176 DEPARTMENT OF THE NAVAL SERVICE 



8 GEORGE V. A. 1918 

 3. CANADIAN WET HOD. 



(1) Xo vertebral cut is made after splitting. Bacteriological tests of the flesh 

 under the backbone of finnan haddie only forty-eight hours old gave positive cultures 

 of trimenthylaraine-producing bacteria in many cases.^ 



(2) The smoke is produced by burning hardwood, preferably beech or birch. The 

 smoke is, consequently, not so dense and the process has to be continued for a much 

 longer period of time, fifteen to eighteen hours, when the fish is a rich golden brown 

 colour, the edges almost brittle, and the flesh in the middle thick portions still moist 

 and scarcely flavoured by the smoke. 



(3) At times the fish are allowed to stand one to three days before curing, ostensibly 

 to allow the blood to drain away, biit this can be accomplished in one hour on ice, so 

 that one fails to see the point of this lack of expeditiousness. 



4. CONDITIONS ESSENTIAL FOR SUPERIOR PRODUCT. 



The endeavour was made to determine, if possible, what were the optimum con- 

 ditions for the production of finnan haddie par excellence on the coasts of the Canadian 

 Maritime provinces. That these conditions would differ from the Scotch has been 

 pointed out — for example, in the absence of peat as fuel, and the demands of distant 

 markets; and under these latter circumstances a certain sacrifice of flavour to preserv- 

 ing property must be made, still, it is quite within the limits of possibility to so stan- 

 dardize the industry that these variable conditions would be altered to suit the require- 

 ments of the market for which the fish were destined. 



These variable conditions are: — 



(1) Time of the fish in brine. 



(2) Quality of brine. 



(3) Quality of smoke. 



(4) Time of smoking. 



(5) Method of splitting. 



5. SCIENTIFIC TESTS OF CURING METHODS. 



Most of these conditions were varied in the tests described below. The record of 

 the flavour of the different baddies when cooked was made from the opinions obtained 

 from several individuals to whom were given samples of the various products. 



Experiment 1. — The first haul of haddock were cured according to the method used 

 by certain of the New Brunswick curers — except that here, as in each test, perfectly 

 fresh fish and of approximately the same size were used. That the fish should be of the 

 same size and weight is important, as a comparison otherwise would be obviously 

 inaccurate. 



Experiment 2. — The fish in this lot were smoked for varying periods of time, the 

 salting being constant. 



Experiment 3. — In this the conditions were reversed. Smoking time constant and 

 time in the brine varied. 



Experiment If.. — Small fish were used and both conditions were varied to produce 

 a delicately flavoured lightly-cured fish. 



Experiment 5. — In this the preservative value of the salt content of the fish is shown 

 and its limit, as far as palatibility is concerned. 



Experiment 6. — In this the method is applied to the hake. 



Experiment 7. — Proves the advisability of the dorsal incision. 



2 Bacteriological examinations were made by Dr. F. C. Harrison, MacDonald Col lege, and 

 his report appears in the present volume of Biological Contriibutions. 



