, 1886-08-19
= New Method OF Preserving Fish
Fresh.
BY JAMES c. SWAN.

For the past fourteen years the
Norwegians have been using "a chemical
powder" for preserving herring fresh.
This is 4 mixture OF boracic acid and
common salt. It seems that boracic
acid, after long trial has proved Il most
valuable preservative, chiefly because 1t
keeps fish and other food stuff in per-
fectiy fresh condition for several weeks,
and, without being hurtful, it often
tends to improve the flavor.
Recently mixture of boracic acid and
salt has been used with so steat success
that it is now possible for Norwegian
herring to compete successfully with
absolutely fresh herring IN the English
market. Thousands of people in England
have consumed Norwegian herring a
week or more after their capture, beliey-
ing they were fresh from Yarmouth or
some OF the great Scottish fishing sta
tons.
Professor J. Cossar Ewart, of Leitb,
procured a sample of this Norwegian
lJtl"ltE dENl iitiNi IL ann iil LCIy
and reports that tue substance was very
pure preps ration of boracic acid, and a
test was made by pickling several
samples of herring according to the
Norwegian plan, and with the most
satisfactory results. Herring picked
Jan. 18th, 1886, were found as fresh and
sweet on the 29th as when they were
introduced into the mixture, and when
cooked could scarcely be distinguished
from herring just out of the water. Tie
American Consul at Leith transmitted
an account of this new process to the
State Department at Washington, and it
is now published in the Bulletin OF the
U. S. Fish Commissions, Vol. VI, No. 5.
The mixture consists of two pounds of
common salt to one pound OF boracic
acid. well mixed and rubbed together.
For herring the plan is as follows:
Pack the herring in layers in exactly the
same way as cured herring are packed
and cover each tier with q thin layer o.
the mixture. When the barrel is full it
should be frightened down in the ordinary
way and then picked with a weak solu-
ton of pure boracic acid. For treating
a barrel of 500 or 1000 herring, %
pounds of acid and pounds of salt are
required for spreading on the tiers of
herring during the packing, and about
10 ounces of pure acid dissolved in the
fresh water used for pickling.
Professor Ewing states that the cost
of boracic acid in England is about 6
cents per pound. Here, however, find
it quoted from 80 to 40 cents per pound,
while double refined borax cost about 13
cents. Possibly the Norwegians may
use double refined borax, or else boracic
acid Is cheaper than 1t is in America.
Some OF the Scotch fishermen are using
this preparation with great success iis Il
means d ppeservipy6t5.eir bait fresh, and
pronounce its eaten s.,Iower as equal
to fresh caught bait.
An idea of the proportions to which
this new method has attained may be
formed from the report of the American
Consul that during the past winter
$4,000 barrels OF herring have arrived
from Norway in the London market,
where they were all disposed Of readily
as fresh fish. A knowledge OF how to
apply this mixture properly will be of
great value to our fishermen, as with it
they caB preserve fish fresh, and send
them to the New York or Boston
markets.
Now as to the healthfulness of this
mixture, Professor Hay, of Aberdeen,
says that as matte of fact boracic acid
Is practically as safe as common salt,
and there is little chance of any harm
resulting from the small quantities
stored up in the tissues OF fish
preserved IN a mixture of boracic acid
and salt. DIR. Hay says: 81 have known
men return from Norway in excellent
health, who, in the absence of other food,
| subsisted for months almost entirely on
fish preserved in boracic acid"
Those acquainted with the process
adopted for curing of herring know how
primitive it is. Not only is the flesh
rendered less nntritive, but the delicious
flavor of the fresh fish is completely lost
and the delicate albumons are decom-
posed. This process of curing with
boracic acid, though new to us, is we'll
known and appreciated in the London
market, and it certainly is an experiment
which Is worthy of test