The Sun.
London, England, 1804-05-28 00:00:00

DUTCH METHOD OF SALTING HERRINGS.

Tx E Dutch are acknowledged to understand .the
art of salting herring's better than any other Ear°.
pean Nation ; therefore some account of their me-
thod of preserving those fish may not be deemed
unacceptable.
As soon. as the herrings are caught, the fishermen
immediately proceed to pack them ; preparatory to
which they open the gills, and with the fore-finger
and thumb, they pull out the entrain, liver, and,
stomach, together with the intestines, and the fst
membrane which always adheres to them, bat with-
out separating tie latter. They are then plunged
into a strong brine of sale and Water, and afterwards
hung up tili they have drained sufficiently dry.
When this operation is completed, they proceed
to the packing, which consists in Stowing them away
in barrels as close as possible, in, layers, with -a stra-:
turn of salt over every layer of herrings ; taking -
care to place the fish of each.si4eceeding layer in a '1
contrary direflion. The barrels arc then closed:
The greatest attention is tiaid• to select such casks
as are sound and well hooped, for if the air:gets •
admittance, the fish are spoiled. The herrings. are
thus left in_ salt a fortniglrt, if fine salt .has been-em-
ployed ; for three weeks or a month, if it be of, the
coarse kind, by which time they are sufficiently im-
.pren-nated.
Upon the return of the vesseith port, the barrels
are immediately landed, and -ctinveyed to the place
where the process of curing is completed. ~,
The subsequent operation is the. most important
part of the Dutch method, as it prevents the ten.
,•
dency of the liquor, chatgettWith lymph andb)ood;
to putrefy. It depends upon a process, by which -
the oil contained in the liquor being made to. com-
mix with the water, or' reduced to a saponadeous
state, is preserved from the'aCtion of -the- air, and
is consequently less,iiable to become rancid.: • •
When thebertings haVe.been sufficiently seined
to disengage the lymph and ,blOod from
.thean, the
barrels are emptied upon large tables _or benches,
provided with ledges, which 'are inclined in.siich a
manner that the liquor which eliains,from them•may
run into a tub, placed underneath. This liquor is put
into an iron pot, and boiled ; dUring the ebUllition
the Scum is taken Off, and it is then emptied-into a
wooden vessel, where it is left to cool.
• They then take the roes of thirty herrings for
each beseel, and pound or triturate them in a stone
mortar; mixing them with a small quancity of the
liquor' as the trituration proceeds, till they reduce
it to the state of an emulsion, or a saponaceous
liquor. This they pour into the liquor that has
been boiled, and removed into the wooden ,vessel,
and the whole is. mixed together. The fish Lire'
then packed in the barrel, where they are• placed in
the manner already described. When the cask is'
filled, the top is forced down upon, the fish-; for
which purpos'e a press is. employed, as well as to
press down the herrings from time- to time during
the package. The pressure is useful for preserving
them, and causes` eath barrel'to contain one-third
more than in the first operation. The-liquor; boil- .1
ed and mixed as above; is then poured in, at i the
bung-hole till the cask is, quite full : when the
herrings cease to absorb any more liquor, the hung ,
is driven in, and the casks of herrings are ready, for
sale. The liquor is only used when cold. .