SALTING AND

CURING
Curing
Curing - preserving with salt followed by drying and or smoking.

Preservation of Fish by Salting

Salt - an effective osmotic agent that can draw water from food
materials, such as fish, thus lowering its water activity and
effective preservation
- longer shelf-life can only be achieved when the salt
concentration approaches the saturation concentration of over
25% salt
- objective is to insure that salt penetration is rapid enough to
lower the water activity in the deepest part of the fish followed
by the equilibrium of the salt in the fish
The Salting Process
1. Dry salting - salt is rubbed on
the fish
2. Brine salting - fish is immersed
in a concentrated brine
3. Hybrid method (Kench Curing)
- initial dry rub followed by
immerse ion in the brine that
subsequently form as water
Salt and Salt Impurities
1. Solar Salt (Rock Salt) - evaporating seawater from
salt beds

Impurities
a. Chlorides
b. Sulphates of Calcium and Magnesium - promotes
whiter dried fish, but excessive amount resulted to
bitter taste in dried fish
 c. Nitrite/ Nitrate - used as a preservative
and essential in meat curing
- abundant in the salt deposits of
Prague in the Czech Republic

Purification - done by first dissolving coarse solar salt

in water ( river water is used), debris and other gross
impurities are skimmed off, then brine is heated to
evaporate the water and recrystallize the salt.

Aged Salt - stacking in salt bodega for at least a year

Meat curing

Basic Curing Ingredients

1. Salt - basic to all curing ingredients

2. Sugar ( or other sweetener) - counters the

harshness of salt, has a softening effect on the cured
product by preventing the removal of some moisture
on the surface
- combines with amino groups to form
browning products that also enhances the flavor of
cured meat
3. Nitrite and/or Nitrate - effective curing agent
 stabilize the color of the lean tissues
 contribute to the characteristics flavor of cured
meat
 inhibit bacteria responsible for spoilage and food
poisoning, particularly Clostridium botulinum
 retards development of rancidity
• Nitrosamines - compounds which can form
when nitrites combine with amines, a natural
component resulting from the breakdown of proteins

Other Optional Ingredients in Cured Meat

1. Phosphates - added to increase water-binding
capacity and consequently the yield of the finished
product
- water retention is due to raising of pH
and unfolding of the muscle proteins to accomodate
more water binding sites
Advantages
a. reduction in cooking losses
b. improvement in sliceability
c. retention of flavor and juiciness
d. retard development of oxidative rancidity

2. Sodium Ascorbate and Erythorbate - reductants

that cause the fast development of pink color in cured
sausages
Sodium Erythorbate is an antioxidant that is
the sodium salt of erythorbic acid (produced
by fermentation of food grade starch).
3. Potassium Sorbate - anti microbial agent, effective
in inhibiting mold growth.

4. Monosodium glutamate - used to enhance the

flavor of meat products.

5. Hydrolyzed vegetable protein - added to cured

meat particularly sausages to increase protein content
and yield.

6. Carageenan - naturally occurring carbohydrate

extracted from red seaweed, functions as gelling
agents, stabilizers, texturants, thickeners and
viscosifiers
7. Sodium and Potassium Lactate - used to extend
shelf-life, control E.coli, C.botulinum, L.monocytogenes
and protects meat flavour.

8. Spices - determine specific unique characteristic of

cured meat products especially sausages
Meat Curing Methods
1. Dry Curing
2. Brine Curing
3. Combination Cure
4. Sausage Cure Method

Smoking
1. for preservation
2. for appearance
3. for flavor