390 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



fish it is advisable to use new salt and fresh brine. For export only good legal 

 barrels should be used. They should be full hooped on both ends and with 2 

 bungs." 



In the United States about half of the production is in the form of salted 

 mackerel fillets. The curing process is quite similar to that outlined above, except 

 that in the butchering the fish are split into two fillets with the backbone removed. 

 In the repacking smaller containers are often used, generally wooden kits of 

 10-, 25- and 50-pound capacity. Being a luxury item it is packed in these smaller, 

 more convenient packages. 



The Salting of Mullet 



In poundage the mullet has been, and still is, the leading fish caught in the 

 southern states, with a yearly catch varying from 30 to 40 million pounds. Of this 

 amount only a small part (1,830,800 pounds in 1945) is salted, principally in 

 Florida and North Carolina. Because of the difficulties attendant upon the salting 

 of fish in warm climates the salted fish industry has never flourished in this region. 

 The tendency of salted fish to sour or rust has been especially troublesome. 



Two methods of preparing salted mullet are in use: "dry-salting" and "brine- 

 salting." 



Dry-Salting. The best method for curing mullet in the warm weather of the 

 southern states is dry-salting (i.e., a combination of salting and drying). If the 

 fish are strictly fresh and handled carefully, the product will be of good quality. 

 The recommended procedure (Jarvis, 1933) is as follows: 



The fish should be split along the back, "mackerel style," so that they will 

 lie flat in a single piece, leaving in the backbone. The head may or may not be 

 removed. The viscera are removed, but the roe are saved and salted separately. 

 In cleaning remove all traces of blood from under the backbone and clear away 

 all the black skin. If the head is left on, clean out all traces of the gills. Score 

 each fish longitudinally along the backbone and also through the flesh on the 

 other side. Afterwards the fish should be washed and soaked in a light brine 

 solution for about 30 minutes to remove all traces of blood and slime. They are 

 then taken out of the brine and allowed to drain for about 15 minutes to remove 

 excess moisture. For salting use "dairy fine" mine salt which, for convenience, is 

 placed in a shallow box about 2 feet square. Dredge each fish in the salt, rubbing 

 some into the scored cuts on each side. The fish are then packed, layer by layer, 

 into barrels or tubs with the flesh side up, except the top row, which is reversed. 

 A little salt is sprinkled on the bottom of the container and over each layer. A 

 weight should be placed on top to keep the fish under the surface of the brine 

 that forms. The fish should be allowed to cure in this brine for 36 to 48 hours, at 

 the end of which time they are removed from the barrels or tubs. 



After washing in brine to remove excess salt and draining for 15 to 20 minutes 

 the fish are ready for the drying racks. These are frames of wood, covered with 

 chicken wire and standing on legs 3 or 4 feet high; they should, of course, be 

 located on dry ground. Oxidation or rusting sets in immediately if drying is 

 carried on under the direct rays of the sun. But if fish are kept shaded in a 

 breezy location, they will dry well with a clear color. For this reason drying is 

 best done in the shade under a roof without walls, so located that as much of a 

 current of air as possible will pass over the fish. The fish are laid skin side down 



