CHAPTER 18 



Salting of Other Fish 



By C. L. Anderson 



Director, Alaska Department of Fisheries, Juneau, Alaska. 

 Formerly, Assistant Director and Chief Technologist, Wash- 

 ington State DepaHment of Fisheries, Seattle 



and 



R. K. Pedersen 



Technologist French Sardine Co., Terminal Island, Calif. 



Formerly Technologist, Washington State Department of 



Fisheries, Seattle 



Introduction 



With the steadily increasing production of fresh, frozen, and canned fish prod- 

 ucts during the last half century, there has been a corresponding decrease in the 

 production and use of salted fish items in the United States. In 1904 the total pack 

 of salted fish was 113,576,290 pounds, while the last available figures, which are 

 for the year 1945, indicate that this amount is now less than half: 50,907,304 

 pounds. This shifting of the demand is undoubtedly due to a number of factors, 

 such as the improved techniques in processing, packaging, and transportation; 

 the greater ease of consumer preparation; and better flavor of the fresh, frozen, 

 and canned articles. Even in European countries, where salt fish has long been a 

 staple article of diet, this same trend is manifesting itself, although not so pro- 

 nounced as in this country. 



The fish-salting industries are located chiefly in Northern Europe, Canada, 

 Newfoundland, the United States, Japan, and Siberia. The location of these in- 

 dustries in these countries depends largely on climatic conditions and the abun- 

 dance of fish. Warm countries, such as those of Southern Europe and Brazil, are 

 not well suited for fish salting as such great care must be exercised in all opera- 

 tions if a good product is to be obtained. In Japan, where meat is scarce and 

 expensive and fish one of the chief articles of diet, all surplus fish are carefully 

 preserved; large quantities are conserved by salting as it is one of the cheapest 

 means of fish preservation. In rugged northern countries with long coast lines, 

 such as Scotland and Norway, where farming is attended by many difficulties and 

 is insufficient to support a large population, fishing is one of the principal in- 

 dustries. Since the climatic conditions are ideal for the preservation of fish by salt- 

 ing, the industry has been established in these countries for centuries. 



Cod and other ground fish are usually salted, allowed to develop their own 

 brine and, after being thoroughly struck, are dried in the open air and stored in a 



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