herrings
I have unearthed a valuable document about herrings. if anyone is going to write a history of herrings, then let this serve as a signpost.

Dodd, James Solas. An essay towards a natural history of the herring. By James Solas Dodd, ... London, 1752. 197pp. General Reference

here is a fragment thereof:

The Method of salting and curing Herring was found out, as some say, A. D. 1397 ;tho' others bring it down to A. D. 1416. And it is observ'd, that William Buckelsz, or Bachelen, a Native of Bier Uliet, render'd his Name immortal, by the Discovery of the Secret of curing and pickling Herrings ; and the Emperor Charles V. coming into the Low Countries made a Journey to the Isle of Bier Uliet with the Queen of Hungary, on Purpose to view the Tomb of the first Barreller of Herrings. The Method is as follows: When the Herrings are design'd for the white Pickle, as soon as they are taken out of the Sea, one of the Crew appointed for this Office cuts them open, and carefully separates the Guts from the Rows, the Firmness of which is a great Mark of their being well done ; then casting away the Guts, and leaving the Rows sticking whole to the Fish, they are first well washed in fresh Water, then put into a strong Brine, that will bear an Egg, made of fresh Water and Sea-salt, where they are suffer'd to lay fourteen or fifteen Hours ; then taking them out, they drain them, and when well drain'd, dispose them evenly in Rows in the Barrels, pressing them well down, and strewing a Layer of Salt both at Top, and at the Bottom. When the Barrel is thus filled, they stop it close down, lest any Air should get in, or Brine run out ; for the Air rusts the Herring, and the Loss of the Brine, by depriving some Part of their due Proportion of Salt, may cause them to stink ; and when they are repack'd, take the same Care. There hath been Objections made, that the Dutch Herrings eat not so rancid, more mellow, and taste less of the Salt than ours ; but let the Objectors consider how long they have been in Salt, and the short Time ours have. It is not with Fish as with Flesh, where, when the salt hath insinuated itself into the more close Texture of the Meat, after a Time it ceases to preserve, and preys on and destroys the Substance of the Meat ; but the Fish being more lax, and containing more Moisture, its longer Continuance mellows the Substance, and takes off the fiery Heat of the saline Particles. Thus as they sell no Herrings at home till foreign Marts aare serv'd, they may well in Holland eat more mellow than those here, that are sold and eaten almost as soon as caught ; and whatever some may imagine, it is certain that the longer a Barrel of Herrings is kept unopen'd the less of the Salt and more of the Delicacy of the Fish will be tasted. The later in the Season the Fish are caught, as they are fatter ; so is it, that they are more rancid, unless they are stronger press'd, which indeed is the only real Difference. The Curers of the Pilchards take especial Care in their Pressing, and was a little more Force used to our Herrings, none could tell any Difference between them and the Dutch.
- posted by Jesse @ 8:45 PM