Preparation of Dried Anchovies and Herrings from Eritrean Red Sea using an Indigenously Fabricated Solar Dryer

Abstract

Drying of anchovies (Stolephorus indicus) and herrings (Herklotsichthys punctatus) harvested from Eritrean Red sea was carried out using an indigenously fabricated solar dryer. The initial moisture content of fresh anchovies and herring was 81.14% and 90.88% respectively. At the end of drying period, moisture content of anchovies reduced to 8.72% and that for herring to 8.87%. The solar dryer was found more suitable for drying of anchovies and herrings compared to sun drying because of its higher drying efficiency. Storage studies of dried fish packaged in 150 g LDPE pouches also was carried out. Protein content of anchovies has increased from 67.08% in 0 day to 72.16% on the 15th day, and decreased to 70.60% on the 30th day. In the case of crude fat, the values for dried anchovies and herrings on 0 day storage were 4.25% and 7.02% respectively. Steady decrease in fat content during storage was noticed in both the samples. It was observed that in both the samples there was no significant difference in sensory qualities (p >0.05) between days of storage. Solar drying is found as an effective method for preservation of these trash fishes.