42 Process for curing Herrings, Pilchards, Mackerel, &c. 



The Process. 



Reservoirs of any required size are to be provided in form of 

 tanners' pits, or backs, or vats, or casks, perfectly water-tight, 

 which should be about one-half filled with brine made v/ith the 

 said salt of the spec, gravity of 1 206, water being 1 -000, by dis- 

 solving about 28 parts of the salt in 72 parts fresh water. 



The fish, as fresh as possible, are to be gutted or not, and - 

 without delay plunged into this fully saturated brine in such 

 quantity as nearly to fill the reservoirs, and after remaining therein 

 quite immersed for five or six days, they will be effectually struck, 

 and so fully impregnated with salt, as to be perfectly fit to be 

 repacked as usual with large grained " solid salt," and exported 

 to the hottest climates. 



Brine is known always to be weakest at the upper part. To 

 remedy this, and in order that the brine be kept up to a uniform 

 saturation, a wooden lattice -work frame, of such size as easily 

 to be let into the inside of the reservoirs, is sunk an inch or two 

 imder the surface of the brine, for the purpose of suspending 

 upon it lumps of 1 or 2 lbs. or larger, of *' solid salt," which et- 

 fectually saturate whatever moisture may exude from the fish, 

 and thus the brine will be continued of the utmost strength, and 

 5b long as any part of the lumps remain undissolved. The so- 

 lidity of the lumps admits of their being applied several times, 

 or whenever the reservoirs are rei)lenished with fish ; and the 

 brine, although repeatedly used, does not putrify, nor do the fish, 

 if kept under the surface, ever become rancid. 



All provisions are best preserved by the above method, parti- 

 cularly bacon, which, when cured by that process, is not so lia- 

 ble to become rustv, as when done by the usual method of rub- 

 bing it with salt, and yet is more effectually cured. 



The solid salt may be procured in any quantity or of any size 

 of Messrs. Londons, at the salt pit, Norwich, Cheshire ; Messrs. 

 Smith, Marten, Smith and Co. America Square, London ; or 

 Messrs. Whitehouse and Galan, Liverpool. 



%* At the examination of Mr. London's pickled mackerel 

 before the Committee, they were of opinion, that the best me- 

 thod of rendering them usefid to the lower classes of people, 

 would be by preparing them with potatoes in the following man- 

 ner : — The raw potatoes to be scraped and boiled, and when 

 nearly boiled sufficiently, one or more of the pickled mackerel 

 to be then laid in the pan upon the boiling potatoes, and the 

 boihng process continued till the mackerel is properly done, 

 when the mackerel and potatoes arc to be taken out of the water 

 for use. On this plan, the potatoes will be rendered very pala- 

 table by the salt extricated from (he boilirig mackerel, the 



mackerel 



