What I Heard About Herring Turning Red, Plus More Delightful Herring Info From 1800
I was watching one of my favorite YouTube people when he went off on a tangent and mentioned the reason herring sometimes turned into "red herring" is the use of a impure salt which contained enough saltpeter to cause the red color when the brining is heavy. The same salt for less time doesn't cause a color change I think. The nitrates in the salt do the reddening, like ham and so forth is so pinky for the same reason. I am still looking for confirmation of this info, but this was fun to read. From: Philosophical Magazine, Comprehending the Various Branches of Science, the Liberal and Fine Arts, Agriculture, Manifactures, and Commerce You need to scroll to half page...
