Squirrel freshness questions

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Squirrel freshness questions
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bobbytwofour

Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 4

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 1:02 pm Post subject: Squirrel freshness questions
Hi Guys, New to this forum but was pointed here and it looks great. After a long saga I managed to get hold of 24 squirrels and have had a friend of a friend butcher them. Apparently (i have not got them since butchering) they smell a fair bit. I think they were killed on saturday, I got them on sunday and they weren't gutted etc till tuesday - is the likely to be a problem at all?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 1:04 pm Post subject:
I gut squiggles ASAP, they seem to stink a bit even when a few hours dead.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 1:04 pm Post subject:
I think it probably is. Generally you want to gut things ASAP after death.

Mary-Jane

Joined: 13 Jan 2005
Posts: 18397
Location: The Fishing Strumpet is from Ceredigion in West Wales

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 1:05 pm Post subject:
I always think of squirrels as rats with fluffy tails and good PR...

judith

Joined: 16 Dec 2004
Posts: 22789
Location: Montgomeryshire

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 1:05 pm Post subject:
Hi Bobby, and welcome to the forum. Working on the basis that squirrels are "a bit like rabbits", and that I find rabbits that were not paunched immediately have an unpleasant taint to them, I think that they would be far too high for my tastes - regardless of the safety issues.

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 1:15 pm Post subject:
I would probably avoid them to be honest. It doesn't take much for me to be put off by even mildly smelly meat. Ideally they should have been gutted within 30 mins..

bobbytwofour

Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 4

Posted: Wed Mar 05, 08 6:52 pm Post subject:
Cheers all. My kitchen currently smells pretty vile. Guests arrive soon. Will report back on friday if still alive.

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 08 9:31 pm Post subject:
You`ll be fine, they are, at this time of year, grain/cereal eaters as opposed to a month or so`s time when they will be at the buds & greenery. This means they are less likely to have blown digestive tracts like a bunny will have if left for 48hrs+ Get them cooked, casserole is best this time of year ! .

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Mar 06, 08 9:39 pm Post subject:
Where do they get the grain?

KILLITnGRILLIT

Joined: 14 Sep 2006
Posts: 894
Location: Looking at a screen in the front room

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 08 2:51 pm Post subject:
They squirrel it away............... Seriously though they do bury it along with nuts/mast etc. and they also make a mess of feeders on shoots. The woodpigeon we were seeing today have switched to beech as it seems to be starting to sprout and will be sweet. The last one I shot was making it`s way towards a feeder, which is ironic as it ended up feeding my ferrets. .

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 08 2:59 pm Post subject:
I thought it could maybe be a solution to the world's grain shortage, we raid the squirrels A friendly squirrel provided all the trees we needed for the full farm hedgerow restoration when he forgot where he'd hidden his acorn stash It felt good

bobbytwofour

Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 4

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 08 5:55 pm Post subject:
Well, still here and still fine. They were ok, although not many of my guests agreed. Still got 14 in the freezer to go out! Think I'm gonna get some meat off nthe bone and maybe make little burgers or a curry. They were fine really, just not a lot of meat and a strong, unusual flavour.

Fee

Joined: 21 Mar 2005
Posts: 15922
Location: Earth

Posted: Fri Mar 07, 08 6:14 pm Post subject:
Yeyyy, you made it

bobbytwofour

Joined: 05 Mar 2008
Posts: 4

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 08 12:36 pm Post subject:
After my glowing testimony people may not be keen but if anyone is local and wants a few, let me know. If you've got anything to swap then great but if not I'm sure I can spare a few (and I'm doubly sure my girlfriend will be glad to get rid!)

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Mon Mar 10, 08 12:56 pm Post subject:

bobbytwofour wrote:

(and I'm doubly sure my girlfriend will be glad to get rid!)

Are we still talking squirrels?

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