Standardising Preprocess Treatment for Carp Pickle

Pickling is an ancient gastronomic craft of preserving food in salt, brine or vinegar. Pickling of fruits, vegetables, meat, fish and shellfish has been in practice for centuries. Pickle is a delicacy in many Asian countries. In India pickles made from mango and lime are very popular and are consumed at large by all sections of people. It is one of the simplest and most effective ways to preserve perishable foods for months for out of season use and for long journeys. Considering the great potential for carp as a suitable raw material for pickle and the problems associated with it, the study was undertaken. The carp, rohu (Labeo rohita), was used as the study material as it is commonly available in the market. In this project the effects of preprocess treatments such as salting, drying, frying, baking and smoking on the sensory quality and shelf life of fish pickle were studied in order to determine a suitable combination of treatments. Attempts were made to reduce the amount of acid and to select a suitable acid combination for preparing a more acceptable product. Storage studies were conducted to determine the quality variations during storage of the product.