Dried Fish In The Philippines

Fresh fish rapidly deteriorates unless some way can be found to preserve it. Drying is a method of food preservation that works by removing water from the food, which inhibits the growth of microorganisms. Open air drying using

 sun and wind has been practiced since ancient times to preserve food.^[1] Water is usually removed by evaporation (air drying, sun drying, smoking or wind drying) but, in the case of freeze-drying, food is first frozen and then the

water is removed by sublimation. Bacteria, yeasts and molds need the water in the food to grow, and drying

effectively prevents them from surviving in the food.

Fish are preserved through such traditional methods as drying, smoking and salting.^[2] The oldest traditional way of preserving fish was to let the wind and sun dry it. Drying food is the world's oldest known preservation method,

 and dried fish has a storage life of several years. The method is cheap and effective in suitable climates; the

 work can be done by the fisherman and family, and the resulting product is easily transported to market.

History

Salt cod has been produced for at least 500 years, since the time of the European discoveries of the New World.

 Before refrigeration, there was a need to preserve the codfish; drying and salting are ancient techniques to

preserve nutrients and the process makes the codfish tastier.

The Portuguese tried to use this method of drying and salting on several varieties of fish from their waters,

 but the ideal fish came from much further north. With the "discovery" of Newfoundland in 1497, long after the

 Basquewhalers arrived in Channel-Port aux Basques, they started fishing its cod-rich Grand Banks. Thus,

 bacalhau became a staple of the Portuguese cuisine, nicknamed Fiel amigo (faithful friend). From the 18th

 century, the town of Kristiansund in Norway became an important place of purchasing bacalhau or klippfisk

 (literally "cliff fish", since the fish was dried on stone cliffs by the sea to begin with.) Since the method was

 introduced by the Dutchman Jappe Ippes in abt 1690, the town had produced klippfisk and when the Spanish

 merchants arrived, it became a big industry. The bacalhau or bacalao dish is sometimes said to originate from

Kristiansund, where it was introduced by the Spanish and Portuguese fish buyers and became very popular.

Bacalao was common everyday food in north west Norway to this day, as it was cheap to make. In later years

 it is more eaten at special occasions.

This dish was also popular in Portugal and other Roman Catholic countries, because of the many days

 (Fridays, Lent, and other festivals) on which the Church forbade the eating of meat. Bacalhau dishes

 were eaten instead.

''Process Of Drying''

Drying is a mass transfer process consisting of the removal of water or another solvent^[1] by evaporation from a solid, semi-solid or liquid. This process is often used as a final production step before selling or packaging products.

Tuyo is a tagalog word meaning dried. The process of salting and drying preserves the fish that can be stored for months. Salted fish drying is seasonally done for six months, pertaining to the summer

 season when there is only little amount of rain and the producers have ample time to dry and preserve the fish.

Salted Dried Fish (Tuyo)
Ingredients:
60 kg Fresh Tunsoy fish
6.5 kg salt (for every 60 kls. of fish)
5. gallons Water

Materials:
Strainer Bowl, Cutting Board, Knife, Big Basins, Brining Container, Wire screen mesh (12 meters,

cut in half)

Procedure:
1. Thoroughly wash the Tunsoy fish with clean and fresh water. Place in a strainer for 20 minutes to drain.
2. Prepare the brine solution (i.e., mixture of water and salt). For a 60-kg fresh fish, use 6.5 kls. of salt and 5 gallons of water.
3. Soak the fish in the brine solution for three hours.
4. Transfer the fish into a strainer to drain.
5. Rinse the fish thoroughly under running water to wash off excess salt.
6. Place brined fish in a single layer on a 6-m. wire screen mesh.
7. Cover the fish with the other half of the wire screen to protect it from flies and dust.
8. Dry under the sun for two to three days depending on the size of the fish. It is advisable to dry the fish under the sun for three to four hours in the morning and air dry in room temperature to prevent rapid rate of drying.
9. Turn the fish over every hour or two for even drying. A well-dried fish is light in weight and the meat is tender.
10. Weigh, pack, seal, and store the fish at room temperature.

Assumptions:
- Salted fish drying is done for 22 days/month.
- 60-kg. fish produces 40-kg. of salted dried fish.