My unpopular choices.

[kriyanna]

On the menu tonight: escargot.

Self collected, from the garden, kept, fed, purged, washed helix aspersaI must start by saying, I totally think this is a cool idea. Yet it seems the people I've mentioned it to have near unanimously disagreed with me. Or at least met it with shock

Comments

[iosef]

Sounds great to me. I've been tempted to do it myself a few times when the garden has been full of them. The purge is important: I been advised a week on bran is best/easiest.
Yum, I love the taste of good snails.

[kriyanna]

I got told to feed them on 'greens' like lettuce or celery, until their poo turns white... and then switch to a week on bran, or dry pasta, or even flour. So that's what I did - dry pasta! :)

[kriyanna]

By the way, I'd recommend it, after trying it myself :) Go collect a bucketful! It's spring!

[riotqueerfemme]

Sound like a great idea; I'm Buddhist but eat (minimal) meat guiltily. I *try* not to eat anything without thinking about what's gone into getting it onto my plate and being grateful for it - plant or animal. Especially animal.

[kriyanna]

That sounds rather similar to how I feel about food. I'd be happiest to farm/grow all of my own. That way I'd know I was not eating beyond 'my share' in this world/environment, because I'd only have what I could provide for self.

[laza_burnz]

sounds good to me.. we should have a meal of them together one day, I liked the ones I had at the french restaurant. so fresh farmed ones should be better no?

[kriyanna]

they definitely weren't rubbery :) I call that better! yay!

[squirmelia]

I'm a strict vegetarian, so personally would not eat snails. In my village, I used to often see Roman snails, but they are a protected species, and it's illegal to kill, injure or collect them.. so yes, if you're ever in England, and see tasty-looking snails, don't break the law.

[kriyanna]

Mmm... I'd be unhappy about eating aussie native snails, actually. That was part of what made me happy about the idea of this... that the helix aspersa are an introduced species and not beneficial to the ecology here.

[haiironezumi]

Next time I see you I'm giving you the river cottage/cook on the wild side dvds.

In one episode the presenter goes into great detail about doing this, and meets up with a guy who goes around to people houses to collect the snails in their backyard!