Very interesting! And to think that I've been discarding them with the rubish. This could be the cash cow I've been looking for!

Eating squirrel is probably an acquired taste. Just like eating snake, monkey, alligator, guinea pig, organ meats, etc, etc.

I am not that adventurous in the meat category!

If any of you first-timers have a fresh specimen you'd like to try, here's a skinning tip: work underwater.
No, there will be no scuba gear involved! Just hold the squirrel in a sink or big, water-filled bucket while skinning it.
This prevents loose hair from sticking to the meat. Makes the meal much more enjoyable.

I do not know if I still have the taste for squirrel AKA hairy tailed RATS, but as a kid in the 40's we ate them regularly. I can not remember many meals I enjoyed more than squirrel and dumpling.

I've been tempted to eat some rabbits that keep after our garden, but they are easier to keep out than squirrels. Racoons are my nemeis, we are polluted with them. I've trapped over 14 in the last several months. Use marshmellows , they can not resist. Not tempted to eat coon. Tried that as a kid and it was awful. Maybe not prepared properly.

Oh, Ill-Man! You do manage to find the most interesting tidbits. I looked at the pictures and thought, "This grey one looks just like ours." Imagine my surprise to discover it IS ours! Poor Brits! To be invaded by something that becomes a real pest even in its own territory!

As for eating it...well, call me crazy, but anything that needs "pig's trotters" to make it taste better is probably not going to show up on my table any time soon. The article then goes on to say (this is a selling point?) that the taste resembles "greasy rabbit," and the brains sometimes carry mad cow (excuse me, squirrel) disease? Hmmmmmm.....thinking....thinking....naaaaah. I believe I'll pass.

Seriously, people have eaten squirrel for many a year, but I have to say that I have seen lots and lots of them in Florida that are infected with bot-fly, and if the mad cow thing didn't scare me off, those nasty sores probably would. Even the possiblity of introducing that to my stew pot is off-putting.

I do love that the Brits are doing their part for conservation and trying to protect their environment. And I HATE that the grey squirrels are endangering their adorable red ones. I say shoot 'em! Just don't bring them to ME to skin, underwater or not. (Who knew, Brute?)

Love the article, and I'm dying to see if anyone who here who has never tasted squirrel decides to start bakin' 'em up in pies and the like.

Marcia

That underwater thing is the secret to getting the seeds out of a pomegranate too. The point with the pom is that the juice will stain everything it touches so it's either do it underwater or wear latex gloves. But I hadn't thought of skinning a squirrel that way. Probably works for rabbit too. My family always liked eating rabbits and I have a hand written recipe card of my grandmother's for a wonderful stifado-type dish with squirrel and onions. Yummy, although now I make it with lamb or beef usually.
I would certainly trap and eat squirrels if I were hungry but I don't think I'll seek them out for the stew pot quite yet; like you say Marcia, too many nasty diseases. For now I will just continue to fatten them up with tasty bits from my garden. Instead of getting mad at them for it, I'll think of it as 'building the herd' for harvesting later.

The mere thought of it just makes me want to become a vegetarian.....

I was served 'squirrel gumbo' as a young teen when visiting Louisiana, thought I'd be grossed out, but it tasted fine and dandy.

In all seriousness, I had squirrel "perloo" (a southern term for "pilau", I believe) at one of the Great Mohican Gatherings I attended a few years ago. It was prepared by a longhunter there for part of a reenactment. Only ate a bit, but it was fine in that. Of course, there was maybe 1 squirrel in a pot of rice, peas and onions the size of a VW Beetle. (The pot, not the onions!) So I barely got a taste of actual squirrel, and what I did was so highly seasoned and gravied that the flavor was really masked.

However, eating a squirrel from the colder climes is less unappealing than eating one from down here. I've seen some scraggly, ratty squirrels around Florida, with mangy looking hides, and heaven only knows what else. I just don't think I can bring myself to try one from this climate.

Now about those pig's trotters...........

Marcia

Hi Flyingfish, Yeah, during the depression and early war years we ate plenty of squirrel, rabbit, racoon & deer. It was available and didn't require ration stamps, just a 22 rifle and some long rifle Winchester or Remmington shells.

These bushy tailed rats called squirrels in FL I doubt I could handle. Our northern squirrels would laugh at these creatures being called squirrels. Anyhow, those days are long gone.

Sounds good to me!

Just for those who don't know, not all Florida squirrels are bushy-tailed rats...namely grey squirrels. We also have a resident population of Sherman's fox squirrels here, and they are glorious and beautiful animals. They are huge with striking markings and thick fur. But I surely hope no one would shoot one of them for the stew pot, as they have become very, very scarce statewide. I'm not sure what their current status is, but it wouldn't surprise me if they were at least threatened, and possibly endangered in the state.

They are so long, they don't scamper like grey squirrels, but lope along like an otter. If you have one in your yard, be good to it! The color can be anything from grey with a black mask, to nearly solid black, to red with a black mask. But the size will give them away every time.

Marcia

Yeah, those fox squirrels are way better on the rotisserie! I saw one New Year's Day at Lake Kissimmee State Park by the way (not cooking, just climbing).

Gary

*me, bopping Gary upside the head with a bag of squirrel food*

Harruuuumph! On the rotisserie, indeed! I just toldja they were in serious trouble! No cooking!!! No grilling, frying, stewing, baking, or broiling allowed! I won't have it, I tell ya!

*grumble, mumble, mutter*

*goes off in a snit...a 1957 two-door, baby blue Snit, to be exact*

Marcia

There once was a gardener named Earl;
Who lost his peach crop to a squirrel;
His wife told him not to be fraught;
Just give this problem some thought;
So he pondered and pondered, but never a pout;
(Our hero Earl is surely no lout);
He set out his trap the very next day;
And was eating fresh squirrel without delay;
I thought his solution was really a pearl;
Next peach season I might give it a whirl.

Aaaah...I wondered how long it would take our resident GWFG Poet Laureate to make an appearance. What took you so long, Bill? Hehehehehehe....

Marcia

No time lately. My daughter Brandi has been hogging the computer. Seriously, I have 2 peach and 1 nectarine trees in my backyard that were overloaded with fruit last spring. Between the squirrels, possums, and raccoons I was only able to salvage a few dozen. I had the trees fenced off but watched as a squirrel jumped from the adjacent ligustrum onto the peach tree. This year a full tree high wire fence goes up.

Well that sure was an interesting article to say the least! Billbrandi you did make me laugh A+ on the poem lol.I can see where those little beasties can be a problem. I still love them though even have a squirrel feeder on Gumbo limbo tree. For the most part they don't give me too much trouble, must not have anything that they want !! Rainy