All: Preservation of Fish

1: In preserving fish, the important principle to follow is to prevent or delay microbial decomposition or
self-decomposition. Here are some methods of preservation.

2: Chilling – This includes the use of ice or mechanical refrigeration to 0°C, Those who catch fish from
the sea use ice to chill their newly caught fish. Remember that within 40 minutes rigor mortis (stiffening
of the muscles of an animal shortly after death) starts to set in.

3: To delay the onset of rigor mortis, the fish are chilled even before they reach the market. Ice chills the
fish quickly as it works well on the total surface of the fish.

4: Chilling is only a temporary method of preservation but it is the cheapest and simplest way of
preventing deterioration or spoilage.

5: Refrigeration – This is a more sophisticated way of keeping the fish fresh as the refrigeration
temperature is from 0°C to 5°C.

6: Big catch of fish by big fishing vessels makes use of refrigeration especially in far areas of the ocean
which takes time to reach the markets or the factories where canning of fish is done.

7: Freezing – This is a method ideal for storage for long periods. The temperature for freezing is -18 °C or
0°F. And there are different types of freezing they are sharp freezing and quick freezing.

8: Sharp freezing refers to freezing in air with natural air circulation or with electric fans. The
temperature for sharp freezing is between -15°C to -29°C. Although sharp freezing may take 3 to 72
hours.

9: Quick freezing refers to the cooling of the fish from a temperature of 0°C to -5°C in less than 2 hours.
And the fish is kept in the freezer until its temperature reaches -20°C or lower. Also, Freezing may take 2
hours or less.

10: Quick freezing has advantages over slow freezing. When quick freezing there is less destruction of
the fish flesh because of the small ice crystals formed around the fish. The fish body solidifies fast,
leaving little time for soluble materials to diffuse.

1: Also, Enzymatic action in fish which causes deterioration is slowed down rapidly. Bacteria do not have
time to multiply when the fish is frozen quickly. And because of quick-freezing, the fresh qualities of the
fish are retained when thawed.

2: Salting - This preservation method uses salt (sodium chloride) as preservation medium. When salt is
applied on fish, it lowers the water content of the fish to the point where bacteria cannot live and grow
when fish is covered with salt, water oozes out of the fish in a matter of time.
3: The water passes out of the fish tissues, as salt penetrates into the tissues until it comes to a point
that no more interchange of salt and water takes place. Then, as this occurs, the liquid in the tissue
becomes a concentrated salt solution. This is called cosmosis.

4: John Frazier (1978) explains further the preservation action of salt: salt ionizes and yield chlorine
which is harmful to the microorganisms. Then it reduces the solubility of oxygen in the solution and
deprives aerobic organisms of this needed oxygen.

5: The concentration of salt solution is measured in degree salinometer. The salinometer is allowed to
float in a brine solution ranging from 0°C to 35°C. Maximum degree is based on the saturation of water
with 25% sodium chloride at room temperature. This point is referred to as 102 salinity, while plain
water will read °0 salinity.

6: Saturation of fish can be done by these methods: Kench salting or dry salting – Split fish are salted
then arranged in layers in a jar or pot allowed the liquid to drain freely from the fish. After draining
resalting and restocking may be required.

7: Brine salting – This involves the immersion of cleaned fish on a brine solution. The fish are placed in a
container with weight on top to keep the fish immersed. The brine may be stirred once in a while, then
more salt is added to keep salt concentration about 25%.

8: Drying and Dehydrating - Drying is the removal of water from the fish either by sun (as in sun drying)
or wind (as in wind drying). While Dehydration is also the removal of water from the fish through the
use of artificially heated air as in the use of oven or machines called mechanical driers.

9: There are three factors that affect the rate of drying and dehydration are temperature, humidity, and
movement of air. The 1st one is the higher the temperature/ the hotter the air, the faster is the rate of
drying because hot air holds more moisture than cold air making evaporation of water from the fish
surface faster.

10: Humidity refers to the presence of moisture in the air. The 2nd one is, the higher the humidity, the
higher the amount of moisture present on air, the slower is the evaporation of water from the fish
hence the slower is the rate of dying.

1: The third one is the faster the movement of air, the faster the drying process The safe moisture
content of the fish is 20%. On the other hand, Dehydration is drying using artificially heated air, which is
done in a mechanical drier.

2: The fish are laid on a tray inside the drier and are exposed to heated air with controlled relative
humidity and circulation. Freeze-drying is another method of dehydrating fish by removing water vapor
from frozen fish under a vacuum.

3: Smoke Curing - This preservation method involves four interrelated processes namely: salting, drying,
heat treatment, and smoking. Salting is a preservation method where the fish is immersed in brine
solution.
4: Meanwhile drying is a preservation method where the fish is dried either through artificial or natural
means. On the other hand, smoking is a preservation method where the fish is subjected to smoke to
impart the desired flavor and color of the fish.

5: While, hot treatment is a preservation method where the fish is subjected to temperature of 29.4°C
to 32.2°C with the smoking process done intermittently. This treatment is called cold smoking. When the
fish is subjected to temperature of 49.9°C to 82.9°C, the duration of treatment is short. This is called hot
smoking.

6: Picking and Spicing This is a method where fish is treated with vinegar, condiment and spices to
improve its flavor and lengthen its shelf life. Vinegar is acetic acid which prevents the growth of bacteria.

7: The additional use of salt and sugar further preserves the fish as these are preservatives also. Spices
commonly used include pepper, laurel, bay leaf, cinnamon, clover, oregano, garlic, ginger, onion, and
others.

8: Fermentation Fish fermentation is the hydrolization of proteins in the tissues of fish. This process is
facilitated by the presence of salt which helps in the microbial and enzymatic action in the fish. Salt-fish
proportion recommended is 2% of the weight of the fish.

9: In fermentation, the fish is allowed to “ripen” which makes the flesh disintegrate. This is then allowed
to age for 8 months or more which is considered the natural phenomenon. An example of product of
the fermentation process is bagoong. A good bagoong has a strong salty, cheesy taste, and is pasty in
consistency.

10: Patis is another fermented product of fish. It is a clear liquid on top of a fermenting mixture which
appears after a few months. The fermenting mixture that settled on the bottom is the bagoong. It is said
that bagoong is the by-product of patis. To protect its (bagoong) color, odor, and flavor, it can be stored
in glass bottles or jars and should be also kept in the dark as light affect its color.