Canning of fish

Canning is the comparatively modern method of preserving food, its origin dating form the discoveries of the French inventor, Nickolas Appert, in 1795. He invented a process of heating foods sealed in glass cans, which caused them to keep in definitely. Canning has advantages over some of the more ancient method of food preservation such as drying, salting, freezing, and cold storage.

Fish canning comprises the following steps: cleaning and trimming, salting, cooking or drying, packing into cans, exhausting, sterilizing, or processing by heat and then sealing.

Cleaning and trimming. In the canning of fish products, cleaning and trimming generally consist in the removal of the head, viscera and tail fin, the washing of the eviscerated fish to remove blood, and the trimming of the fish into pieces of proper size to pack into cans.

Brining and pickling. In order to draw out the blood from the tissues, to give the flesh a proper degree of firmness and the desired flavour, it is practice to hold many kinds of fish before or after trimming in brine for a varied length of time. The time of holding and the strength of the brine depend largely upon the size and fatness of the fish, the nature of subsequent operation.

Cooking. Many fish are subjected to some cooking or drying process before being packed is cans. This removes excess moisture and supplements the cooking of the fish in the can during the subsequent sterilizing process. Fish may be steamed and dried before packing or they are dried first and then cooked by a frying process.

Filling. Filling may be accomplished mechanically or by hand. Mechanical filling is faster and gives a more accurate control of the net weight or volume of liquid.

Exhausting. The objective of the exhaust is to remove air and gas from the can that the contents will be in a vacuum after processing and cooling.

But the disadvantage of heat exhausting are as follows: nonuniformity and insufficiency of vacuum, protein denaturation, and detarioration of flavour. That's why exhausting is widely replaced by vacuum-sealing devices. These devices ensure more uniform vacuum, lessen the development of oxidized flavours and lessen destruction of vitamins.

Seaming (Sealing). Seaming is the step in which the cans are passed through a sealing machine that rolls the curl of the cover and the flange of the can with the gasket or sealing compound into air-tight double seam.

Sterilization. The canning of food products being based on the principle of sterilizing by heat, the final cooking or "process" is the most vital process and important step in the canning procedure.

The term process as used in the canning industry, is synonymous with cook, and designates, in terms of temperature and time, the heat treatment given to the preliminary sealed container. The minimum requirement for the process of any product is that it be adequate to destroy the most heat-resistant organisms.

In order to secure adequate sterilization within a reasonable time it is customary to sterilize cans in continuous rotary sterilizers where the cans are processed by steam under pressure.

Testing. After the cans have been cooled, it is customary to test them for leaks or defective seams before they are lacquered in an automatic machine.

Exercise 4. Find the Russian equivalents for the following:

modern method of preserving food, the canning of fish products, a sealing machine, heat exhausting, the curl of the cover, protein denaturation, double seam, the flange of the can, nonuniformity and insufficiency of vacuum, by hand, steamed and dried before packing, replaced by vacuum-sealing devices, being based on the principle, before or after trimming, the minimum requirement, the objective of the exhaust, continuous rotary sterilizers.

Exercise 5. Find the English equivalents for the following:

предварительно закатанный, проверять на утечку, герметичный, двойная закатка, неоднородный, процедура консервирования, эксгаустирование, кромка крышки, уплотнитель, обрабатывать паром, лакировать, подвергаться, выпотрошенная рыба, в тузлуке, до или после разделки, удалить воздух, стерилизовать банки, желаемый вкус, обеспечить соответствующую стерилизацию.

Exercise 6. Complete the sentences using information from the text:

1. The objective of the exhaust is to…

2. The canning of food products being based on the principle of sterilizing by heat,…

3. Many fish are subjected to…

4. In order to secure adequate sterilization…

5. Fish canning comprises the following steps…

6. The minimum requirement for the process of any product is…

7. Mechanical filling is faster and gives…

Exercise 7. Fill in the blanks with prepositions over, of, for, in, upon, by:

1. Exhausting is widely replaced … vacuum-sealing devices.

2. The time … holding and the strength … the brine depend largely … the size and fatness … the fish.

3. It is practice to hold many kinds … fish before or after trimming … brine … a varied length of time.

4. Trimming generally consists … the removal … the head, viscera and tail fin.

5. Canning has advantages … some of the more ancient methods.

Exercise 8. Say if the sentences are true or false using the information from the text:

1. Filling may be accomplished only by hand.

2. It is customary to sterilize cans in batch rotary sterilizers.

3. Canning is the very ancient method of preserving food.

4. Exhausting ensures more uniform vacuum and lessen destruction of vitamins.

5. The final cooking or "process" is the most vital process and important step in the canning procedure.

6. It is vital to test cans for leaks or defective seams.

7. Nickolas Appert invented this method in 1795.

Exercise 9. Change the following sentences into the Passive Voice:

1. The workers have cooled the cans after sterilization.

2. These devices ensure more uniform vacuum.

3. Sealing machine rolls the curl of the cover.

4. The exhaust removes air and gas from the can.

5. Vacuum-sealing devices replace exhausting.

Exercise 10. Put the verbs in the brackets into the correct tense and form.

1. The cans (to process) by steam under pressure now.

2. The producers already (to steam) the fish before packing.

3. This process generally (to remove) excess moisture from the fish.

4. After that the cans (not to cool) yet.

5. Shelf-life of products (to alter) dramatically since that time.

Exercise 11. Answer the following questions:

1. Who invented canning and when?

2. What are the advantages of this method of food preservation?

3. What steps does fish canning comprise?

4. What do cleaning and trimming generally consist in?

5. What is the purpose of brining and pickling?

6. Why is cooking done in the process of canning?

7. How can filling be accomplished?

8. What is the reason of replacing exhausting?

9. How is seaming done?

10. Why is sterilization considered to be the most vital process?

11. What is the next step after sterilization?

12. What popular and most common canned fish products do you know?

Exercise 12. Speak about:

a) advantages of canning as the method of food conservation;

b) processes which canning comprises.

Exercise 13. Discuss with your groupmates the necessity of sterilization of food products.

Exercise 14. Make the report about one of the canned fish product produced at the local fish processing enterprises.

Exercise 15. Translate from Russian into English:

1. Процесс производства стерилизованных консервов был впервые раз­работан французским изобретателем Аппером в 1795 году. Затем новый метод стал применяться для изготовления рыбных консервов. Консервы изготовляются из рыбы высокого качества. Рыбу сортируют, моют, удаляют чешую, разделывают (удаляют голову, плавники, хвост, внутреннос­ти) и порционируют, если рыба большая. Затем куски рыбы солят в насыщенном солевом растворе. Продолжительность посола зависит от концентрации тузлука, размеров кусков, содержания жира в мясе. Введение же соли в банки с заливкой позволяет обеспечить однородное содержание соли в готовых консервах.

b) Хотя большинство хозяек предпочитает самостоятельно готовить блюда из свежей или замороженной рыбы, тем не менее, рыбные консервы и пресервы также пользуются спросом у россиян. Современные технологии обработки позволяют сохранять в рыбных консервах питательные свойства, но в отличие от свежей рыбы, рыбные консервы уже готовы к употреблению и не требуют дополнительной обработки и условий хранения.

c) В рыбной промышленности для производства консервов в основном используют рыбу и в меньшей степени мясо ракообразных, моллюсков, китов, а также водоросли. На изготовление любого вида консервов направляют безупречную по качеству рыбу. Кроме свежей и охлажденной используют также мороженую рыбу.

d) Стерильность и автоматизация позволяют выпускать широкий ассортимент пресервов из сельди, скумбрии, лосося и т. д. Автоматическая линия позволяет упаковывать пресервы под вакуумом.

e) Процесс подготовки сырца состоит из таких операций, как сортировка, мойка, удаление чешуи, порционирование, окончательная мойка, посол рыбы. При работе с мороженой рыбой первая операция – разморажива­ние (дефростация). При сортировке смешанные партии рыбы разделяются по видам и по размерам. При мойке в чистой проточной воде рыба освобождается от микроорганизмов и загрязнений (слизь, кровь, содержимое кишечника). Чешую удаляют до разделки рыбы.

f) Технологическая цель разделки – отделить малоценные или несъедобные части тела рыбы. Порционируют рыбу в том случае, если тушки по своим размерам не могут быть целиком уложены в банку.

g) После этого рыба подвергается тепловой обработке:

1. Бланширование паром, в кипящей воде, солевом растворе или растительном масле при температуре 100–120 °С.

2. Обжаривание в растительном масле при температуре не ниже 160 °С.

3. Подсушивание при температуре 100 °С.

4. Пропекание горячим воздухом при температуре 120–140 °С.

5. Заливка.

После заливки банки предварительно закатывают, эксгаустируют, окончательно закатывают, стерилизуют. После стерилизации банки моют и охлаждают. Затем банки сортируют, покрывают лаком, этикетируют и упаковывают в тару.

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Exercise 1. Read and translate the text with the help of a dictionary.