FISH Preservation

Aerobic is a microorganism that requires free oxygen in order to live.

Colander is a receptacle for draining purposes.
Enzymes are the proteins that act as biochemical catalysts in living organisms.
Eviscerate is the removal of internal organs of fish.
Impure Salt is a kind of salt that is firm and rusty in color.
Smoking is a method of preserving fish by the application of smoke and other interrelated processes
such as salting, drying and heat treatment.
Splitted is the form of fish that is precluded open alongside the dorsal side from head to tail.
Taeniform is the ribbon like body shape.
Thermophilic is a microorganism that thrives at high temperature

TERMINOLOGIES AND FORMS OF FISH

Fish Preservation
• is any operation that can prevent or inhibit the natural process of breakdown or decomposition
taking place in the fish. It is known as fish processing.

Terminologies in Fish Preservation

1. Autolysis - softening of tissue due to digestive action of enzyme
2. Brine - mixture of salt and water
3. Can sealer - a machine used to close the open end of tin can
4. Canning - method of preparing food in a hermetically sealed container by the application of heat
5. Dehydration - removal of moisture under controlled conditions
6. Drying - method of preservation by lowering the moisture content through the application of
natural or artificial heat
7. Eviscerate - removal of internal organs of fish
8. Exhausting - elimination of air inside the can
9. Gibbing - process of removing internal organs by cutting a triangular cut at the throat of the fish
10. Icing - the application of ice to lower the temperature of the fish.
11. pH - refers to hydrogen-ion concentration
12. Pickling - the process of curing of fish in vinegar and spices
13. Pressure Cooker- a closed metal fitted by a pressure gauge, control valve and pet cock
14. Pressure Gauge - a device used to measure and maintain pressure during processing
15. Refrigeration - method of preservation by lowering the temperature to point wherein bacterial
growth is inhibited
16. Rigor Mortis - stiffening of the muscles or tissues of the fish several hours after death
17. Salting - method of preserving fish with salt as its main preservative
18. Smoking - process of preserving fish with the application of smoke and other interrelated
processes such as salting, drying, and heating treatments
19. Vacuum - empty space without air
20. Viscera - internal organ, entrails of fish

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Market Forms and Cuts of Fish

Whole or round fish are sold just as they come from the water. They must be scaled and eviscerated or
gutted before cooking. If the head is left on, the fish must be degilled. The edible yield is about 45
percent.

Drawn fish have been eviscerated. They must be scaled and, if the head is left on, must be degilled. The
edible portion is about 48 percent.

Dressed fish are ready to cook , usually with head, tail and fins removed. The edible portion is about 67
percent.

Fillets are the sides of the fish cut away from the backbone and are ready to cook. They are usually
boneless, with no waste.

Steaks are ready-to-cook, cross-sectional slices of large fish. The edible yield is about 86 percent.

Splitted is the form of fish that is precluded open alongside the dorsal side from head to tail.

Live fish is the form of fish that is furnished alive.

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Fillets are the fleshy facets of the fish which are separated from the backbone and the ribs.

a. Butterfly Fillet is the fillets that are joined mutually on the ventral sides through performance of
the underside skin.
b. b. Single Fillet is the fillet form whose side of a fish cut away from the backbone.

Sticks are the cuts kinds fillets or steaks. They are typically from fish that has been minced and shaped,
breaded and frozen.

Dressing a Round Fish

1. Place fish on a flat surface. With a fish scaler or dull side of a knife, scrape off scales, moving
from head to tail.

2. Remove the head and pectoral fins by cutting through the fish at a 45-degree angle just behind
the head.

3. Cut the entire length of the belly from head to tail.

4. Remove viscera and all black membranes and blood, particularly the blood streak running along
the backbone. Cut around pelvic fins and remove them. Rinse fish well — with attention to
cavity — under cold, running water.

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Filleting a Round-Bodied Fish
1. Scale the fish. At the pectoral fin, just behind the head, cut into flesh at a 45-degree angle
toward the head until your knife reaches the backbone.

2. Turn the knife and follow backbone to the tail, keeping the knife against the backbone. Or, if you
prefer, reverse this and cut from the tail to the head. Turn fish over and repeat on the other side.

3. Rinse the fillet well under cold, running water.

Filleting a Flat-Bodied Fish

1. Scale the fish. Cut down to the backbone at a 45-degree angle just behind the head.

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 2. Make a cut from nape to tail along each side of the backbone. Slide knife along the backbone to
loosen the fillet. Turn fish over and repeat on the other side.

3. You may leave fish as two fillets or cut each in half lengthwise to make four fillets. Rinse well
under cold, running water.

Skinning a Fillet
1. With skin side down, hold tail of fillet. Slide knife between skin and flesh. With the blade almost
horizontal, pull the skin taut as you draw the blade toward the large end of the fillet.

Common Body Forms of Fish

1. Fusiform is the torpedo like physique shape. Ex: galunggong
2. Compressiform is the flat and compress laterally. Ex: Slipmouth
3. Depressiform is the depressed dorsal vertically. Ex: Stringray
4. Taeniform is the ribbon like body shape Ex: hairtail
5. Anguilliform is the serpentine like physique shape. Ex: Eel
6. Globiform is the round and globular like physique shape. Ex Puffer fish

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FISH PRESERVATION PRINCIPLES
1. Prevent or delay microbial decomposition of fish
2. Prevent or delay self-decomposition.
3. Prevent other causes of spoilage of fish like physical damage

Changes in Fish After Death

1. Changes in Appearance are the color starts to fade until it becomes dull as spoilage progresses.
2. Rigor mortis is characterized by the stiffening of the muscle tissue.
3. This state lasts only for a few minutes in some fish to several hours in others.
4. The fish in this state is considered fresh.
5. Autolysis is the breakdown of tissues caused by enzymes. Since it softens the tissue, it proves
the activity of microorganisms.
6. Putrefaction is the state when the components of the flesh are assimilable forms. It is
accompanied by a foul odor, which is the result of the breakdown of protein. The fish at this
stage is spoiled and undesirable.

Characteristics of Fresh and Stale Fish

Fresh Fish Stale Fish
Eyes Bright, bulging pupils velvet, black Dull, wrinkled, sunken pupils, dull black
corneas transparent corneas opaque
Gills Bright red, covered with clear slime, Dull brown or gray, slime cloudy, odor
fresh odor under gill cover under gill cover sour and offensive
Flesh Firm, stiff body; impression made by Soft and flabby; impression made by
fingers do not remain fingers remain
Belly walls Intact Often ruptured, viscera protruding
Muscle Tissue White Pinkish, especially around backbone
Vent Pink, not protruding Pale brown protruding
Odor Fresh, fishy odor Stale, sour or putrid
Color Bright Faded and dull

Agents of Spoilage
1. Microorganisms
Three Main Groups of Microorganism
a. Bacteria - responsible in the breakdown of plant and animal material and the possible the return
of simple inorganic compounds to the soil. The result of this breakdown is spoilage,
fermentation and decay. Since fish is an organic matter, it spoils easily. As soon as it dies,
bacteria act on it.
b. Molds - fuzzy or cottony organisms that grow on the surface of the food. They are responsible
for the white, orange, black, green or blue green colonies on the surface of the food.
c. Yeasts - whitish to yellowish colonies on the surface of the food. They appear as a film on the
surface of the liquid or as sediments at the bottom.

2. Enzymes - proteins that act as biochemical catalysts in living organisms. They are normally
present along the digestive tract and help in the breakdown of food into assimilable forms.

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Classification of Bacteria According to Shape
1. Coccus - round
2. Bacillus - rod-shaped
3. Spirillus - spiral
4. Staphylococcus - grapelike
5. Streptococcus - chainlike

Classification of Bacteria According to Their Temperature Requirement

1. Thermophilic - thrive at high temperature (heat loving)
2. Psychrophilic - thrive best at low temperature (cold-loving organisms)
3. Mesophilic - those that thrive between low and high temperatures

Classification of Bacteria According to Their Oxygen Requirement

1. Aerobic - requires free oxygen in order to live
2. Anaerobic - lives in the absence of free oxygen
3. Facultative - grows with or without free oxygen

Types of Enzymes
1. Lipolytic - enzyme that acts on fats
2. Proteolytic - enzyme that acts on proteins
3. Amylolitic - enzyme that acts on carbohydrates

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METHODS, TOOLS AND EQUIPMENTS

METHODS OF FISH PRESERVATION

1. Fish Curing
• It includes all the methods of fish preservation except refrigeration and canning. It is the process
of preservation by the use of preservatives and other chemicals for the purpose of keeping fish
and other fishery products fresh for future use.

Types of Fish Curing

A. Salting is the application of salt to product. It is considered the basis of all methods of fish
preservation
• Salt is the colorless or white crystalline compound known chemically as sodium chloride (NaCl)
occurring abundantly in nature, both in solid form and in solution.

Salting
Salting is one of the oldest methods of preserving food. The science behind the salting is to remove
water both from the fish and from the bacteria, in order to reduce bacterial activity, which reduce
spoilage. The process of salting fish is influenced by weather, size and species of fish and the quality of
salt used. Salted fish, if properly packed to protect it from excessive moisture, will not spoil for long
time. The affinity of salt greatly reduce water content from fish generally called osmotic process.

Preparing the Fish

Fish should be gutted and beheaded as soon as possible after catching.

Remove the head by cutting it off after the operculum. Sharks can be beheaded after the gill slits. Fish
which weigh a half kilo or less do not have to be beheaded but they should generally be gutted.

In gutting a fish, total gut must be removed including visceral parts.

All species of fish must be thoroughly bled by removing the gills and all blood vessels. Blood clots can
cause discoloration, as well as bacterial infection which would make the fish unfit for eating.

The big fish must split in to half or quarter using clean knife. The basic idea behind this cutting is to
separate only muscles form fish.

Salting process:

Fish may be salted in five basic ways

1. Kench Salting
2. Curing
3. Pickling
4. Brining
5. Marinading.

Kench Salting: After preparation the fish fillets must be grooved to increase surface area. the dry salt is
commonly used to apply on fish. in some countries the fish are stored in boxes in layers along with salt,
usually for a short time i.e., 5 to 12 hours.Normally kench salting is done with out boxes, the salt is

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generally rubbed on fish and are sundried. As this process removes water by dual action (osmosis and
evaporation) the fish gets dry faster than other methods.

Curing: Curing is one of the oldest methods in southern india. the curing is of 2 types
1. Pot curing
2. Pit curing.

Pot curing:
• Usually the earthern pots are used in this method. First the inner surface of the pot is coverd
with cooking oil or ghee. Some flavoring leaves are arranged like a layer upon the cooking oil
layer. the salt and fish are arranged like layers, by placing the fish muscle side down removes
the water swiftly. the pot is sealed for a month or fortnight, during this time the powder salt
becomes into wet salt. after a specified time the fish are removed form the pot and sundried.

Pit curing:
This method is common during the summer. Generally a pit is diged to store the fish along with salt. the
fish and salt are arranged like layers on a mat of flavouring leaves. the pit is covered for 15 to 30 days,
after that the fish are removed from pit and sundried.

Pickling: This is perhaps one of the tastiest methods of salting. Generally fish pieces are fried in oil to
remove the water. Lot of condiments are used in this process to increase the flavour. Oil is the key
ingredient in pickling. The cooking oil greatly increase the shelf life of the fish. The fish pieces, chilli
power, salt, Condiments and oil are mixed thoroughly and stored in jars.

Brining: The word brine means the water with large amount of salt. The fish are immersed in brine, to
remove the water from fish, after specified time the fish are removed from brine and sundried.

marinading: Marinading of two types

• Short term marinading
• Long term marinading.

Short term marinading is a common method in our day to day life, to increase the flavour. Just before
cooking the fish chunks are mixed with lemon or vinegar, termaric, chillipowder, salt, Condiments etc.
this process may last for 30 to 60 minutes. this process tenderizes the fish muscle. The marinaded fish
after cooking contains distinct falvour.

Long term marinading is very simple method. the fish chunks are stored in a mixture of salt and vinegar.
the chunks are removed and cooked when ever there is need.

Factors Affecting Salting

a. Composition of Salt
• Pure Salt is the better quality salt. It is soft and flabby and has yellowish white color.
• Impure Salt is firm and rusty in color.

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 b. Temperature
• Its condition makes the certain object require enough quantity and quality of efforts to produce
the favourable state. High temperature makes salt dissolve faster, permitting a rapid
penetration of the product with salt.

c. Methods of Salting
• Kench Salting
• Dry Salting to Make Brine
• Brine Salting
• Fermenting

d. Methods of Cleaning
• Whole Fish
• Splitted Fish
• Gutted Fish

e. Size of the Fish

• It defines how required salt is needed and depends on how the speed of salting occurs. The
small sized of fish is salted faster than larger size of fish.

f. Storage of Fish

b. Drying and Dehydration is the lowering of water content of the product to a degree where
bacteria cannot grow and reproduce with the aid of heat.
• Drying known as natural drying used
• Dehydration is of chemical devices to provide artificial heat for drying

Factors Affecting Drying

a. Humidity of air
b. Velocity of the wind
c. Intensity of the sunshine
• Humidity – amount of moisture in air
• Velocity – speed of air/wind

Factors Affecting Dehydration

a. Kind of drier used
b. Temperature range
c. Storage of finished product
d. Relative humidity

➢ The finished products of drying and dehydration are commonly called daing or tuyo.

c. Smoking is a method of preserving fish by the application of smoke and other interrelated
processes such as salting, drying and heat treatment.

Smokehouse - an airtight container where smoke can be introduced

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Types of Smoking
1. Hot Smoking or barbecuing - a slow type of broiling that places the product in close proximity to
the fire. The food is cooked and smoked in temperature ranging 150◦F to 190◦F.
2. Cold smoking - method of smoking in which the fish are hung at some distance from a low
smoldering fire and cured at temperatures ranging from 90◦F to 110◦F.

Factors Affecting Smoking

1. Kind of Fish - fat fish are preferable to lean ones. Scaly fish are usually used to obtain an
attractive appearance of the finished product
2. Condition of raw materials
3. Kind of smoke-producing materials
a. Hard wood - good quality of smoke is produced
b. Soft wood - thin smoke is produced; thus, a low grade of smoked product
4. Length of smoke curing

C. Pickling
➢ is the preservation of food by the use of vinegar and other spices. Pickling of fish as a method of
preservation is not commercially done in the Philippines because the preservative action of
vinegar is short. Pickling has some digestive action in fish which renders it softer and pastier.
Pickled fish is usually used as appetizer so preservation by this method is recommended for use
at home.

Canning or Bottling
➢ is the application of heat to food in a hermetically sealed container at a temperature and for a
period of time sufficient to destroy microorganisms and to render any bacterial cell for a definite
period of time.

Basic Canning Equipment

1. Can sealer is a machine or instrument that is used to close the open ends of tin cans.
2. Pressure cooker is a modern household device used for processing food for a definite period of
time and pressure.
3. Tin cans and glass jars are containers locally available for canning purposes only.
4. Measuring spoons & cups are devices used to measure liquids and solids ingredients.
5. Colander is a receptacle for draining purposes.
6. Basins are containers used for washing and for the preparation of brine.
7. Thermometer is a device used to check temperatures of cooking, drying and cold storage.
8. A clock is an instrument used to determine the length of processing, salting, steaming or frying
9. Knives are tools used in cleaning, cutting fish into accurate sizes
10. Cutting board is a durable board used primarily as guide so that exact sizes of fish will fit into
the different containers.

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