Practical 1: SALT QUALITY AND PREPARATION OF BRINE

I.

Objectives
To be able to know and compare the target salinity and actual
salinity of the four brine concentrations, 100%, 80%, 60%,
and 40%, using a salinometer.
To know the methods and amount of salt needed in preparing
different brine concentrations.
To assess the quality of local salt in relation to product safety
and recommend measures on how to improve it.

II.

Review of Literature
Diffusion and osmosis play such an important role in the whole
mechanism of brining. When brining, there is a greater concentration of
salt outside of the fish than inside. Salt will flow from the area of greater
concentration (brine) to a lesser concentration (cells that make up the
flesh of the fish), as stated by the law of diffusion. Osmosis plays a part
since water has a greater concentration outside of the fish in which water
will naturally flow from the brine (greater conc.) to the inside of the
cells/flesh (lesser conc.). This causes the cell proteins to denature which
makes the proteins to interact with one another and will result to the
formation of a sticky matrix that captures and holds moisture (Collin, J,
2001).
In the activity, solar salt was chosen as the primary component of
the brine. Seawater is the raw material in the production of this kind of
salt, and according to the publication of Korovessis and Lekkas, 1999, it
should be noted that the overall salinity of seawater changes due to the
different evaporation rates for each sea or ocean. Additionally, through
solar evaporation, less soluble salts (CaCO 3, CaSO4) crystallizes followed
by NaCl and Magnesium salts. Because of the different salts present aside
from NaCl, a process of salt recovery from seawater was made through
dividing two evaporation basins. One basin is for producing a saturated
brine ( NaCl) which is then fed into a second basin called crystallizer. This
usually works by eliminating seawater salts with less solubility than NaCl.

III.

Methodology
a. Materials
Solar salt- used for making the brine concentration.
Top loading balance- used to measure the weight of the salt
needed.
Tap water- used for making the brine concentration.
Cheese cloth- used to filter the impurities from the saturated brine
concentration.
Beakers- used to measure the volume of the saturated brine
concentration to be transferred to the graduated cylinder.
Graduated cylinder- used to accurately measure the weak brine
concentrations for the salinometer
Spatula- used to mix the solar salt and water.

Bowl- used for containing the brine concentration.

Salinometer- used to measure the salinity of the different brine
concentrations.
b. Procedure

Fig 1. Weighing of solar salt

(initially, 700 grams of NaCl

Fig 2. Preparing 2L of water to Fig 3. Mixing of the salt and water

be mixed with the salt.

was added)

to make a saturated solution.

(Note: mix until the salt could no
longer be dissolved.)

Mixture was set

aside for 30 mins
to allow the
undissolved
Fig 4. 40 grams of salt was a

particles to settle.

added to the 700 grams of salt.

Fig 5. The saturated brine was

transferred to the beaker and
filtered using a cheese cloth.

Fig 6. The saturated brine solution Fig 7. Weak brine solutions were then
was measured according to its

prepared. The concentrations are as

salinityResults
using a salinometer.
follows: 80% (4 parts; 1 part water);
IV.
and Discussion
a. Result
60% (3 parts; 2 parts water); 40% (2
parts; 3 parts water).

Fig 8. The salinometer was then

used to measure the salinity of the
weak brine solutions.

Table 1. Sensory Attributes of Salt

Size
Color
Odor
Moistness
Appearance of
settled particles
Other observations

Approximately 2mm
Dirty white crystalline
Seawater smell
Not moist
Filled with impurities; plastic residues,
sand-like grains
------

Table 2. Brine Preparation

Brine
Concentrati
on

2L 100%
saturation
1L 80%
saturation
1L 60%
saturation
1L 40%
saturation

Amount of Salt or
Saturated Brine
Used
Volume
Volume
of salt
of water
solution
740
2000ml
grams
800ml
200ml

Target
Salinity

Actual
Salinity
( S)

100

80

80

64

600ml

400ml

60

48

400ml

600ml

40

32

The actual salinity was obtained using a salinometer. Two

salinometers were used in the activity and these 2 readings were
averaged. One salinometer has readings that are in Baume degree
so they were converted into Salometer degree using a table. The
calculations are as follows:
Averaging the two readings

100% saturation= (80 + 80)/2

= 80
60% saturation= (46+50)/2
= 48
b. Discussion of Results

80% saturation= (60+68)/2

= 64
40% saturation= (30+34)/2
= 32

In the first table, the group was instructed to know the

sensory attributes of salt. The factors are size, color, odor,
moistness, and appearance of settled particles. These factors are
important to keep note, firstly, because this is a good way in
assessing the quality and consistency of the locally produced salt.
Another is that these factors might also be a determinant whether a
product is of good quality or not; and whether this might affect the
end result of a certain product being produced.
In the second table, it shows the brine preparation. It
composes four different concentrations and each of which, the
amount of salt used, target salinity, and actual salinity, were noted.
The reason why salometer degree (S) is used is that it is one
useful way to measure and describe brines in brine preparation. It is
easier to read because it goes from a scale of 0 to 100 and this
indicates that the reading is equivalent to the percentage of fully
saturated brine.
The actual salinities almost have a 20 S difference from that
of the target salinities. This difference could be attributed from the
quality of the salt used in the activity. Due to the impurities (plastic
residues and sand-like grains) present in the salt solution, it is
possible that these factors were responsible for making the readings
inaccurate.
According to a publication (Korovessis, NA and Lekkas, TD,
1999), solar salt is derived from seawater and is concentrated
through a process of natural evaporation. The downside in this
method is that the salt produced contains ingredients that of
seawater which makes it hard to produce a relatively pure NaCl.
Knowing this, the impurities could have been gotten from the way
the salt was dried thus making the readings far from the target.
Although, it could also be possible that the instrument for
measuring salinity isnt that accurate, but basing on the readings
from two different instruments per saturation (100, 80, 60, 40), the
two measurements arent that far off from each other, so it might
not be the case.
V.

Summary, Conclusion, and Recommendations

To sum it all up, the quality and amount of salt used in
preparing brine is important because these are factors that could
greatly affect the saturation of the brine and eventually the end
product in which the brine is used for. A good quality fishery product
is met if the way it was manufactured is controlled; which means
that there are protocols that should be followed rigidly in order to
assure that the product is safe from any impurities. Inaccuracy and
inconsistency should not be tolerated and is not a good practice
because it degrades quality of the product therefore credibility is
compromised.

On improving the quality of local salt, it is recommended that

salt making processes should aim to address on improving
measures of reducing the amount of impurities of the salt being
produced to make it high quality and the process should be hygienic
since, as we know, salt affects fishery products that people
consume.
VI.

Literature Cited
Korovessis, NA and Lekkas, TD. (Sept 1, 1999). Solar Saltworks
Production Process Evolution - Wetland Function in Saltworks:
Preserving Saline Coastal Ecosystems, Proc. of the 6 th Conf. on
Environ. Sci. & Technology, Pythagorion, Samos, pp. 11-30.
Collin, J. (2001). The Basics of Brining: How salt, sugar, and water can
improve texture and flavor in lean meats, poultry, and seafood.
Date retrieved August 31, 2015. Retrieved from
http://www.dipee.info/pdf/OnlineResearch/2.pdf, p. 16.