho backs, being the largest, are kept in the brine 

 from 19 to 20 hours, while the red salmon backs, which are smaller, 

 remain in the brine only about 16 hours. After being thoroughly 

 salted the backs are removed from the brine and rinsed in fresh 

 water, then hung in the air for about 24 hours to dry and to allow 

 a thin skin to form on the outside. They are then hung in the smoke- 

 house, in the presence of a little fire of cottonwood or alder. On dry 

 days the gable windows arc thrown open and the wind allowed to 

 pass through while the smoking is going on. The smoking must be 

 done slowly, two weeks beiniz; devoted to it. 



There is a good demand for this product locally, the fish selling 

 for from 15 to 20 cents a pair, but little effort has been made to 

 extend its sale outside of central Alaska. 



FREEZING. 



The process of preserving fish by freezing was first introduced in 

 1888. Previous to this the comparatively ancient method of packing 

 with ice, or in rare instances letting the fish freeze naturally during 

 the winter months, was followed. Packing with ice is in quite general 

 use to-day for shipments of lish which arc to be preserved for short 

 periods of time. Cooling with ice never results in a temperature 

 lower than 32° F., which, of course, does not freeze the fish. 



