Foods, their selection and preparation

Frozen Fish. The developments in re¬ frigeration and rapid transportation have had quick application in the fishing industry. By keeping fish frozen for delivery in fresh form, refrigeration extended the area of distribution and lengthened the season and the distances fish could be shipped. A wellknown method of quick freezing came as the result of experimental studies to min¬ imize texture changes in freezing fish. Now frozen fish fillets of good quality are dis¬ tributed almost nationwide from the east coast. Yet, despite all this, our fish con¬ sumption is still low. [243] SOURCE OF SUPPLY Most of our fish come from the salt water. Still, the Great Lakes and inland water¬ ways make their contributions not only to local, but also to national supplies. The Pacific Coast. The Pacific area does not ship large amounts of fish, in fresh or frozen forms, both because of the types of fish available in the Pacific-coast area, and because of the long haul involved in getting the fish to heavily populated areas of the in¬ terior. It now runs far ahead in produc¬ tion of canned fish, owing to the abundant supplies of three popular canning fish — the salmon, tuna, and pilchard, or sardine — in the waters of the Pacific. In cans, these fish are distributed to consumers the country over, carrying a valuable food at different qualities and costs. The East Coast. There are differences in fish production up and down the east coast. New England leads in the total production. The fish populations are larger there. New England also leads in the amount of fish distributed in fresh and frozen form. This is due, in part, to the nearness to large centers of population, and in part to the popularity of the fish caught there. New England frozen fish are sent as far west as St. Louis and Minneapolis. Atlantic and Gulf Coast. The South At¬ lantic and Gulf coasts come next in pounds produced, contributing their special vari¬ eties, in fresh, frozen, and canned forms. Although the menhaden leads in the amount caught (in 1940 almost half the catch was menhaden), most of this fish goes into the production of oil and meal. Some is used fresh and some is canned. Large quantities of shrimp are canned along the Gulf coast, and other varieties of fish are canned in large quantities along the South Atlantic from North Carolina to Florida. Next in order in pounds of production is the Middle Atlantic region, including the Ches¬ apeake Bay area. These last two areas are near centers of population and ship to neighboring markets their fish, fresh and frozen. In addition they supply large quanti¬ ties of frozen oysters and crab meat to the Middle West. What the market does not absorb in fresh or frozen form is canned for wide distribution. Fresh-Water Fish. The Middle West sup¬ plies the largest catch of fresh-water fish reaching the commercial market. The Great Lakes and rivers tributary to the Missis¬ sippi probably yield the major part of the 140 million pounds of fresh-water fish reaching the market each year. In addition, a large poundage is taken each year by sportsmen and individuals for family use; some of this may reach local markets. The amount of fish so caught would be difficult to estimate. KINDS OF FISH