THE PRESERVATION OF FISH BY SMOKING AND DRYING 



419 



who removes the roe and the liver which are saved and the entrails which are 

 discarded. The air-bladder should remain in the fish. After butchering, the fish 

 are thrown into a vat of sea water for washing. 



Following a brief draining period the fish are ready to be hung outside on dry- 

 ing racks. Each rack consists of a series of poles supported by scaffolds, some of 

 them 8 or 9 feet above the ground. A number of these racks may be located on 

 some rocky promontory. In hanging, two of the "rundfisk" are tied together at 



(/ ,. L. Andoson') 



Fig. 19-5. Stockfish on the drying racks, Northern Norway. 



the tails by a piece of cord, than draped over a pole, with one fish on each side. 

 The "rotskjaer" (splitfish) are likewise suspended from a pole, with one split 

 side on each side. 



Placing the racks so that the prevailing winds will blow through the rows of 

 fish permits faster and more uniform drying. In addition it is necessary to turn 

 the fish from time to time to prevent formation of soft spots where two pieces may 

 have accidentally touched. Until the skin becomes well-hardened and a tough 

 pellicle has formed on the cut surfaces, extreme care must be exercised in drying. 



Drying continues for several months, or until the thicker dorsal portion cannot 

 be pressed in with the fingers. The highest quality is that in which the vertebrae 

 show through; this characteristic is prized by southern Europeans, who are the best 

 customers for the product. The popular "lutefisk" of the Scandinavians is pre- 

 pared from this same stockfish. 



Dried Salmon. Along the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and other rivers of the interior 

 of Alaska large quantities of salmon are air-dried during the summer months. 

 The annual production will vary from about /2 million to over 2 million pounds, 

 with a value of from 4 to 8 cents per pound. The chum or dog salmon constitutes 

 the bulk of production, but minor quantities of the other species of salmon are 

 also cured. 



The process employed is quite similar to that used for curing stockfish. After 

 cleaning and splitting into halves the sides of salmon are hung over poles sup- 

 ported on trusses several feet above the ground. These drying racks are built 

 in favorable locations along river banks where there are prevailing winds. The 



