SALTING mVER HERRING. 7 



placed on the fish to keep them from floating, but not sufficient to 

 i^ress or crush the fish. If barrels are used they should not be filled 

 at first, as the pressure will be too great on the fish at the bottom, 

 but after the fish are struck through barrels may be packed full. 



The reason for using dry salt is not difficult to see. It is the brine 

 or salt immediately in contact with the fish that acts on the fish. 

 If brine is used, the water coming from the fish dilutes it and it 

 rapidly becomes less effective unless the fish are continuously stirred ; 

 but if dry salt is used, the water coming out of the fish immediately 

 becomes saturated with salt, so that the brine in contact with the fish 

 is saturated at all times. 



If the brine is warm, the fish may be struck through in less than 

 24 hours, but ample time should be allowed. It appears that the 

 warmer the brine, the faster it penetrates: and also the faster the fish 

 spoils; there sliould be therefore some temperature which would give 

 the most rapid penetration without excessive decomposition, but this 

 temperature has not been determined. One soon learns to tell by 

 the appearance of fish after it is broken through the backbone 

 whether or not it is struck through. 



Shipping or storage of fish in brine. — If for immediate market, 

 the fish may be taken from tlie brine and shipped at once. This in- 

 volves draining off the brine, applying some more dry salt, packing 

 the fish in sugar barrels or other containers, and shipping. In this 

 condition the heiring are excellent, but will not keep long, as the fat 

 will rust and become rancid. In case the fish are to be held for a 

 period of weeks or months, it will be necessary to keep them under 

 brine at all times for the purpose of excluding air which causes the 

 fat to rust. They should be allowed to remain in their original brine, 

 strong, tight barrels being used. The barrels should be quite full of 

 fish, and there should be a slight excess of undissolved salt. The 

 barrel should be tightly headed, turned on its side, and nearly filled 

 •with brine through the bunghole, leaving slight space for expansion, 

 and then bunged up. It should be .stenciled or otherwise marked 

 to show the nature and net weight of the contents. In very warm 

 climates there is need for investigation of storage conditions under 

 which salt fish can be kept successfully ; until the subject is investi- 

 gated, it is recommended that if fish are to be kept for any consider- 

 able time, they be placed in cool storage. 



Summary. — If the method is followed as herein described, river 

 herring (and possibly other fishes) may be salted under surprisingly 

 unfavorable conditions of temperature; the cured fish will be sweet 

 and mild ; they will soak out readily, and be free from the acrid 

 salty taste characteristic of fish that have V)oen cured in salt contain- 

 ing calcium and magnesium. They will be softer and less white or 

 chalky in appearance than fish cured in crude salt, but these dif- 

 ferences should be regarded as marks of superior quality. 



Numerous recipes for cooking salt and smoked fish wi'U be found 

 m Economic Circular No. 20, " Why and How to Use Salt and 

 Smoked Fish," published by the Bureau of Fisheries, and sent free 

 on application. 



o 



