2. Material and methods
2.1. Preparation of myeolchi-aekjeot samples and analysis
Three sets of myeolchi-aekjeot (MA) samples with approximately
25% (w/v) salt concentration were prepared in triplicate using anchovies
(E. japonicus) of different lengths (5–8 cm, small (S); 8–10 cm,
medium (M); 10–13 cm, large (L)) as described previously (Jung et al.,
2013; Lee et al., 2014a). Because the average size of anchovies harvested
from Korean waters depends on the fishing season, the three sets of MA
samples were prepared independently at different times of the year. The
crude protein, carbohydrate, and lipid contents of the anchovies were
measured according to their standard analysis methods (MFDS, 2013).
For the preparation of triplicated MA samples, fresh anchovies and
solar salts (Shinan, Korea) were equally dispensed into three plastic
containers to include 10-kg and 2.7-kg portions, respectively, and then
4 l of 25% (w/v) solar salt solution was added into each container to
completely cover the anchovies. The triplicated three sets of MA samples
(S-MA, M-MA, and L-MA) were incubated at 25 °C and their pH
values were monitored. Four milliliters of supernatants (liquid fraction