Effect of Salting Time on Physicochemical Properties and Roasting Quality of Large Yellow Croaker (Larimichthys crocea)

In order to investigate the effect of salting time on physicochemical properties and roasting quality of Larimichthys crocea， the fish meat was salted in curing solution containing 1% transglutaminase， 10% salt and 15% sorbitol. The water-maintaining ability， texture， thermal stability and tissue structure of the salted fish meat， as well as the quality of the salted fish meat after roasting were evaluated. When the salting time increased from 2 h to 8 h， the hardness of salted fish meat decreased from 948.76 g to 352.67 g， while the cooking loss rate increased from 11.20% to 18.52%. The hardness increased and the cooking loss rate decreased when the salting time was further increased. As shown in scanning electron microscopy image， the fish salted for 2-8 h presented a loose fibrous structure，while the density of meat structure increased with further increase of salting time. After being roasted， the fish salted for 2-24 h showed a large interspace in fibrous structure with no significant change in hardnes， while both dense microstructure and high hardness were found in the fish salted for 48 h. With the increase of salting time， the saltiness， umami， astringency and richness of the roasted fish gradually increased， while the bitterness gradually decreased； the volatile odors related to the nitrogen oxides， broad-methane， sulfides， sulfur organic compounds， alcohols， aldehydes， and ketones were significantly increased. The results obtained in this study suggested that the physicochemical properties and roasting quality of salted L. crocea can be regulated by the salting time， which will provide theoretical guidance for the development of pre-prepared dishes using L. crocea. © 2024 Chinese Institute of Food Science and Technology. All rights reserved.