Eating Bugs???

[RBB]

Fryed earthworms, the big ones anyway go nice and crispy and are easy to find, for the nutritional content im unsure of but if you have other food its good to throw some fryed ones into it.

When my brother was in his teens my folks moved near a larger city (I'd already left home). My brother became part of an Explorer Scout troop that did a lot of survivalist type things. They were supposed to go out for a week with only a sleeping bag, jackknife, and piece of parachute silk. My brother was the only member who gained weight.

In part this came from his ability to snare things - in part because he'd never been adverse to eating grubs and bugs. Even today, he'll grab a grub (sweet), or a locust (crunchy) should one cross his path. I've tried them, now and again, but I'm not a fan.

[Tony uk]

Ive never been a fan of them myself, I take all the food i need with me sice normal i go for just a few days if its a long weekend so i dont need to trap anything really.

[Rick]

Tony-I understand if you soak earthworms overnight in water, they will purge themselves of dirt.

[Smok]

Rick I am glad the site you put up is running for awhile it was down ,it is a good site and I hope some will take the time to read it

[Elkchsr]

LOL Some of you guys are funny

When teaching survival classes, I try to make them understand any thing and almost every thing that is edible is good

Bugs aren't off the menu, I've eaten a lot of grass hoppers that weren't cooked, the only danger is eating them if there is a grass disease present (don't remember the name of it but has small black spots on the grass, easy to identify and apparently makes you mad in the head if ingested)

Another point that I teach is that
If it stings don’t put it in your mouth, your tongue will swell and roof of your mouth gets real sore

If it stinks don’t put it in your mouth, your breath will taste like the bug for a couple days

If it lives in or on dung... well, that goes with out saying

I try not to make a big deal about much of any thing, heck, your just looking at producing a turd and some energy in the process any way...

[Rick]

your just looking at producing a turd and some energy in the process any way

You do know how to turn a phrase...

[canid]

i'd never heard or read that you could get ergotism from insects. i'll have to look into that.

[Canadian-guerilla]

bugfood

bug cookbooks


grasshoppers and crickets

excellent nutrional return for the time/effort invested
one person could collect an average of 200 pounds
of the sun-dried grasshoppers per hour

grasshoppers and crickets

and then there's earthworms ( 50% protein ?)
anyone else hear about contests for cooking with earthworms ?

[Rick]

I wonder if you contract ergotism because the insect ingested the grain or because the fungus spores are on its body? I suppose if you consumed enough insects with spores on the exoskeleton you could develop some symptoms. Interesting thought.

[wildWoman]

Think I'll stick to the few mosquitoes and black flies that I inhale by accident and leave the rest for you insect eaters out there.....

[Tony uk]

Tony-I understand if you soak earthworms overnight in water, they will purge themselves of dirt.

To be honest Rick i have never tryed, i just guve them a wash in cold water and start frying (Or other cooking manor) them.

[Rick]

Hey, this is on cooks.com. Eating earthworms but be chic!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626...246205,00.html

Here is another link for worms:

http://www.yesnet.yk.ca/schools/jack...pes/index.html

[Tony uk]

Hey, this is on cooks.com. Eating earthworms but be chic!

http://www.cooks.com/rec/view/0,1626...246205,00.html

Im getting hungry now, deffinately something to try next time im out

Thanks Rick

[Proud American]

This is all intresting, and some what disturbing lol! But you got to eat and some bugs just assked to be eaten when there hoppin and crawlin all over my campin stuff!

[Rick]

Proud - Insects are a major source of protein for a majority of the world's population. We somehow have determined that eating bugs is beneath our dignity for our culture but the truth is they are very nutritious.

There is a show called Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel that looks at many of the foods different cultures eat. The show offers an interesting insight to what is common place in the rest of the world. If you have the opportunity, you might try to watch a couple of episodes.

[Elkchsr]

Ergotism

Thats it...

Thanks, I've been wracking my self for months trying to remember that one

I'm not 100% on this, just remember some thing stated about it in one of my hort classes on the subject when things went a little side ways from the discussion one day

It would be a good thing to know for sure...

[Smok]

Elkchsr.. You are sure about Parasite in grasshopper ??? I've been cooking and miss talking it for years then, I am Bad . O well better safe then sorry

[Proud American]

Proud - Insects are a major source of protein for a majority of the world's population. We somehow have determined that eating bugs is beneath our dignity for our culture but the truth is they are very nutritious.

There is a show called Bizarre Foods With Andrew Zimmern on the Travel Channel that looks at many of the foods different cultures eat. The show offers an interesting insight to what is common place in the rest of the world. If you have the opportunity, you might try to watch a couple of episodes.

Thanks Rick as always, dont worry, as I have no worries about eating bugs ( actualy as I was reading this post I considered going out side to test some peoples comments. about how good are those Grasshoppers, next timeI see one ill try it).Also the show ill look it up as soon as I can get on You Tube( not workin for me right now).

[Elkchsr]

Smok...

You are sure about Parasite in grasshopper

I would say it more depends on where you’re picking up your bugs; I would probably cook most things in the deeper, wetter, south as more bad things tend to be able to survive

Other places I probably wouldn't eat insects is areas in and around inner cities as you don't know what chemicals they could be ingesting

In the seventies (or maybe sixties), the scientists were doing experiments on cockroaches where they were feeding them straight cubes of DDT

These little buggers can and do build up tolerances with chemicals that cooking won't alleviate

Just use a little common sense when eating these tasty little, protein rich morsels...

Proud American...

Before cooking grass hoppers tend to taste like... well... er... grass...

[Smok]

LOL yes some do Thanks