Editing Lutefisk (section)

== Preparation ==

[[Image:Lutefisk.jpg|thumb|right|Lutefisk (on the upper left side of the plate) served in a Norwegian restaurant with potatoes, mashed peas, and bacon.]]
[[File:Fish Lutefisk.JPG|thumb|right|Lutefisk ready to eat.]]
[[Image:17MaiLutefisk2006-05-17.JPG|thumb|right|[[Norwegian Constitution Day]] dinner in [[Minnesota]], US with lutefisk, [[lefse]], and meatballs ({{langx|no|kjøttkaker}}.]]
[[Image:Norway-Lutefisk-01.jpg|thumb|right|Lutefisk for sale in a Norwegian market.]]

The first step in preserving is soaking the fish for five to six days, with the water changed daily. The saturated lutefisk is then soaked in an unchanged solution of cold water and lye for an additional two days. The fish swells during this soaking, and its [[protein]] content decreases by more than 50 percent, producing a jelly-like consistency.

When this treatment is finished, the fish is saturated with lye and inedible, with a [[pH]] of 11–12.

To make the fish edible, a final treatment of another four to six days of soaking in cold water changed daily is needed. The lutefisk is then ready to be cooked.<ref name=diehl/>