502 
BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 
sturgeon {Aci^yenser rubicimdus) is tlie most desirable for smoking, the product selling 
in New Yoi’k City for 24 or 26 cents per pound. Columbia Eiver sturgeon ranks next, 
witb an average value of 3 or 4 cents less tban the Great Lakes. The Atlantic coast 
sturgeon {Acipenser sturio) shows yellow streaks when smoked, and the meat is also 
somewhat more coarse and red than the delicatessen trade desires, and sells in New 
York for 6 or 8 cents less than the smoked Great Lakes sturgeon, or about 16 to 20 
cents per pound. The prices prevailing in New York are quoted, since that is the 
principal market in the country for smoked sturgeon and the choicest product is there 
prepared, but these prices are somewhat higher than those prevailing at other points, 
especially along the Great Lakes. In Chicago smoked lake sturgeon usually sells at 
18 to 20 cents per pound wholesale. 
In the early history of the industry the sturgeon intended for use after the fishing 
season was over were dressed and salted in butts or barrels, whence they were removed 
as required, being soaked out before smoking, as is now the case with Halifax salmon. 
At present, however, the surplus sturgeon are almost invariably kept frozen in cold 
storage until required. Before freezing, the fish are dressed, the heads, tails, viscera, 
fins, and backbones being removed. Practice differs in the various localities in regard 
to removing the skin. Until the last 6 or 8 years all sturgeon were skinned, and that 
is at present the common practice with the Atlantic coast fish. But about 1890 the 
practice of leaving the skin on was introduced along the Great Lakes, and is now 
general in that locality. Formerly the Columbia Eiver sturgeon were skinned before 
being frozen, but at present nearly if not quite all of those placed in cold storage have 
the skin left on. Before freezing, the fish are usually cut into four pieces, about the 
size of the freezing pan, or in smaller pieces suitable for smoking, the former being 
more frequent. The methods of freezing and subsequent cold storage have already 
been described. 
On removal from cold storage the fish are thawed by exposure- to air of moderate 
temperature, being turned once or twice during the operation, or, better still, by 
immersing them in water of medium temperature. They are then treated exactly as 
though received fresh from the fishermen. They are cut into suitable chunks, 2 or 3 
inches wide and weighing or 2 pounds, the width varying according to the thickness 
of the meat. These chunks are then brine-salted in barrels or hogshead butts, about 
5 pounds of No. 2 salt to 100 pounds of fish being sprinkled among the chunks and 
sufficient brine of about 85° strength being added to cover the fish. 
Some smokers, however, use no dry salt, depending entirely^on very strong brine in 
which the fish remain from 6 to 16 hours, according to the temperature and strength 
of the brine as well as the size of the pieces. One very successful smoker uses dry 
salt without brine during the summer, and in the winter uses brine only of about 98° 
salinometer test in order to economize time, since it takes about 18 hours to strike the 
fish in dry-salting, whereas 10 hours are sufficient for striking in brine. In general 
dry-salting is preferred, since its tendency is to make the fiesh harder and firmer. In 
some localities the trade requires very light, salted fish, and they remain in brine only 
15 or 20 minutes, being stirred about during the immersion. 
On removal from the pickle the pieces of fiesh are strung on steel or iron rods 
about one-third of an inch in diameter and 3 feet long, the rod i)assing through the thin 
part of the chunk and 8 or 10 chunks being strung on each rod. They are at once 
dipped in fresh water to remove surplus salt, slime, etc. In some establishments the 
