CURING OR TREPARING SMOKED OR RED HERRINGS. 121 



The smoking process is best effected by fires of oak 

 billets placed at intervals on the floor of the herring- 

 house. 



Those herrings which are prepared for home consump- 

 tion are subjected to the smoking process ten or twelve 

 days. 



Those herrings which are intended for exportation un- 

 dergo slower processes. The extent of the heat is regu- 

 lated with a view to the colour of the fish most suitable 

 for the different markets, the time occupied in smoking 

 the herrings intended for exportation being from fourteen 

 to twenty-one days. When it is wished to give the her- 

 rings a bright yellow colour, the smoke of burning oak 

 sawdust is applied after the first smoking process. 



After this the fires are taken off, and the herrings 

 allowed to receive a sufl&cient time to cool before being 

 packed into barrels. 



Bloaters are those herrings which are cured and smoked 

 for immediate use by a rapid process, which consists of 

 putting the herrings, immediately after being landed, into 

 a very strong pickle of salt six or eight hours. They are 

 then spitted and washed, and put up in the smoking 

 house with slight fires, which had been previously burn- 

 ing for some time, and consequently yielding only a small 

 portion of smoke. The time they are thus suspended 

 varies from six to ten hours, and they are thereafter 

 cooled, packed, and ready for sale. 



Kippered herrings, after undergoing the process of 

 being partially salted in pickle, are also cut open and 

 slightly smoked, and in this way afi'ord a very pleasant 

 change of food. The superior description of herrings 

 fished at Loch Fyne and other localities on the west coast 

 are much esteemed when prepared in this manner. 



