The Four Most Popular Methods of Seafood Preservation
Humans have been devising ways to ensure the fish they catch remain safe to eat, for thousands of years. Even without the benefits of modern technology, they were remarkably successful, although it is likely that most of their progress was the result of fortunate accidents. Serendipity apart, we owe three of the four most commonly used techniques of seafood preservation we still rely on today to discoveries made by our distant ancestors.
The seas and oceans are home to millions, if not billions, of aquatic species. As well as providing the oxygen and food they require for survival, the dissolved salt in the water possesses natural preservative properties. Once caught, if allowed to remain in seawater, fish will stay fresh for several days, even after death. One might reasonably speculate that this observation prompted early humans to begin using raw salt for meat and seafood preservation. The salt acts to draw water out of the flesh, thus inhibiting the growth of any bacteria present that might cause food spoilage. Today, dried and salted cod forms the basis of a favourite Portuguese dish known as bacalao.
Inland dwellers, with no access to the sea and its bounty of salt, eventually discovered that the smoke from a wood fire provided an equally effective medium to preserve the flesh of game animals and freshwater fish. For centuries, smoked meats have been a delicacy enjoyed worldwide. This simple but effective technique for seafood preservation is also responsible for the smoked herrings, better known as kippers, salmon, trout, mackerel, and whitefish, enjoyed globally by millions today.
It should come as no surprise that ice became the bountiful natural preservative favoured by the primitive anglers who lived in the world’s most northerly regions. They needed to dig through it to catch their fish, and it was a simple matter to cover the catch with snow and ice to keep it fresh and limit their fishing activities. Today, ice fishing is a popular hobby, and freezers provide a far more convenient means of refrigeration for seafood preservation purposes.
Other natural methods like sun drying and pasteurisation are common alternatives. It can often be beneficial to combine two techniques. For example, salting is often combined with drying or smoking, while most refrigerated and vacuum-packed foods are usually pasteurised first. Canning and dehydration are relatively modern options that also require some form of pre-treatment.
While freshness and freedom from harmful microorganisms were once the sole purposes for these procedures, today’s consumers must rely more on appearances to assess these qualities in prepackaged and frozen products. Accordingly, chemical additives now play an indispensable role in seafood preservation. For example, today, there are additives to inhibit bacterial growth, prevent post-mortem blackening in crustaceans such as prawns, and stop fading in highly-pigmented species. Without these, the visible changes that might occur during the frequently long journeys necessary to distribute a catch could render it unacceptable to consumers, even though its taste and safety are unaffected.
Chemicals added to food must meet rigorous quality and safety checks. Tequisa is a manufacturer and worldwide distributor of proven-effective seafood preservation products prepared exclusively from natural, internationally compliant ingredients.
Contact us today to get expert assistance.
