Government Property Senior High School

NOT FOR SALE

Food (Fish) Processing NCII

QUARTER 1-MODULE 5
Lesson 1: Processing Food by Salting, Curing, and Smoking

Department of Education ● Republic of the Philippines

 PREPARE SALTING AND CURING SOLUTIONS AND MIXTURING

Lesson 3.1: Measure and weigh required salt and other ingredients and
adjucts for salting and
curing in line with approved specifications and OHS
WHAT IS THIS LESSON ABOUT?

This lesson deals on preparing salting and curing solutions and

mixtures. It includes a study of the kinds of salt, properties and
composition of salt and the ingredients in curing fish. It also
covers the procedure in preparing brine and curing solutions and
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) specifications for salt and
curing ingredients.

At the end of the lesson you should be able to:

1.measure and weigh required salt and other ingredients for
salting and curing in line with approved specifications and
Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements;
2.measure and weigh required ingredients for salting and curing in
line with approved Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources
(BFAR) and Bureau of Food and Drug Administration (BFAD)
specifications; and
3.practice accuracy in measuring and weighing ingredients of
salting and curing solutions and mixtures.

WHAT DO YOU ALREADY

KNOW?
Pre-Test
A. Multiple Choice
Directions: Read and analyze the questions below. Select the
correct answer from the options given. Write the letter of your
choice on your answer sheet.
1.Which of the following mixtures would you use if you are
instructed to prepare 10% brine solution. How will you
measure
it?
a.1 part salt, 8 parts water c. 1 part salt, 9 parts water
b.1 part salt, 7 parts water d. 1 part salt, 5 parts water
2.How many grams of salt is applied to 700 grams of fish in
Kench
salting using the ratio 1:7 by weight?
a.100 grams of salt c. 200 grams of salt
b.150 grams of salt d. 250 grams of salt
3.In preparing curing solution, the following are measure
EXCEPT ONE;
a. vinegar c. sugar
b. salt d. oil
4.How many cups of salt is added to 27 cups of fish for curing
using 1:3 ratio?
a.10 cups c. 8 cups
b. 9 cups d. 7 cups
5.If you are asked to prepare a brine with a concentration of 20%, what
is its equivalent in terms of ratio?
a.1:4 c. 1:5
b.1:7 d. 1:9
6.Which of the following consist the preparation of a 25% brine
solution, with a 1:5 ratio meaning it consists of:
a.1 part salt, 5parts water c. 1 part water, 5parts fish
 b.1 part salt, 5 parts fish d. 1 part fish, 5 parts salt
7.How many volumes of water is added to salt to make a
solution
of 1:4 if the salt weighs 250 grams/cup?
a.1,000 ml of water c. 500 ml of water
b. 800 ml of water d. 900 ml of water
8.Which among the concentration of salt given below is required
to kill most species of unwanted bacteria?
a.10% c. 20%
b. 25% d. 15%
9. If the ratio of preparing brine is 1:9, what is the volume of
water to dissolve 250 grams of salt?
a. 2250 ml of water c. 1500 ml of water
b. 2500 ml of water d. 2000 ml of water
10.In using a salinometer to test for brine strength,at what
concentration is 20º S brine?
a.250 grams of salt, 800 ml of water
b.200 grams of salt, 800 ml of water
c.250 grams of salt, 750 ml of water
d.200 grams of salt, 750 ml of water

Test for Valuing

Explain briefly the importance of accurate weights and
measurement of ingredients for salting and curing solutions and
mixtures.
LET US STUDY
Let us define

Agitation - refers to constant stirring of the brine.

Brine solution- the mixture of salt and water.
Curing - refers to the method of preservation and flavoring
processes in meat and fish by the combination of salt, sugar and
nitrate or nitrite.
Iodized salt - a kind of table salt that contains small amount of
potassium iodide and dextrose as a dietary supplement to prevent
thyroid disease.
Osmosis - the flow of a substance from a region of lesser to a
greater concentration through a semi-permeable membrane.
Preservatives - substances added to food to prevent or inhibit the
growth of spoilage organisms.
Salinity - refers to the degree of saltiness
Salinometer - an instrument used in measuring salinity
Salt - a white crystalline combination of acid and base
Saturated solution - a solution where there is an equal amount of
salt dissolved in small amount of water
Sea salt - made from ocean or sea water that contains trace
minerals not found in the mined salt.
Solute - a substance dissolved in another substance.
Table salt - a mined salt usually dissolved in water to create brine.
Unrefined salt are commonly used as ingredients in bathing
additives
Salt and Other Ingredients for Salting and Curing to be
Measured and Weighed in Line with Approved Specifications
and Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Requirements

Curing fish includes the application of dry salt, brine or pickle or

smoke, which in a wider sense, applies to any saline or acid
preservative solution with some modifications.

Salting involves the application of salt to the fish whereby the

moisture content in the fish is lowered to the point where bacterial
and enzymatic activities are retarded.

Functions of Salting and Curing Ingredients

1.Salt. The essential ingredient in salting is salt. It draws
moisture from the muscle cells and at the same time enters the
cells by osmosis.
Salt-Too high salt content reduces protein solubility and results to
a firm product, while too low concentration yields
otherwise. (Loterte,1978)
Curing salt- consists of 94% refined salt and 6% nitrite
1.This is needed in the preparation of a brine solution.
The water must be potable, clean and fresh.

2.Vinegar gives flavor, makes the product firm and

also acts as a preservative.
3.Sugar acts as a preservative mainly by increasing
the thickness of the cured pickling solution which
lowers the water activity. It also adds sweetness to
the
product. (Lagua et al,1977
Spices The most common spices are
black pepper onions, garlic etc. The spices
used may also have some preservative action but it is more
probable that they mask the color and odor rather than inhibit
spoilage.

Preservatives like nitrate or nitrite will not only help kill bacteria,
but also produce a characteristic flavor and give meat a pink or
red color. Nitrite in the form of either sodium nitrate or potassium
nitrate is used as a source for nitrite. The nitrite further breaks
down the meat into nitric oxide which then binds o the iron atom in
the center of myoglobin‘s heme group, preventing oxidation.
Measuring and Weighing Required Salt for Salting and Curing
Approved by the Bureau of Foods and Drugs (BFAD)

A. For Salting

Measuring and weighing the required salt for salting varies on the
methods of salting to be applied to the fish namely:
1.Kench Salting or Dry Salting produces a product locally called
Binuro. Fish are heavily salted in a ratio 1:7 ( one part fish to
seven parts water).
The weight of salt depends on the volume or weight of fish to be
salted.
Example: If the volume of fish to be salted is 700 grams,
applying the Ratio 1:7, the amount of salt to be used is 100
grams.
1. Dry Salting to Make Brine produces a product
locally known as Tinabal to the Cebuanos. Fish
are salted and the liquid is allowed to cover the
fish. The ratio of salt to fish is 1: 4 ( 1 part salt
to 4 parts fish or 20% by weight.
2. Brine Salting involves the immersion of fish in
brine. The amount of salt depends on the
 volume of water. Mix salt with the fish in a
proportion of 20% to 25% by weight. To
prepare a brine of certain concentration, a
known weight of salt is dissolved in a known
volume of water.

Brine Preparation

To prepare brine or salt solution, consider using the different

concentrations:

a. 10% (1:9
ratio)
b. 20% (1:4
ratio)
c. 25 % (1:3
ratio)

Fig. Measuring the amount of salt needed in preparing brine

solution
Examples:
1.10% brine consists of 1 part salt and 9 parts water.
If 1 cup of salt is 250 grams, then for 9 cups of water is 2,250
grams or millimeters of water.
To weigh the solution dissolve 250 grams of salt in 2250 g/ml of
water, therefore the weight of solution is 2,500 ml.
1.To measure 20% (1:4 ratio) 1 part salt to 4 parts water.
If 1 cup of salt is 250 grams, then 4 cups of water is 1000 ml
2.To measure 25% ( 1 part salt to 3 parts water) 1 cup of salt=250
grams added to 750 ml of water would give 1000 ml solution.
3.To weigh the solution, dissolve 250 grams salt to 1000 ml of
water, therefore the weight of the solution is 1,250 ml.

Fig. Weighing the

solution using
A weighing scale or simply a
Beaker
Note* A concentration of salt up to 20% is required to kill
most of unwanted bacteria.
Salt concentration is measured with a salinometer and expressed
in terms of degree salinity. This instrument is allowed to float in a
brine solution with a temperature ranging from 0º to 35º. The
highest ream is at the weighted end of the salinometer spindle.
Maximum degree salinometer is based on the saturation of water
with 25% sodium chloride at room temperature. This point is
referred to as 10º salinity.
Plain water will read 0º salinity.
(Refer to Fig. Lesson 1 in calibrating a salinometer)

Preparation (measuring and weighing) of salt depends on

composition, characteristics, impurities and kind of salt.The purer
the salt, the faster the salt penetration; the more impurities, the
slower the salt penetration

The Properties and Characteristics of Salt

1.It is a colorless or white crystalline compound known
chemically
 as Sodium chloride (NaCl).
2.Sources: sea water, salt wells, salt spring, lakes and
underground deposits.
3.Composition: it is composed of 39.39% sodium chloride,
constitutes about 2.6% water.
4.It has antiseptic properties.
5.It melts at 14.21 º F or 77.2 º C and vaporizes rapidly in heat.
6.Pure sodium chloride is slightly hydroscopic/hygroscopic.
7.Pure salt is a white, lustrous solid material which generally
crystallizes into cubes.
8.It has a bitter brackish taste.

Impurities in Salt
The quality of finished salted or cured products depends on
the application of salt and its action. Salt penetration into the fish
is faster when relatively pure sodium chloride is used than when
impurities are present. A pure salt contains 100 % Sodium
Chloride (NaCl). An impure salt contains impurities like:
1.Physical –insoluble materials that go with the solar salt
such
as sand, silt, bits of shells or tiny pieces of woods.
2.Microbial - like the halophilic bacteria which thrives very
well
in salt concentration.
3.Chemical- the main chemical impurities are calcium and
magnesium chloride.
Factors Affecting Salt Penetration
1. Types/kinds of salt
 Table salt unrefined salt

refined salt pepper

corn

Sea salt sea salt

2.Brine temperature
The rate of salt penetration is affected by temperature. At 0 º C,
salt penetration is slower, but is faster at 15 º C and fastest at 30 º
C at identical periods of observation.
3.Salt concentration
A difference in salt concentration between the fish and the brine
results in gradual diffusion of salt into the fish. The higher the salt
concentration, the rapid the salt penetration.
Salt concentration may be:
 A. Saturated solution – there is an equal amount of salt
dissolved
in small amount of water
B. Super saturated- great amount of salt dissolved in small
amount of water
C. Unsaturated- - less amount of salt dissolved in more amount
of water
2.Brine volume
A small volume of brine in proportion to the fish affects results
in
a small concentration of salt.
3.Agitation of the brine

If the brine is occasionally stirred while it surrounds the fish,

salt
diffusion into the fish is hastened.
If the brine is occasionally stirred while it surrounds the fish, salt
diffusion into the fish is hastened.

For Curing

Fish may either be dry-cured or pickle cured. The amount of salt

in both methods is generally the same; ¼ of the total weight or 1/3
of the total volume of the fish.

Dry salt curing is a process where each fish is rubbed thoroughly

with salt and then stacked in rows in appropriate containers,
scattering a little salt between the layer and around the pieces.

Pickle cure method is a process where fish is packed in vats and

barrels and other appropriate containers.
 In dry salt curing the average amount of salt is 1 to 4 parts by
weight of the fish.

In pickle cure method, a concentrated solution is poured ( 1 part

to 3 parts water and the fish is completely immersed in brine.

Measuring/Weighing the Ingredients of the Curing Solution

To prepare a curing solution, the quantity depends on the type of
cure, individual preferences and processing requirements stated
in the procedure. Measure the amount of ingredient using the
required measuring tools.

Measuring curing ingredient Preparing curing

mixture

Occupational Health and Safety Requirements on the Use of

Salt and Other Curing Ingredients

1.Some advocate that sea salt or manufactured salt is healthier

than refined salt. Sea salt is better due to its magnesium and
calcium compounds. However, it doesn‘t contain iodine to
prevent iodine deficiency.
2.Salt when combined with other ingredients are used for healing
and therapeutic effects.
3.Iodized salt contains a minute amount of potassium iodide and
sodium iodide to help reduce the chance of iodine deficiency in
humans like thyroid gland problems or goiter.
4.Unrefined salt contains 4 electrolytes (sodium, potassium,
magnesium and calcium).
5.Too much or too little salt in the diet can lead to muscle cramps,
dizziness or even electrolytes disturbance which can cause
severe, even fatal, neurological problems.
6.Drinking too much water with insufficient salt intake, puts a
person at risk of water intoxication (hyponatremia).
7.Salt is even used sometimes as a health aid, such as in
treatment of dysautonomia.
8.Too much preservatives like sodium nitrate or nitrite is harmful
to one‘s health because they are carcinogenic.

The information cited above will guide a food processor in

selecting the best kind of salt appropriate in curing the food like
fish or meat which is not hazardous to ones‘ health.

Bureau of Foods and Drugs (BFAD) Specification on the Use of

Curing Ingredients

1.The Food Standard Agency (counterpart of BFAD) defines the

level usage of salt in foods as follows:
a. High is more than 1.5 g salt pe 100 g. ( or 0.6 g sodium)
b. Low is 0.3 g salt or less per 100 g. ( 0.1 g sodium)

If the amount of salt per 100 g is in between these figures, then

that is the medium level of salt.
1.The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Food Labeling Guide
stipulates whether a food be labeled as ―free‖, ―low‖ or
―reduced/less‖ in respect of sodium.
2.Other health claims are made about a food (e.g low in fat,
calories etc), a disclosure statement is required if the food
exceeds 480 mg of sodium per serving.
3.Recommended usage to some is 6 g. of salt per day
4.Recommended level for iodized salt usage is 150 micrograms of
iodine per day for both man and woman.
5.Recommended use level for curing salt—1/2 tsp/kg of meat, 0.2
% of weight of fish or 2 grams per kg of finished product, 125 ppm
sodium nitrite.

LET US REMEMBER

1.All ingredients in salting and curing must be properly measured

and weighed in accordance with OHS and BFAD requirements
2.The quality of salted/cured products depends on the proper
measurements/weights of salt and curing ingredients. Inaccurate
measurements of ingredients will result to defective products.
3.Curing mixtures especially preservatives must be used in
tolerable amounts. Using more than what is allowed is
damaging to the health.
4.Amount of salt needed for fish depends on the type of cure
or
method of salting you are going to apply to the fish.
5.Observe accuracy on the measurement of ingredients in
salting and curing.
6.Be cautious/careful in measuring ingredients for salting and
curing, solutions and mixtures.

HOW MUCH HAVE YOU

LEARNED?

Post Test
A. Written Test
Multiple Choice
Directions: Read and analyze the questions below. Select the
correct answer from the options given. Write the letter of your
choice on your answer sheet.
1.Which of the following mixture would you use if you are
instructed to prepare 10% brine solution. How will you measure
it?
a.1 part salt, 8 parts water c. 1part salt, 9parts
water
b.1 part salt, 7 parts water d. 1part salt, 5 parts
water
2.How many grams of salt is applied to 700 grams of fish in Kench
salting using the the ratio 1:7 by weight?
a.100 grams of salt c. 200 grams of salt
b.150 grams of salt d. 250 grams of salt
3.In preparing curing solution, the following are measured
EXCEPT
ONE
a. vinegar c. sugar
b. salt d. oil
4.How many cups of salt is added to 27 cups of fish for curing
using 1:3 ratio?
a.10 cups c. 8 cups
b.9 cups d. 7 cups
5.If you are asked to prepare a brine with a concentration of
20%,
what is its equivalent in terms of ratio?
a.1:4 c. 1:5
b.1:7 d. 1:9
6.Which of the following consist the preparation of a 25% brine
 solution, with a 1:5 ratio meaning it consists of:
a.1 part salt, 5parts water c.1 part water, 5 parts
fish
b.1 part salt, 5 parts fish d. 1 part fish, 5 parts salt
7.How many volumes of water is added to salt to make a
solution
of 1:4 if the salt weighs 250 grams/cup?
a.1,000 ml of water c. 500 ml of water
b.800 ml of water d. 900 ml of water
8.Which among the concentration of salt given below is
requiredto kill most species of unwanted bacteria?
a.10% c. 20%
b.25% d. !5%
9.In the ratio of preparing brine 1:9, what is the weight of the
solution dissolved in 250 grams of salt?
a.2250 ml of water c. 1500 ml of water
b.2500 ml of water d. 2000 ml of water
10.In using a salinometer to test for brine strength, at
What concentration is 20º S brine?
a. 250 grams of salt, 800 ml of water
b. 200 grams of salt, 800 ml of water
c.250 grams of salt, 750 ml of water
d.200 grams of salt, 750 ml of water

LET US APPLY WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED

Perform the following:
a.Kench Curing
1. Compute for the weight of salt to be
added/applied to fish in kench salting if the
weight of fish is 700 grams using 3:7 ratio
by weight.
 2. Demonstrate how you will cure the fish
with the salt you measured.
b. Prepare a brine solution of different
concentrations;
1. 10%
2. 20 %
3. 25 %
Note: Points will be based on the accuracy of your computation
for the given concentrations.

Test On Valuing

Why do you have to observe accurate measurement of

ingredients used for salting and curing? What would be its effect
to health if it exceeds more than the required limit? Explain briefly.