The Daily Alaska empire., 1943-06-16
HERE IS REPORT
 ON PRESERVING
 HARVEST OF SEA
University of Alaska Is sues Informative
 Article

The University of Alaska's Agri- culture and Home Economies Ex- tension Service has issued the fol- 1 lowing informative article on pre- pairing seafoods for canning:
 Use only fresh firm fish for can ming Fresh fish has salty odor, pink or reddish gills, bright eyes and scales free from ropy slime. Fish should be slit along the belly and eviscerated when caught or packed in ice as the stomach juices continue to work as long as the entrails are warm Save the liver, but avoid puncturing the bile bag. ! Scrape off scales-cut on either side of fins and remove by sud- den jerk forward. Cut off head land tail Wash in clear water. Soak in brine of cup salt to l gallon of water to make flesh firm and remove blood. The water must be pure as for drinking purposes. Bones are left in as they become edible when processed and add calcium to { the diet.
 Filling
 Salmon and shad are cut in can lengths and packed cold. Shrink age will provide head space. If cut shorter than the can contents will be loose and shake around. I Other fish may be preheated to remove excess moisture, but must be sealed and processed inmedi- ately after heating to avoid spoil age. Allow three-sixteenths inch head space for precooked fish. I1 Exhaust
 1 Fish packed in glass jars or fish packed hot in tin cans and sealed immediately need not be exhausted. Tin cans packed cold with either raw or precooked products should be exhausted by heating at 212 de- grees for ten minutes, then sealed 1 in mediately Unless this is done the ends may swell and seams break.
 The exhausting process is some times done in a hot oven. Heat until fish turns white and is 1 heated through.
 Processing: The sterilizing pro- cess must be long enough and hot enough to destroy all germs. In general practice ten pounds pressure GAO degrees) for longer period gives a better flavor than fifteen pounds (25O degrees) for a shorter period The water bath, steam or oven methods are not recommended for sea foods as boil ing temperature, PIP degrees, does not destroy germs, spores, and spoilage is excessive. If you do not fhave pressure cooker, preserve fish by drying, soaking or salting. Cooling and Storing
 Tin cans are cooled in running water. When almost cold, wash and wipe them dry. Inspect for leaks. Push bulged ends in when cool. i Glass jars are set far apart in cool airy place out of draft.
 Self-sealing jars must not be tipped, but other types test for leakage by tipping the liquid into the sealing edge or turning upside down.
 Leave jars where they can be in- spected for a week before storing. Look for leaks, fermentation or bulged ends.
 Canning is greatly facilitated by having proper equipment and suit able work space A good cutting board, sharp knives, bag salt, meas uring cups, scales, running water, good supply of fuel, lifting tongs and towels. Tested cans and cook CTS can be assembled in readiness for the canning season so that the canning may proceed with speed and ease.
 Recipes
 Salmon, shad, mackerel, and trout are cleaned and cut into can lengths, then soaked one hour in brine of F pound salt to a gallon of water which will be sufficient for 25 pounds of fish.
 Drain and pack raw-follow gen. eral directions for filling and pre- heating in tin.
 Process: Pint glass jars 1 hour and 50 minutes at 10 pounds pres sure No. 2 tin cans hour and 40 minutes at 10 pounds pressure. Twenty-Five pounds of fish will fill 12 No ? cans or pint jars.
 Spiced Fish
 Put the cleaned brined fish into jars, rather loosely and fill with spiced vinegar sauce diluted one half strength. Preheat by setting