496 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
prevent the fish from falling from the smoke-sticks, and to retain the natural juices, 
a process has been invented by which a piece of membranous material, such as auimal 
bladder, etc., is placed in contact with the inner surface of the fish, which by means of 
its natural glutinous ingredieuts is held there securely. Then the fish, covered on the 
outside by its natural skin and on the inside by the artificial coating, is placed horizont- 
ally in a frame consisting of a number of triangular transverse metal-frame standards 
having base ledge projections and wire screen surfaces fitted thereon, incliued in opposite 
directions and open at the back and bottom, for exposing the fish to the smoke.* 
In smoking fresh salmon in Holland each fish is wiped clean, split down the back 
from the nose to the tail, the bead being left on, and several incisions made inside of 
tlie abdominal cavity in the thick of the flesh, but not sufficiently deep to penetrate 
the skin. The blood is carefully washed out, the stomach cavity well cleaned, and the 
whole fish washed several times. The skin is then cut or gashed laterally nearly the 
length of the fish, and on each side of this cut several short ones are made, this being 
done to permit the salt to penetrate the flesh more readily, so that each part of the 
fish may become erpially salfed. In salting, the fish are placed on toi) of each other 
in heaps of about 6 salmon each on tables, with the flesh upward. 
In making the piles, each fish is well sprinkled with fine Lisbon salt, and to prevent 
the stomach from forming a receptacle for the brine by sinking down, a thin, curved 
oak board is laid between the fish. The lish remain in piles from 2 to 4 days, when 
they are struck through sufficiently for smoking; but if they are not needed at once, 
they may be kept in ice houses or cold cellars for 2 or 3 months. Before the lish are 
smoked they are well washed and hung up to dry in the air, or during damp weather 
they are dried iu the smokehouse. A fire is made from small pieces of oak wood in 
the center of the floor, and after this has burnt half an hour a smoke is made with 
oak shavings and fagots, over which ashes are scattered. For some markets the fish 
need not be smoked more than 12 or 14 hours, but for other markets it is uecessary 
to smoke them 3 or 4 days. 
The following method of smoking fresh salmon prevails iu Germany : Each fish is 
first rubbed free from slime, etc., with a towel which has been dipped in salt or brackish 
water; then it is s^ilit down the belly, eviscerated, and thoroughly cleaned inside as 
well as outside. Most of the backbone is removed with a sharp knife, some being- 
left near the tail to strengthen that part of the lish, and the flesh adjacent to the back- 
bone is pressed flat so as to present a smooth appearance, or as though there had 
been no backbone. Bay leaves, from which the stems have been removed, are next 
spread thickly with salt on the inside of the fish and the sides brought firmly together. 
It is then packed iu dry salt and bay leaves and a weighted board laid upon the fish. 
After 30 hours or so under this jjressure the fish is immersed iu fresh water for half an 
hour, the salt, etc., iu the meantime being wiped off, after which it is laid out flat and 
trussed in the usual manner with 3 flat sticks and suspended in the air for about 0 
hours. When sufficiently aired the fish is placed in the smokehouse and dried by a 
moderately warm smoke for 3 hours, when the smoke is increased and continued for 
about 36 hours or until the flesh assumes a bright red color. 
A somewhat novel method* of preparing salmon for smoking was introduced in 
this country in 1878 by Lyman Woodruff, of Ellensburg, Oreg., by means of which it 
is claimed that much of the original flavor, color, and plumpness of the fish may be 
retained. 
*Seo Letters Patent No. 577G72, Feliruai-y 23, 1837, iu lavor of C. Waldemann, of Ciislin, Germany. 
