Knowra Salted fish Salted fish Salted fish is fish preserved by applying salt, which draws out moisture and inhibits spoilage microorganisms. It includes products ranging from lightly salted fillets to heavily cured whole fish.
Osmosis : The net movement of water across a selectively permeable membrane toward a region with higher solute concentration. Salt draws water from fish tissue and microbial cells by creating a concentration gradient.
Bacalhau : Portuguese salted and dried cod, commonly rehydrated before cooking. It is a globally traded example of heavily cured fish with a distinctive culinary tradition.
Salt : A crystalline mineral, primarily sodium chloride, used in food seasoning and preservation. Salt is the preserving agent at the center of this food.
Atlantic cod : A large demersal fish native to the North Atlantic, historically central to major fisheries. Demand for salted cod connected preservation to intensive exploitation of this species.
Fish : Aquatic vertebrates with gills and, in most species, fins, encompassing an immense range of animals. Species, size, and fat content influence how fish responds to salting.
Water activity : A measure of the water available for chemical reactions and microbial growth in a material. Removing available water explains why sufficiently salted fish spoils more slowly.
Stockfish : Unsalted cod or related whitefish preserved by drying in cold air. It shows that dried fish can be preserved without salt.
Salt making : The production of salt from sources such as seawater, brine, or mineral deposits. Reliable salt production made large-scale fish preservation possible.
Overfishing : Fishing at a rate that depletes a population faster than it can replenish itself. Long-distance preservation expanded markets and could intensify fishing pressure.
Drying (food preservation) : Food preservation by removing moisture through exposure to air, heat, or other drying conditions. Many salted fish products are dried as an additional preservation step.
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