[prepgal]

A friend and I were contemplating whether common snails were the same as the kind of snails you would get at a french restaurant (escargot), when I started thinking about whether or not other things, like slugs, were edible.

Then, I found this: http://rickshawunschooling.blogspot.com/2007/10/wild-food-killing-our-own-meat.html

Would you eat a banana slug? Would they, or snails, be worth cultivating as a food source after SHTF?

p.s. Another website on edible mollusks (http://www.manandmollusc.net/molluscan_food_files/molluscan_food_terrestrial_one.html) posted this:
Caution:

It is important to clean out and treat the snails before cooking it, as snails may eat carrion and fungi. These could contain toxins and be harmful to man.
CAUTION! Be very careful before deciding to use the snails from your own back yard or front yard for your next dinner party. Try to ascertain if anyone has used snail bait for eradication of snails in you neighborhood.
Your neighbor's may be using snail poison. These snails could then migrate to your yard. REMEMBER! Some snails may only contain very small amounts of poison; so small as to not be lethal to the snail-but there may be enough residual poison that if you consumed enough of these snails IT COULD KILL YOU!
If in doubt, Please choose to be snail smart and buy your escargot from a reliable source or collect in known safe areas. These snails are a major pest and many areas use posions; So, PLEASE BEWARE!

 

[Buffy]

Feed slugs to chickens. Eat chickens.

 

[Vacas Locas]

I have seen banana slugs eaten. I would have to be in pretty bad shape before I ate one.

 

[Nutty Old Geezer]

You would be surprised what you can eat. I was more afraid of the NCOs at the SERE school than anything I would put in my mouth. Those guys told me to eat a brick I would start gnawing without a pause.

 

[Ashcons]

I think as far as cultivation goes, it would be easier to raise meal worms (also a source of food for other animals you would raise) and red worms (in your compost pile).

Would I eat banana slugs? The article made me hungry by the time I got to the end, so I guess I would

 

[delphidad]

I think our banana slugs could eat our chickens. I think eating a banana slug would be my very last resort, after all the rats have been exhausted.

 

[JeffOnly]

Feed banana slugs to monkeys. Eat monkeys.

Very interesting creatures.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_slug

 

[Marcie]

I think our banana slugs could eat our chickens. I think eating a banana slug would be my very last resort, after all the rats have been exhausted.

Oh man, I would eat anything before I ate a rat.

 

[benajah]

No way! I'll eat nearly anything but I find slugs to be the most vile, disgusting, revolting creature on the planet.

 

[FalconsBravesHawks]

agreed, I will eat our tiny little garage scorpions before eating a damn slug. that's what all my salt stores are for...err, I mean they are for surviving and stuff.

 

[*astid]

As I seem to remember you don't want to eat just any slug as they may contain the rat lung worm ( think that's what its called ) nasty little buggers they travel to your lungs lay eggs. The larva/worm enters your blood and can travel to the brain.

 

[Marcie]

Rat lung worm comes from eating snails that are undercooked, or from contaminated water and food (veggies). It's a roundworm that resides in rats is where it got it's name from.
That's all I got

 

[Jojo]

Yes, providing its system has been flushed properly. I would prefer to try it cooked - first. I've eaten earth worms but they were dried, ground up and added to cornbread batter. Kinda of a nutty texture and taste. I've eaten crickets - not sure what variety - they were small. They were also cooked by a 5* Indian Chef. They tasted like porkrinds with hot sauce :thumb:

 

[Vacas Locas]

Oh man, I would eat anything before I ate a rat.

I dont know, I thinks I would eat Rats with the other guy first.:xeye:

 

[BHump]

I dont know, I thinks I would eat Rats with the other guy first.:xeye:

I'm with you. Rat burger here I come.

 

[DaFireMedic]

I watched a TV show where they covered the military's SERE training up near Colville, Washington. One of the guys ate a Banana Slug (uncooked) and came very close to vomiting with all his buddies laughing, but he managed to keep it down. He described it afterward as eating a small cucumber when someone suddenly squeezes a tube of Elmer's glue into his mouth.

I have to think that I would only eat one when there are no better options for survival.

 

[Rifleman69]

Escargot is actually quite good, Alot of Italian and French resaurants serve them as appetizers here in Germany. Served with butter and garlic they are delicious.

 

[MagicPuff]

Escargot is actually quite good, Alot of Italian and French resaurants serve them as appetizers here in Germany. Served with butter and garlic they are delicious.

Which maybe highlighs something some survivalists don't think to take with them, herbs and spices. If you are going to be partly living off the land and eating weird things then some strong spices, eg. chilli, curry powder, black pepper etc. will make these strange things seem a lot more normal.

 

[Chrysalis]

My favorite meal while in a cruise was escargot, it was fantastic. I would have no problem cleaning up those slugs and feeding them to my family.

 

[Marcie]

I dont know, I thinks I would eat Rats with the other guy first.:xeye:

Naw, I would eat those first. They don't bother me at all. I have ate some really weird stuff. Of course I am the one that will eat a conch as it crawls across my plate I like to try new things, plus it is good to try strange things in case of a disaster or SHTF situation. Rats are on the BOTTOM of my list
BTW Sea cucumbers (slugs) are very good too.