How to Desalt Codfish

Salting is a very common method to conserve many foods. It’s very easy to do. It consists on covering the food with enough salt to make sure that the salt penetrates well. Salt absorbs moisture and produces some dehydration of food, thus preventing the growth of bacteria and microorganisms. One of the most common products that are preserved in salt is cod. The following article will show you the necessary steps to desalt cod so it’s ready to cook!

Steps

1
Clean the salt with water. The pieces of salted cod are covered with a large amount of salt. So it is recommended before the desalination process begins, to clean the cod under running water, rubbing with your fingers the outermost layer of the cod salt.^{[1]
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2
Soak the cod. Fill a container with cold water. It should have three parts of water to one part of cod. Introduce the cod into the container and place the container in the refrigerator.^{[2]
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3
Soak the cod a second time. When the cod has soaked for 12 hours, remove the water from the container. Refill it with fresh cold water and put it back in the refrigerator for another 12 hours.^{[3]
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4
Repeat the soaking process two more times. After the first 24 hours you must repeat the process two more times, four changes of water separated by 12 hours apart, this way the cod will be soaked for a total of 72 hours or three days.^{[4]
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- If the cod is shredded, not whole, the first 24 hours of soaking should be enough.
5
Now the cod should be ready to eat. Once you have finished with the desalting process, cod will be in perfect condition to be used in the kitchen and you can enjoy its great taste.^{[5]
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Community Q&A

Question

How can I do this process faster rather than waiting overnight?

Michele

Top Answerer

You can't. Desalination requires time. The longer you soak the fish, changing the water every 12 hours or more often, the less salty the fish will be when ready to cook. Trying to speed up this process will only result in salty fish.
Question

What should I do if I left my codfish on the counter for 24 hours?

Community Answer

If your codfish has been out on the counter for 24 hours, you should throw it out. It is not safe to eat.
Question

Should I add salt to the water that I soak the salted dried cod in to draw the salt out of the fish?

Community Answer

Soaking the fish in water that has been salted and adding some lemon juice helps to lesson the fishy flavor or oil in the fish. It is almost similar to a marinate for meat.
Question

Can I desalt it by boiling it in hot water?

Michael Stefanyk

Community Answer

No, you cannot desalt the water. You have to pour the boiling water down the sink and start again.