Optimization of Vacuum Marination Process, Maximizing the Flavor Infusion of Sole Fish

The major problem facing the fish processing industry is reducing the marination process time and increasing the uptake of marinade. Previously, a marination bath has been utilized for this purpose with different combinations of acid and salt, which causes physiochemical changes in fish texture. The vacuum marination method seems to be a good way to solve this problem. In this study, the effect of the vacuum marination process was studied on the marination of sole fish. Two varieties of fish (fresh and frozen) and three levels of time (10, 20 and 30 minutes) were studied for their effect on marinade uptake. The marinade was used in the ratio of 1.2:10 spices to meat, respectively. Fresh samples were weighted, vacuum packed, and stored at 4–7 0C, whereas frozen samples were stored at -20 0C for 24 hours prior to marination and thawed at room temperature. After marination, percentage uptake, retention, and cooking loss of the marinade were calculated. It was concluded from the yield of marinated products that about 80% of marination takes place in the first 10 minutes of the process. After 10–20 minutes, there was no significant difference (p>0.05), and only 1–2% of the marinade was consumed. The frozen samples show significantly (p≤ 0.05) higher yields and marinade uptake. After marination, the samples were stored at 0–4 0C and fried in vegetable oil until the center reached 70 0C. Cooking loss for this process was non-significant for both varieties of fish as it depends on the water-holding capacity of the meat, which remains the same for both cases. The use of vacuum marination reduced the marination time significantly from 4-6 hours to 10 minutes, and marinade uptake was improved. This process can be used as an alternative to traditional marination techniques.