Cod has been fished in the waters around Cape Cod for centuries, long before the Pilgrims settled here. Most of it was salted at sea and sold throughout Europe, where it was in great demand as a shelf-stable protein in the days before refrigeration, and when Catholics would not eat meat on Fridays.
There are two key things to know about Salt Cod:
- It must be freshened overnight in cold fresh water. It takes time for the water to penetrate the tissues and to rinse out the salt.
- Even after it is freshened, it is not the same as fresh cod. It's not better or worse, just different.