How Are Dried Silverfish Made? Processing Methods and Step-by-Step Guide
Dried raw aquatic products refer to products made by directly drying the raw material without salting, seasoning, or boiling. Large, thick, and firm raw materials are not suitable for the production of dried raw products; instead, small products with a small body size, thin flesh, and easy, rapid drying are suitable, such as silverfish, small fish and shrimp, nori, kelp, squid, fish roe, and fish maw. If drying conditions are good, dried raw products undergo relatively little change in tissue structure and quality, and they also rehydrate well, basically retaining their original color, aroma, flavor, and shape after rehydration. The disadvantage is that because there is no sterilization treatment at all during processing, and dehydration alone is used to inhibit bacterial growth and enzymatic breakdown, they are relatively prone to spoilage. During drying and storage, changes in color and flavor are also often caused by enzyme action.
1. Raw material handling: After fresh silverfish are caught, first remove the water weeds, small gravel, mixed fish, mixed shrimp, and other impurities inside, then pour them into dilute alum water and soak and wash for 1 to 2 minutes to remove the large amount of mucus on the fresh silverfish. The concentration of the alum water should be controlled appropriately; it only needs to wash off the silverfish mucus. If the alum is too concentrated, the fish tails will turn white, affecting the quality of the dried silverfish and increasing costs. Generally, 1.50 Baume is sufficient. If the fish are caught on cloudy or rainy days and the drying conditions are poor, the alum concentration may be appropriately increased.
2. Sun-drying: Sun-drying is done in two stages. The first is drying in strong sunlight for half a day, until the fish bodies are 80 to 90 percent dry; then the dried fish are gathered up, left for 3 to 5 days, and sun-dried again until completely dry. To judge whether they are fully sun-dried, besides pinching with the fingers, you can also take one dried silverfish, place it flat across the separated middle finger and index finger, and press the middle section of the fish body with the thumb. If it has become brittle and can break, or shows white cracks, it indicates that drying is complete.
3. Packaging: Sun-dried dried fish cannot be packaged immediately, to avoid brittle breakage. They need to be left indoors for about one day and night, and can only be packaged after they have completely cooled. Pack them in food-grade plastic bags at a specification of 1 kg per bag, and store them at low temperature. Usually they can be stored in a cold storage warehouse for about one year.
4. Quality requirements: Grade 1: strips are uniform in size, no alum or light alum, the strips are neat with no impurities, and the color at purchase is white, later turning milky white. Grade 2: strips are uniform in size, the alum water is relatively heavy, the strips are slightly curved, and the color at purchase is slightly yellow, later turning yellow. Grade 3: strips are uniform in size, they are products dried on rainy or cloudy days, the alum water is heavy, the strips are curved, there are impurities, and the color at purchase is yellow, later turning red-yellow.