Title: The effects of storing and drying on the quality of cured, salted cod

Changes in physical and chemical properties of different cured, salted cod fillets at different storage times (1, 3 and 6 weeks) and temperatures (+2, -4, -12, -18 and -24 °C) were investigated. In the curing process, part of the fillets was injected with protein and phosphates. A part of the fillets was dried in a heat pump dryer. During the storage period, the lightness of the salted cod increased, and samples in all groups stored at -18 oC and -24 oC had higher lightness values compared to other samples. However, the phosphates and protein injection did not significantly affect the lightness of the salted cod during storage. The formation of total volatile basic nitrogen and trimethylamine increased with time of storage, but the values were low and acceptable. The samples stored at -4 oC had a higher drip loss than other samples. The cooking yield and water holding capacity increased slightly after 6 weeks of storage, but varied much between the samples during the storage time. Higher water holding capacity and higher cooking yield were observed in fillets treated with phosphates. The results were in correlation with the water holding capacity and cooking yield of desalted cod after 3 weeks and 6 weeks of storage. The water content decreased slightly after storage for 6 weeks. Nevertheless, phosphates did not contribute significantly to changes in colour and water loss during heat pump drying.