406 MARINE PRODUCTS OF COMMERCE 



quality and short keeping time. Clean utensils, as well as clean, pure salt and 

 water, should be used in all brining and washing processes. 



The smoke cure may be, as previously stated, either cold or hot. Cold smoking, 

 which is accomplished at temperatures below 90° F (32.2° C), may in turn be 

 divided into two general types, depending upon the preliminary brining or salt- 

 ing (i.e., whether the fish receive a heavy or a light salt curing previous to smok- 

 ing). 



Cold-Smoking (Heavy Salt Cure). Fish which are cured and smoked in this 

 manner have fair to excellent keeping qualities, depending upon the length of the 

 salting and smoking operations. After this heavy preliminary salting the texture 

 and taste of the final product little resemble that of the fresh raw material. Prepa- 

 ration of a number of typical examples will be described in the following. In all 

 cases reference is made to procedures used in old-style smokehouses, unless other- 

 wise stated. In a controlled oven the time is always less, and other details may 

 have to be varied slightly. 



Smoked Salmon. Cold-smoked salmon, or just "smoked salmon" as it is known 

 in the trade, is prepared almost exclusively from king salmon sides that have 

 been subjected to a pi'eliminary mild-curing process, as described in the chapter 

 on fish salting. Mild-cured salmon has been used extensively for smoking in 

 Germany, England, and the Scandinavian countries. However, the largest market 

 is in the urban areas of the eastern part of the United States, especially in the 

 large Jewish centers, where smoked salmon or "lax" is part of the daily diet. Lesser 

 amounts are smoked in the Middle West and on the Pacific Coast. 



Before the mild-cured sides can be given the smoke cure, it is necessary to 

 remove the excess salt. This is done by soaking or freshening the sides in a tank 

 of running cold water for a period of 12 to 24 hours, depending on how long the 

 salmon has been in brine and on the demands of the trade. After proper freshen- 

 ing the sides are trimmed of any rough edges and then given a final wash with a 

 soft cloth to remove any attached foreign particles. It is customary to pile the sides 

 on a platform for a short while before hanging in the smoke oven. This pressing 

 or "waterhorsing" serves a dual purpose because pressure not only removes con- 

 siderable moisture, but also smooths the cut surfaces of the fish, all of which 

 makes for better appearance and quicker smoking. Some smokers eliminate this 

 step by hand-pressing and smoothing each side as it is being hung in the oven. 



The salmon sides are hung from rods placed across the smoke oven at a 

 sufficient height above the fires to avoid danger of overheating. Hanging is done 

 by means of a special type of steel wire hook, having one end curved to fit over 

 a rod and the other equipped with 6 sharp prongs which penetrate the skin 

 and flesh near the nape. Care should be exercised that the sides do not touch 

 one another. Crowding or overloading of the oven should be avoided as it might 

 interfere with proper air circulation. 



The first fires that are kindled under the salmon should be "drying" fires, 

 in which the combustion is quite complete (i.e., those that produce "blown" 

 smoke). All drafts and ventilators should be opened and the drying continued 

 until all surface moisture is removed and a glossy pelhcle has been formed. The 

 time required will be 24 to 48 hours, depending on weather conditions. This is 

 followed by building fires which smoke heavily, in which a considerable amount 

 of sawdust is generally used. The drafts and ventilators are almost closed so that 



