Is this taking eating local too far?

the beer revolu

My wife and I like to grow food, catch food and forage for food.
When we buy food we like to know where it comes from and avoid needlessly imported foods.

As we grow vegetables in our small back yard, slugs and snails are a constant problem for us and as we don't like to use poison it is necessary to go on continual slug and snail hunts. Search and destroy!!

My wife started to feel bad about the wanton snail and slug slaughter and thought she'd feel better if we ate the snails at least.

So for the last number of weeks she's had a 'Snail Jail' where she's collected snails, fed them and conditioned them for the pot.

Today she blanched her first batch of snails and they are in the freezer awaiting some filo pastry.

Is this going too far and am I married to a crazy woman??

olaola

I've always wondered, can you eat common garden snails? Are they the same 'breed' as the ones you eat?

the beer revolu

Apparently you can,
AFAIK they are the same breed (she did do some research).

Corsendonk

Is the filo pastry local?

Nevyn

I would suggest that you get a pet duck to eat the snails and you can then have duck eggs which may be a lot tastier.

the beer revolu

Thaedydal wrote: »

I would suggest that you get a pet duck to eat the snails and you can then have duck eggs which may be a lot tastier.

I'd only want to eat the duck!!

neuro-praxis

omg

I am impressed and repulsed in equal measure.

Nevyn

the beer revolu wrote: »

I'd only want to eat the duck!!

Well you could do eventually

Or you could get a hedgehog.

brianthebard

if you like snails its not going too far but personally I can't imagine myself feeling remorse for a snail holocaust.

2xj3hplqgsbkym

The snails must be purged properly before eating to remove bacteria, otherwise you are likely to get food posining. Make sure she did this and if so try them, if you enjoy them then great.

btard

the beer revolu wrote: »

Is this going too far and am I married to a crazy woman??

Yes and yes.

Minder

Thaedydal wrote: »

Well you could do eventually

Or you could get a hedgehog.

Hmmm, baked hedgehog.

Funny thing about snails - if I am presented with a batch of freshly cooked snails soaked in garlic butter in a restaurant, I'll happily tuck in. But I can't bring myself of eat the slimy gastropods from my garden. So there. It's conclusive. She's mad.:D

shinikins

Thaedydal wrote: »

Well you could do eventually

Or you could get a hedgehog.

Isn't it illegal to keep hedgehogs???

But yes, she's mad (imo) far better to keep a duck and feed it up on the snails, two for the price of one so to speak, gorgeous duck eggs, and then a nice fat duck for roasting......yum!

Drake66

Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall and his chefs tried to come up with a few dishes using slugs on the last season of River Cottage. They were all inedible when they tried tasting them.

Garden Snails are good to eat as long as you purge them in clean water. I have never tried them though; I think the thrushes deserve them more!

kylith

Let us know how you get on OP! I've heard that they're edible and while I'd give them a try myself no-one else would so I've not bothered.

foodaholic

I want pictures of the snail jail

ch2008

Remember seeing Ramsay doing this on the F word, looked great. He used carrot in a jar to purge the snails. when their droppings were orange you knew it was time

Theres an article here
http://gordonramsaysrecipes.com/03/eating-snails-from-the-garden/

Sparks

Thaedydal wrote: »

Or you could get a hedgehog.

Meat with built-in toothpicks. Cunning...

rubadub

Harley Shaggy Babel wrote: »

The snails must be purged properly before eating to remove bacteria, otherwise you are likely to get food posining.

Yes, I think some lad in australia died a few months ago after eating a slug for a bet.

Drake66 wrote: »

Garden Snails are good to eat as long as you purge them in clean water.

I think it needs more than that, like the carrots mentioned above. I had heard of them being fed a flour & water paste for a few days but the orange coloured poo sounds a good idea.

There was a house on my old road which was infested with snails. Snails & slugs are attracted to beer, its a good way to kill them or to catch/gather them. You get a 2L bottle and cut the bottom off and fill it with dregs of a few cans, then put it in your garden like a golf putting hole and they come from all around, fall into it and drown, they would climb the sides too if it was just left above ground. But if you went out each day you could see them all heading for it in a big circle around it and pick them up.
I am not sure if the beer actually kills them or the drowning, I expect if you had a shallow tray and it was diluted down they might just all head into it and have a big pissup.:p

greenbicycle

Yep, water is not enough to purge them, the carrott might work but i have watched a programme on this where they actually put the snails in a container with porridge oats!

Sparks

Clean water is for clams and catfish, not snails...

the beer revolu

They were fed greens for a week or so and then washed.
Then fed flour and oats until the poo goes white, washed again.
Then kept in a dry place to they go kind of unconscious for up to 8 weeks.
Washed, then plunged (unconscious) into boiling water for 4 minutes and refreshed.
They have been deshelled and frozen awaiting further preperation.

I will let everyone know what they are like when we get around to eating them (probably butter, fresh herbs and garlic in filo pastry)

syklops

the beer revolu wrote: »

They were fed greens for a week or so and then washed.
Then fed flour and oats until the poo goes white, washed again.
Then kept in a dry place to they go kind of unconscious for up to 8 weeks.
Washed, then plunged (unconscious) into boiling water for 4 minutes and refreshed.
They have been deshelled and frozen awaiting further preperation.

I will let everyone know what they are like when we get around to eating them (probably butter, fresh herbs and garlic in filo pastry)

Sounds like an awful lot of work. Gathering mussels isnt even as much work as that. Not to mention the fact it is cruelty.

irisheddie85

ive never tried it but if your garden is small enough laying down copper wire around it should keep out slugs and snails.

Good luck with eating them dont think id be up for it

the beer revolu

syklops wrote: »

Sounds like an awful lot of work. Gathering mussels isnt even as much work as that. Not to mention the fact it is cruelty.

You know, it isn't really been done for the sake of convenience!

As regards your cruelty claim, they are deliberately done this way so they are unconscious when cooked.

I'd say it is a lot less cruel than poisoning them with slug pellets, which most people wouldn't bat an eyelid at.

Pretty much all animal consumption leads to some form of animal cruelty. This one, I believe is pretty low down on that list.

Are you vegan or vegetarian Skylops?

Minder

the beer revolu wrote: »

Are you vegan or vegetarian Skylops?

Or a Buddhist? TBR, have you considered the use of a miniture humane killer? I suppose the problem with that is whenever you apply it to the head of your intended snail victim, he'd disappear?!

syklops

the beer revolu wrote: »

You know, it isn't really been done for the sake of convenience!

As regards your cruelty claim, they are deliberately done this way so they are unconscious when cooked.

I'd say it is a lot less cruel than poisoning them with slug pellets, which most people wouldn't bat an eyelid at.

Pretty much all animal consumption leads to some form of animal cruelty. This one, I believe is pretty low down on that list.

Are you vegan or vegetarian Skylops?

Far from it,. The cruelty I was reffering to was the one weeks forced vegetarianism for the poor snail. Does a dying snail not deserve a last decent meal?

No, Im not Buddhist either.

Matter of interest why do you have to 'purge' them, but things like Mussels and sea food, you can just drop in the pot and eat them? Or in the case of Oysters, bypass the pot and just pop them in your mouth.

Minder

The purge does involve the snail eating - either carrot or oatmeal. I'd guess that snail diet is all vegetarian. As they dine on both fresh and decaying plant matter, the contents of a snails digestive tract could be toxic if consumed in large quantities. So purging is necessary.

Bivalve molluscs are filter feeders - eating microscopic animals like plankton. The digestive tract is not necessarily a problem, but an oyster or mussel will filter the bad bacteria from the environment as well as the good. I remember being warned years ago about picking mussels from polluted beaches in the days before the European waste water regulations were in force.