Photo by Cassie Griffin 



Sam Thomas prepares a bluefish for brining 



Photo by Cassie Griffin 



Salt for brining and curing is measured out by Dave Hill 



Recently, the Seafood Lab smoked 

 40 pounds of fresh bluefish fillets, us- 

 ing both the brining and dry salt 

 techniques. A portion of the fish was 

 brined in a mixture of six percent salt 

 for 16 hours, rinsed, drained, and 

 placed in the smoke box skin side 

 down. The remaining fish were skin- 

 ned, divided in half and rolled in and 

 rubbed lightly with a dry salt cure and 

 a dry salt and sugar cure. The dry salt 

 cure consisted of one pound of salt 

 mixed with one-half ounce of black 

 pepper, and the salt and sugar cure 

 had one pound of sugar added to this 

 mixture. These fish were allowed to sit 

 in the cures for 30 minutes, then rin- 

 sed, drained, and placed in the smoke 

 box. Smoke time was approximately 

 six and a half hours, and hickory saw- 

 dust was used for the smoke. When the 

 larger pieces of fish reached an internal 

 temperature of 160°F, everything was 

 taken out of the box to cool. 



"The Food and Drug Administra- 

 tion," Thomas says, "recommends 

 that the final salt content in a smoked 

 product be two and a half to three and 

 a half percent. We have found the lat- 

 ter to be a little too much salt. So, we 

 are studying different brining 

 procedures." 



Susan Lovelace, a technician at the 

 Seafood Lab, is analyzing samples of 

 the last products for several studies in 

 smoking. Results from a chlorine 

 analysis will determine the amount of 

 salt in the bluefish which was brined, 

 dry salt cured, and dry salt and sugar 

 cured. Lovelace says, "We will be 

 studying different salt concentrations 

 to get a more palatable fish." 



"We are trying to get a good 

 relationship between smoke time and 

 temperature, too," Lovelace explains. 

 "We will be working with several dif- 

 ferent species, such as bluefish, 

 mackerel, mullet, and white and blue 

 marlin, and their seasonal variations. 

 There are fat differences at various 

 seasons, and we will be working to 

 compensate for that and still come up 

 with a quality, uniform product." 



In addition to these studies, 

 Lovelace and lab personnel will be run- 

 ning tests on smoked fish for rancidity, 

 shelf-life storage and nutrition. 

 Previous research from other Sea 

 Grant programs and agencies hasn't 

 included specific information on 

 species native to North Carolina, such 

 as the bluefish. At present, there are 

 only two commercial operations smok- 



ing bluefish outside of the Seafood Lab 

 research — Reef Lite Fish Company in 

 Swansboro and the Chapel Hill 

 Smoked Fish Company. 



When Dick Barlow and Bruce 

 Paulson of Reef Lite decided to open 

 their smokery, they came to the lab for 



assistance. The lab helped them meet 

 their Food and Drug regulations in ad- 

 dition to informing them of the 

 necessary permits needed to start their 

 business. Seafood agent Dave Hill, 



Continued on next page 



