| A hundred years ago, saltfish was an essential part of
the Massachusetts economy. It gave rise to boat building for fishermen,
ship building for trade and trade routes to the Caribbean. Nowadays,
the production of saltfish has moved north and is concentrated in the
Canadian Maritimes.
Fish is salted in order to preserve it for future consumption. The
objective is to rapidly remove moisture while allowing the salt to
uniformly penetrate the flesh of the fish. This process occurs through
osmosis. Preservation is achieved by reducing the moisture content and
it is enhanced by the high salt concentration in the flesh, which
prevents the growth of bacteria.
There are two methods of salting fish; the dry method and the brine
method. In both, the fish is placed in a container in alternating layers
of fish and salt. In the dry salting process, the moisture which seeps
from the fish forming a brine is drained during processing. The
resulting fish is fairly dry, and is usually dried further by natural or
artificial means. In the brine method, the brine is left in continual
contact with the flesh until it is fully cured.
Prior to World War II, groundfish was dried on "flakes" (long tables of
wire mesh) in the sun. Although this method is still employed today,
after 1945, modern fish dryers were installed in many fish plants,
replacing the traditional methods.
Dryers have several advantages. They leave the fishermen free to spend
more time fishing and less time tending the fish during the curing and
drying process. The dryers also ensure a more uniform product and
supply, free from the vagaries of the weather to which sun-dried fish is
subject.
Increasing emphasis on fresh and frozen products after World War II, as
well as the increase in home refrigerators, weakened the demand for
salted fish products. However, since cured fish has its own special
flavor that cannot be recreated in fresh fish, many consumers still buy
salted fish for its unique flavor.
Salted fish (cod, pollock, hake, haddock, and cusk) is now available in
retail stores either as fillets in small wooden boxes; as whole fish,
fillets, or pieces in plastic bags; or in bulk as larger whole fillets
or the traditional kite-shaped whole fish.
The flavor of whole fish is considered superior by some purists but the
convenience of the pre-packaged forms makes them much simpler to use.
The whole fish takes longer to "freshen" and requires peeling the skin
and removing bones.
All salted fish products must be soaked out before cooking. The longer
the soaking, the less salty the fish.
Fillets and chunks can be soaked a minimum of 6-12 hours. Whole fish
require at least 24 hours of soaking. Most recipes recommend changing
the water four times over a 24 hour period. The salted fish will plump
up after freshening.
Freshened fish is still uncooked and, once re-hydrated, will spoil
unless cooked promptly.
Most recipes call for first poaching the freshened salt fish. Bring the
poaching liquid to a boil, place the fish in the liquid after removing
it from the heat, and allow the fish to stand in the liquid for 15
minutes. Bay leaf, celery, and thyme may be added to the poaching water
for flavor. Never boil salted fish; it toughens the flesh. The fish can
now be flaked, shredded or separated into chunks depending on the
specifications of the final recipe.
Soaked out salted fish can also be pan fried rather than poached for a
different flavor.
Traditionally, recipes call for salted codfish, however, pollock, hake,
cusk, and haddock are offered salted and dried at lower cost. Demand for
these fish is now quite strong as well.
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