130 American Fisheries Society 



proportion to the amount of sodium than there was in the orig- 

 inal salt, and a correspondingly more acrid "salty" taste. It is 

 therefore necessary to soak out fish much longer, or until they 

 are "flat" if they have been cured with crude salt, while witH 

 pure salt they may be soaked out until they suit the taste, after 

 which they retain their original flavor. 



Certain improvements in the flavor of fish have been noted 

 after they have been salted by improved methods. The fish 

 variously known as mud shad or gizzard shad {D or o soma cep- 

 edianum) is plentiful in certain parts of the country, but held 

 in very low esteem because of its muddy, unpleasant flavor. 

 After being washed free from blood and salted in pure salt, this 

 unpleasant flavor disappeared, and the fish compared very favor- 

 ably with fish commonly more esteemed. The muddy taste of 

 the carp and other fish from muddy ponds and streams is be- 

 lieved by some to be caused by species of Oscillatoria, a blue- 

 green alga growing in the slime of the fish; by others it is 

 believed to be humic acid derived from the mud. Perhaps 

 the two views could be entirely reconciled ; but the actual chem- 

 ical compound or compounds responsible for the unpleasant 

 flavor seems to be removed by the brine. 



If this lead were followed in detail it is quite possible that 

 salting would turn out to be the best method of utilizing fishes 

 that are of a rather poor edible quality when in the fresh condi- 

 tion. This aspect of the matter deserves particular attention of 

 the canners. Many species of fish of great abundance could be 

 profitably packed if the flavor were inviting. With highly 

 improved technique in salting, the undesirable flavors might be 

 removed by curing and soaking out before canning. This pro- 

 cess would be unthinkable on the basis of the customary salt- 

 ing methods where there is in the end an excessive saltiness or 

 flatness of flavor, but the mild, sweet fish prepared by improved 

 technique and pure salt is a much more promising possibility 

 for canning. 



