Unless you have the luxury of living directly by a body of water, fish likely isn’t part of your daily diet. Luckily you can still enjoy that authentic seafood taste thanks to fish processing. There are a variety of ways to preserve fresh fish, many of them even enhancing or improving the original flavor. Here, the professionals of Alaska Sausage & Seafood in Anchorage describe some of the more popular methods.

5 Fish Processing Methods Explained

1. Salting

Salting lowers the moisture content of seafood products using sodium chloride. The salt also kills bacteria, allowing salted fish products to last a long time. Methods vary when preserving fish with salt. Brine and dry salting both involve stacking the fish in layers, but with brine salting, a salt water solution is poured over the fish that is then packed in an airtight container. Dry salting involves salting each fish on both sides then packing them in layers, also in an airtight container.

2. Smoking

Smoking is a combination of salting, precooking, and drying. After these preparatory steps, smoking dehydrates the fish further—and also gives it a unique smoky taste, depending on the type of wood you’re using to smoke the fish, as well as the seasonings used on the fish.

3. Drying

This method dehydrates the fish to the point that bacteria, enzymes, yeast, and other microorganisms can no longer grow. Also known as dehydration, the preferred method is solar drying. Drying is also possible with the use of mechanical devices like ovens.

4. Curing

This method makes use of chemical preservatives combined with other physical factors—like smoke—to reduce the moisture content of the fish. The process results in a product very different in texture and flavor from fresh fish.

5. Canning

When canning, the fish is first packed into airtight containers that prevent oxygen or microorganisms from entering. The cans then undergo a specialized heating process that destroys any microbes inside the can, preventing spoilage and allowing for longer storage periods.

Alaska Sausage & Seafood in Anchorage has been offering top-quality Alaskan sausage and seafood products since 1963. These professionals use top-quality meat and fish processing techniques to maintain and enhance the flavor of locally sourced goods, which they then ship throughout the United States. You can find out more about their products, including their one-of-a-kind gift packages, online. If you have any questions, call the Alaskan seafood producers directly (907) 562-3636.