Uiiiitia Lake lislus 413 



iniddle uf May to the middle of ScptinilxT, or in about 20 weeks. The Kels are 

 skinne<l, split oi)en, cleaned, washed and salted, then rinsed and lunig up to drain 

 for an hour or so in the sniokehouse (Fig. 228;. A wire screen is susja-nded 

 below the Mels to catch them in case any should fall, as they are liable to do if 

 cooked t(H» rapidly, preliminary to sn;oking. A (juick lire is started, with corn cobs 

 and sawdust, and then it is converted into a slow smudge. Hy adding sulphur to 

 the fire a rich brown color is given which greatly aids the sale. The time required 

 for smoking varies from four to fifteen hours, but the cause of this great ditTerence 

 in time is not known. The smoked liels sold, in lyiC, at 20 cents jicr pound 

 wholesale; the undressed Eels retail at O.5 cents per jwund, and the unsnmked at 

 10 cents per pound. 



In \'ji(>-i/ the iiels were smoked at Caughdenoy by the licencees of the 

 weirs, and we are indebted to .Mr. C". J. Campbell for some of the details of this 

 feature. The Eels are taken from the weirs in the early morning and stored in 

 cages until a few hundred have been accumulatetl. (_)n the evening |)revious to dress- 

 ing the fish the storage cages are hauled up on the shore to allow the Mels to die by 

 suffocation, and they are then ready for dressing. They arc hung uj), skinned, 

 cleaned, washed and scrubbed with a brush to remove the blood, and salted over 

 night. The ne.xt day the salt is washed off, and then they are hung uji in the 

 smokehouse and smoketl for four or five hours. In the summer of 1917 the 

 smoked liels were sold, wholesale, at 23 cents a iHjund and a very small numl>er 

 of fresh dressed Kels were sold at 14 cents a pound. Smoked liels retailetl at 

 .Syracuse, X. V.. during the summer of 1917. at 40 cents a ikhuuI. The smoked Eels 

 will keep about 10 days. The Caughdenoy smokehouse has a capacity of 370 Eels. 

 In \i)2K live Ilels retailed at 20 cents a pound and smoked Eels at 35 cents, at the 

 Hrewerton market. Mr. Cami)lH.-ll prepares a small amoimt of Eel oil. which is 

 .sold largely as a grease for harnesses, but also for medicinal jniriwses. This is a 

 clear yellowish oil which retailed at $1.50 \h.-t (|uart in U)iy. Only a few Eel skins 

 arc i)reservcd. 'Ihc tubular fresh skins are stretched over thin, narrow boards 

 ab<jut a yard long (Fig. 226). to dry. When dry they are split along the Inrlly and 

 pressed llat. They are sold for 10 cents each, .\bout 15 years ago Eel skins were 

 saved in rather large numk-rs and .sold for $30 a thousand for lining whips. 

 I'mkibly 6,000 skins a year were thus shipped. 



The average weight of individual Eels is about four pounds. Mr. Oiville 

 bad one weighing 7', jifiunds, which was jirobjibly alxuit 3'j feet long (.\dams 

 and Ilankinson, 'if), pp. I5<> lUi). 



In Italy, .iccording to Stevenson Cw. pp. 270-271). Eels arc pickleti. (Ine 

 metho<l is as follows: "The <lresse«l Vx-h are sprinkled with salt, which is soon 

 rublK-d or wi|)ed off; then the Eels, cut in pii-ccs of suitable length, arc spread with 

 butter and broilc.l brown u|ion a gridiron. The piwes are next place<l in suitable 

 receptacles, such as jars. kegs. etc.. and among them is spread a ntixture of Knv 

 leaves, whole cloves. pep|HT. English spices, and a little nt.ice. .\ weight is pl,-ice<l 

 on the mass to keep it compres«.ed and the receptacle is coverisl .\fter 24 hours 

 the weight is renutved. vinegar added to cover the pieces, and the receptacle tightly 

 scaled." The same author <Iiscii~. ' -04-505 ") metho«|s of smoking eels. 



