[News] Salt Fish

Fish is one kind of foodstuffs which have high nutritional and essential for humans as well as a relatively cheap source of protein, but fish is a perishable commodity and easily rotten and its production is seasonal so it needs to a good and correct processing. Existing treatment in Indonesia is still traditional in nature, include salting, smoking and fermentation. Salting process produces a product called salted fish. The reason society is like salted fish at an affordable price, nutritional content enough to compete, and has a istinctive aroma that is not owned by other fish (Nurasa, 1998).

Preservation of fish by salting actually consists of two way is the process of salting and drying. The use of salt as a preservative give a taste, kills the bacteria, thus increasing shelf life and speed up drying (Moeljanto, 1998). The type of fish caught to be processed into salted fish is a Layur’s fish. Layur (Trichiurus lepturus) is a marine fish are easily know from shape long and slim. This fish scattered in the waters of tropical and moderate. The species found in the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Ocean is known to different population. His size can reach a length of 2 m, with a maximum recorded weight of 5 kg and can reach 15 years of age. His passion in the afternoon wandering in shallow water near the shore that is rich plankton crustaceans. At night these fish closer to the bottom waters. There are some process making of salted fish, such as:

 Sorting: when the fish caught and then placed in a box containing ice so it can slow down rigor mortis stage, reducing bacterial pathogens and maintain freshness until came on harbor, then the fish move on at other box to washing and cleaning some remaining ice attached to skin of fish. Used ice cube in storage after catching fish less effective because when the ice melts it become water, and it is an excellent medium for the growth of microorganism. We should consider a place for the storage of fish must be clean and no cracks, so that no part of damaged fish such as bruised or torn.

Sorting and Washing: When the fish came in harbor, it was sorting according size and species of fish, then it washing for clean and remove dirt that is on surface of the fish.

Salting: After the fish was cleaning, then it soaked in bucket contains salt water for about 1 day. This treatment aim to reducing microorganism’s growth by increasing pH to be acid so that the microorganism can’t growth in the fish. Beside, a soaked in salt water purpose give taste of salt for the fish. The salt used in this process usually salt spindles then crushed until break some parts and then spread on the fish.

Drying: The next stage is the fish be dried in traditional way with putting the fish on the tarp-tarp and dried using sunlight until the fish is dry. This have disadvantage such as depends on weather ( if the weather is sunny, drying will quickly and perfectly, but if its cloudy, drying will slowly and need more time ), easily contaminated dust, sand, dung because it’s did in the open and temperature can’t be controlled or regulated.

Packaging and Distribution: If the fish had dry then put in a basket made of woven bamboo based paper, and covered by plastic and then sold to Kobong’s  market, Semarang.