Several methods are use in preserving fish.First there is one thing to consider, make sure that the fish that is going to be preserve is new and still fresh.
The methods involve Chilling and Freezing, Fermentation,Salting, Drying and Dehydration, Smoking, Pickling and Spicing, and Canning.
Fermentation can also preserved fish. It is the process of breaking down the protein in the fish caused by an enzymatic action. It is called as hydrolization.
In this process of fermentation, the flesh of the fish is allowed to get “ripe”; this is the state where the flesh of the fish will start to disintegrate before it
is going to undergo “aging”. Fermentation takes up to 8 months in the normal process. It will take less than a month if pure salt is used as well as if the temperature is increased from 37 degree temperature is up to 45 degree Celsius.Smoking is usually done through four processes. First is cleaning the fish. Second is brining which is soaking the fish in a brine solution. The third is drying and the fourth one is smoking the fish. In smoking process, the length of smoking time usually takes up to 30 to 45 minutes and the temperature is 85 degree Celsius. Hardwoods together with plant leaves are commonly used for better results.
The method of Drying and Dehydration is another technique in fish preservation. This involves the removal of water content from the fish tissues until the moisture of the fish is extracted. In this process the growth of microorganisms is prevented. This can be done naturally using the heat of the sun. It is called as solar drying.
Dehydration is another method in fish drying. Dehydration process is done through the use of artificially heated air or through the use of mechanical driers.
The method of Canning is another form of fish preservation. Canning is the process of preservation that uses hermetically sealed containers
such as cans or bottles. The procedure of heating the fish before and after canning can kill bacteria and other microorganisms.The method of Pickling and Spicing in fish preservation usually used vinegar and other spices. The growth of bacteria and other organisms are prevented by the acetic acid of the vinegar. This condition will preserve the fish as well as improves its taste.
The method of Chilling and Freezing in fish preservation is also used; if the fish is exposed to a low temperature environment, the growth of the microorganisms could be possibly prevented. The appropriate temperature in this process is 0 degree Celsius which involves the use of ice or a refrigerator.
The use of ice for chilling is very much convenient and widely used. If you are going to use ice for fish preservation, make sure that you have sufficient amount of it. To keep the fish properly chilled with ice, usually the coarser ice should be put on the top while the melted ice should be put below the surface of the fish.
It is possible to preserved fish by the way of salting. The elements in the salt will going to lower the water content below the point where bacteria or the microorganisms can no longer live and grow. In the time that the water passes out from the tissues of the fish, the salt will going to penetrate the fish tissues until the salt solutions filled it in. This process is called as the “osmosis” absorption process.
The method of Smoking is also another form in fish preservation. This process gives the fish a desirable flavor and odor as well as preserving it.