BLOATERS 145 



a bloater offered for sale more than seven days 

 from the time it left the sea. A bloater bought 

 in London is inevitably a different and inferior 

 article compared with a bloater obtained near 

 Yarmouth or Lowestoft, and it is a fact that 

 in whatever way a herring is to be cured it is 

 of the utmost , importance that it should be 

 treated immediately after capture, the delay 

 even of a few hours spoiling its quality, and, 

 indeed, its value as wholesome food. 



But cold storage, or brine freezing, may 

 eventually solve all difficulties. The practice 

 of "fortifying" a bloater by increase of the 

 smoking treatment should be discouraged, 

 because although it gives a few days* longer 

 life for travel and sale, it destroys the quality 

 and delicacy of the fish. The question of the 

 salt used in " rousing," " roosing " or sprinkling 

 is of equal importance. Salt produced by 

 boiling or evaporation does not leave pure 

 preservative salt, or muriate of soda, while 

 our common salt is composed not only of 

 muriate of soda or pure salt, but of sulphate 

 of magnesia (Epsom salts), muriate of magnesia, 

 muriate of lime, and sulphate of lime — all 

 these, except the first, being actively injurious 

 to the process of curing. The muriate of 

 magnesia is partly detached from common salt 

 in a liquid state, and, from the liquid, bittern, 



I from which magnesia is made, is formed ; a 

 good portion, however, remains with the other 

 injurious ingredients, after boiling or evapora- 

 T.H. X 



I 



