Effect of Brining and Canning on Salt Uptake and Retention by Herring ( Clupea harengus ) Examined Using Four Analytical Methods.

The effect of brine concentration, brine temperature, brining period, delayed brining, and fish size on salt uptake by a sea herring ( Clupea harengus ) as well as salt retention after subsequent steaming and retorting in oil was examined. Salt was determined using four different analytical precedures (QUANTAB, specific ion electrode, inductively coupled plasma spectrometer, and potentiometer). Results revealed that all four methods are reliable and comparable. While no significant differences were detected using the four analytical methods on raw fish, similar differences among canned samples were observed to be statistically different among three analytical methods (QUANTAB, specific ion electrode, and inductively coupled plasma spectrometer). Rate of salt uptake at 10°C was statistically different (higher) from brining at 0°C, but the difference in salt uptake by the herring was exceedingly small. Delayed salting appeared not to have an effect on salt uptake. Herring size, brine concentration, and brining period all had a strong influence on salt content of the treated fish. Steaming and retorting tended to remove about 24% of the salt that was initially absorbed during brining.