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The oceans run deep and there are many things to hide underground but the most beautiful creature to have ever existed is the blue shark. Fast and elegant, not to be confused with that shark that chances on to star in James Bond movie The Spy who loved Me, the blue shark is enjoying a growing place at the table because blue sharks from New Zealand are freeze-dried in their effort to keep more of the nutritional value in their flesh.
In this article we look at the process of blue shark freeze-drying and see whay is the benefits of this technology.
What is Freeze Drying?
The Science Behind the Process
Lyophilisation – or, as I prefer – freeze-drying, is in principle no more than biologically depredatory (ripe for decay) material that has been dehydrated by removing the water. It is carried out by: freezing and then taking heat into the now frigid system, combined with pulling the external pressure down, to less than one-thousandth of atmospheric, to allow the vaporisation of the frozen water directly, bypassing (or sublimating from) the liquid phase, from solid to gas.
Blue Shark and Freeze Drying
Blue sharks are one good choice because their fibres get dehydrated without any meat tissue, leaving them with a full complement of flavours and nutrients. Once meat is freeze-dried, it is a food in its purest state with no need for additives or preservatives. Once packaged properly, it can be stored for years with no loss of quality.
The Freeze-Drying Process for Blue Sharks
Step 1: Pre-treatment
They are then washed and cut into specific shapes before they are dried. The flesh of the blue sharks will be freeze-dried to create an edible powder for the unflavoured product. Meanwhile, ‘gummy sharks’, just like the name suggests, allow manufacturers to shape the flesh into little gummy goodies with designated forms in order to make it more pleasant for consumption.
Step 2: Freezing
It can then be cut and frozen to extremely low temperatures that freeze the cell structure. Maintaining the cellular proteins leads to good final quality after the drying process.
Step 3: Primary Drying
When exposed to vacuum, it will sublimate (turn directly into vapor); the dried saiko would be left behind. The rate of the sublimation would need to be controlled to make sure it didn’t dry out too much.
Step 4: Secondary Drying
Then you get that water that was trapped in the protein, you increase the temperature, but you still have the vacuum on.
Step 5: Packaging
Once dried, the products are sealed in moisture-proof packaging to ensure longevity and freshness.
Benefits of Freeze Dried Blue Shark
Nutrient Retention
When freeze dried, blue shark retains all its nutrients: vitamins, minerals and proteins. As caught, the blue shark in your hand is as much of a nutritious as it is a delicious snack or entire meal – and it was nutrition waiting to be caught in the first place.
Long Shelf Life
Almost all its moisture having been ‘sung’ out of the muscle, fodder from blue shark dorsi, so, luckily, keeps for a long time (years out of refrigeration) on the ship’s bridge or off the shelf in a processor’s warehouse.
Taste and Texture
In contrast to freezing, salting or other preservation methods, which alter the taste and consistency of food for the worse, a blue shark that has been freeze dried looks and smells, if not quite like the animal it once was, then at least more or less like the beast that was swimming in the Atlantic, catching its own meals, before it was turned into fish food. It has also retained – a remarkable side effect in my opinion – that surprising, crispy texture.
Versatility
You can dehydrate a blue shark. The corollary is that you can also rehydrate an oversized salad, and enjoy it as easily in a soup as in a main course.
Eco-friendly Processing
At the same time, lower dry weight and volume is needed for the freeze dried mince. The transportation is therefore more energy-efficient, which means when we ship our freeze dried meat products, the carbon footprint is lower.
In conclusion
Not only does this food technology preserve the flavours and nutrients of the majestic blue shark, it enables consumers to enjoy a new long-lasting, sustainably harvested food product. Nutritious, delicious sustainable foods and ‘snackables’ are on the rise, and freeze-dried blue shark – and fun gummy sharks – could, perhaps, lead the new world of food.
