SALTING OF OTHER FISH 391 



to start, but are turned 3 or 4 times the first day. The fish are gathered up and 

 placed under shelter at night to prevent spoilage through dampness, which causes 

 souring and molding. The time required for drying usually averages 4 days, but 

 depends on vi'eather conditions during the drying period and on the size of the 

 fish being cured. The more the fish are dried, the less danger there will be of 

 reddening or rusting. If the surface looks dry and hard and the thumb can be 

 pressed into the thick part of the flesh without leaving an impression, the fish can 

 be considered cured. 



Should high humidities make air-drying impossible, the following method may 

 be used: When the fish are "struck through," or have absorbed enough salt for 

 curing purposes, they should be taken out of the salt, scrubbed oft in brine, and 

 piled in stacks, flesh side down. These stacks should be heavily weighted in order 

 to press moisture out of the fish. After 10 to 18 hours in the stack the fish should 

 be repacked in dry salt, weighted down, and then put in storage in a cool dry 

 place. 



Brine-Salting. In an eftort to stimulate the production and use of brine-salted 

 mullet in the southern states technicians (Lee and Young, 1943) of the U. S. Fish 

 and Wildlife Service have devoted considerable time to a study of methods of 

 curing. Their recommended procedure may be summarized as follows: 



In the preparation of brine-salted mullet the fish should be dressed as soon 

 as possible (within 6 hours at the most) after removal from the nets or seines. 

 The fish are split down the back and along the backbone; the heads are cut 

 through so that the fish can be laid out flat. The viscera are now readily pulled 

 out. The roe, in season, are usually separated and dried, salted or smoked, as a 

 profitable by-product. The gills are removed, and the appearance of the product 

 is improved if the black membrane is also removed. The heads and foreparts of 

 the backbone are often taken out of larger fish (those weighing more than VA 

 pounds). After removal of the viscera the fish are washed in clean sea water or 

 light brine to remove blood and slime. Soaking for half an hour in brine will 

 make the cleaning operation simpler. 



The fish are now ready for salting, for which purpose a mined or refined salt is 

 preferable to sea salt, as it is cleaner and contains less chemical impurities. The 

 ocean salts are also carriers of the bacteria that cause reddening of the fish. In 

 packing, a heavy layer of salt is placed on the bottom of the barrel and is covered 

 by a layer of fish, open side up. This layer is then liberally sprinkled with salt 

 and the second layer of fish added. The operation is repeated until the barrel 

 is full. The fish are usually packed fanwise, with heads out and tails toward 

 the center. Care is taken that they do not overlap. Every surface should be ex- 

 posed to the action of the salt. The top layer of fish is placed cut side down, 

 covered with salt, and weighted to keep the fish submerged in the brine that 

 forms. The fish should be "struck through" with the salt within 4 to 10 days, de- 

 pending upon the size of the fish. If possible the fish should be held in a cool room 

 at a temperature not exceeding 50° F (10° C) during the "striking through" 

 period. 



Repacking can be done any time after the fish are struck. They are graded and 

 sorted for size and condition, and any remaining blood, salt, scales, and slime 

 are rinsed off in brine. The clean fish, with a layer of salt on the top and bottom 

 and a slight sprinkling of salt between layers, are now packed in the smaller 



