The snail, it is an animal that can often be found in the garden. Many people who have a vegetable garden or have beautiful plants in the garden see this creature as a true enemy. There are of course a number of ways to get rid of the snails, such as with poison, but then we don’t do anything with it anymore.
The garden snail
We all know it, it has rained and the snails are pouring en masse into the beautifully arranged vegetable garden. Everything is eaten by the hungry snail, nothing is safe from this slimy creature. Snail poison could be a solution, and there are some other tricks to keep the snail out of the garden. But if you don’t feel like doing this there is another solution; put the snail on the menu!
Eating the snail
The snail is on the menu at several restaurants, it is often seen as a delicacy. So why should we leave that tasty snack slipping through the garden? The garden snail is, just like the snail on the menu of your local French restaurant, eatable. The Common Snail, which is often found in the garden, is according to many very tasty, while the slug is described as very tough. To get the snail from the garden onto the plate, some preparations must first be made.
From the garden to the plate
When there are a lot of snails in the garden, you can go into the garden with a container or bag. Collect the live Snails, it is better not to eat the dead snails. When you have collected the snails you can put them in a container with the top closed, but make holes in the top so that the snails get enough oxygen. In the container you can put some water and a leaf of lettuce so that they do not starve. You can also put some flour and herbs in the container.
Since you don’t know what the snails have eaten before harvesting them, you should let them sit for about three to four days so they can defecate. Because the bin gets dirty pretty quickly, you can take the snails out in the meantime and clean the bin and the snails. If you let the snails stand for a few days, they have been able to clean their intestines and are ready to be prepared.
Take the snails out of the tray and rinse them well, it is better to throw away all dead snails in this step. When the snails are clean you can put them in the freezer, this will cause them to fall into a cold-induced hibernation. You can cook them without putting them in the freezer, but then they experience death consciously, which you prevent by letting them fall into hibernation.
Once you have completed these steps, you can cook the snails. Add plenty of salt to a pan of boiling water, then add the snails. After cooking for ten minutes you can remove the snails to separate the snail from the shell with a sharp object and rinse the snail again. Then the snail can be thrown back into a pan of boiling water and boiled for 45 minutes to an hour.
Enjoy your meal!
For those who have followed the recipe, enjoy! To make the snails even tastier, a sauce can of course be added. There are a lot of tasty sauces that are served with snails in cookbooks or on the internet. Many people also eat mussels, oysters and other crustaceans and mollusks, so don’t be afraid and give it a try!