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An ancient basin for fish preservation in Tyritake, Crimea A fish-drying rack in Norway. Fish preservation is the method of increasing the shelf life of fish and other fish products by applying the principles of different branches of science in order to keep the fish, after it has landed, in a condition wholesome and fit for human consumption.
Foods that are pickled include vegetables, fruits, mushrooms, meats, fish, dairy and eggs. Pickling solutions are typically highly acidic, with a pH of 4.6 or lower, [1] and high in salt, preventing enzymes from working and micro-organisms from multiplying. [2] Pickling can preserve perishable foods for months, or in some cases years. [3]
Sea salt being added to raw ham to make prosciutto. Salting is the preservation of food with dry edible salt. [1] It is related to pickling in general and more specifically to brining also known as fermenting (preparing food with brine, that is, salty water) and is one form of curing.
Curing can be traced back to antiquity, and was the primary method of preserving meat and fish until the late 19th century. Dehydration was the earliest form of food curing. [ 1 ] Many curing processes also involve smoking , spicing , cooking , or the addition of combinations of sugar , nitrate , and nitrite .
In chemical pickling, the food is placed in an edible liquid that inhibits or kills bacteria and other microorganisms. Typical pickling agents include brine (high in salt), vinegar, alcohol, and vegetable oil. Many chemical pickling processes also involve heating or boiling so that the food being preserved becomes saturated with the pickling agent.
Cured fish is fish which has been cured by subjecting it to fermentation, pickling, smoking, or some combination of these before it is eaten. These food preservation processes can include adding salt , nitrates , nitrite [ 1 ] or sugar , can involve smoking and flavoring the fish, and may include cooking it.
Canned pickled horse mackerel (chicharros en escabeche) from Spain. Canned or tinned fish are food fish which have been processed, sealed in an airtight container such as a sealed tin can, and subjected to heat. Canning is a method of preserving food, and provides a typical shelf life ranging from one to five years.
Drying fish is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the fish, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open-air drying using sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food. [21] Fish are also preserved through such traditional methods as smoking and salting. [22]