Cheap food if you aren't squeamish

GUMPO

I have a few good friends who are farmers and regularly supply me with an entire lamb for my freezer. These come cut up into 48 cutlets, 8 joints, liver, kidney and all the scraps (for casseroles) at the bargin price of 40 quid.

Earlier this year I got to talking to one of the friendly farmers who mentioned that at a pheasent shoot on his land they often throw away up to 20 birds at a time!! I stepped in and took them off his hands at no charge from then it was just a case of teaching myself to take the breasts out of them and I had a house full of free food.

Since then I have been offered wood pigeons (Which lived and fed in a grain silo) and rabbit. If you have the metal you can eat for free from your local shooting enthusiasts.

If anyone knows of anything else I can try please post here. I will attempt just about anything.:money:

valiant

I'm very interested in your contacts for pheasant! They cost £4.50 to £6 each in this neck of the woods (when in season).

Pheasant cooked using Delia Smith's recipe "Pot Roasted Pheasant with shallots and carmelised apples" (unfortunately now 'premium' content on https://www.deliaonline.com .....but if you twist my arm I'll post it in this thread) is my favourite meal of all time. It's also in the "Delia Smith Winter Collection" book. A few tips: 1) Just pan-fry the apples on a high heat in a little butter and sugar.....no need to faff around roasting them and 2) skip the calvados.....it makes no dammed difference and is an expensive waste of time! and 3) Use good quality cider......hard/expensive to get but well worth it; the stuff they sell in 2L bottles in most supermarkets is little more than water sugar and alcohol.

Any chance you could drop me a contact number of anyone selling them for...am...er...let's say £3/bird? Send me a private message if you don't want to post to this thread.

Thanks

GUMPO

Have to wait a couple of months as pheasent is out of season so most folk have their guns away. If they are shooting as many as last year there will be plenty spare. Only thing is that the high winds in the spring have knocked a load of trees down and this reduces numbers as the little !!!!!!s fly down into the gaps to hide. Will drop you a line when things heat up again. Thanx for the tip though Delia is Queen but Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall is the KING.

Debt_Free_Chick

Slightly off-topic but ....

It's a disgrace that a shoot throws perfectly decent birds away. An attitude like that gets shooting a bad name from the antis, who want to see it banned on grounds of "cruelty". Those that support shooting do so on the grounds that they shoot to eat - not just for the hell of it.

No shoot I've ever worked on throws birds away. All the guns, beaters & pickers up get to take as many birds as they like* and the rest get picked up by a game dealer. IMHO any shoot that disposes of game any other way should be fined! Although giving it away to locals is also acceptable, especially as some might be inconvenienced by the shoot.

* Although plucking (or skinning) and drawing an average of 20 birds a week :eek:, which I do during the season, is quite a chore!

Debt_Free_Chick

GUMPO wrote:

Have to wait a couple of months as pheasent is out of season so most folk have their guns away.

I know what you mean, but just to clarify for those that don't .... There is a "close season" for most types of game. It's illegal to shoot certain game during certain months of the year. This is to help conserve the numbers - if they could be shot all year round, the whole supply could be exhausted. Also, it would be cruel to shoot whilst young are being reared as they could be left without parents and would perish. The different seasons for each type are here

Pigeon & rabbit are, essential, vermin so can be shot all year round (as can fox, but I've not eaten it! :eek:)

If they are shooting as many as last year there will be plenty spare. Only thing is that the high winds in the spring have knocked a load of trees down and this reduces numbers as the little !!!!!!s fly down into the gaps to hide.

Don't worry, the spaniels will flush them out. Not much gets past my Springer

Will drop you a line when things heat up again. Thanx for the tip though Delia is Queen but Hugh Fearnly Whittingstall is the KING.

Whilst I love Delia, I agree re Hugh. Very, very good with game and meat.

p.s. Hugh is affectionately referred to in our house as "Hugh Furry Animal" or "Hugh Funny Ar$ehole" :rotfl:

Debt_Free_Chick

Pheasant .... cheap food .... cheep .... geddit?

:rotfl: :rotfl: :rotfl:

Debt_Free_Chick

Another suggestion .... join your local shooting club, learn to shoot, get an airgun and shoot your own Wood Pigeon (and rabbit, if you can get close enough).

Most of Hugh's books tell you how to prepare them - although the paunching of rabbit might put you off eating it!

ziggy2004

mmmm so maybe I should encourage rather then discourage dh's tendency to want to go out and kill???

Question is it possible to leave guns at your shootingclub as my main problem had allways been the having a gun around the house with kids bit.

X Anne

Debt_Free_Chick

ziggy2004 wrote:

mmmm so maybe I should encourage rather then discourage dh's tendency to want to go out and kill???

Question is it possible to leave guns at your shootingclub as my main problem had allways been the having a gun around the house with kids bit.

X Anne

Usually yes - in fact, you need license to keep firearms (shotguns) at home and one of the conditions of the license is that the cabinet MUST be locked and tamper-proof ... and guns need to be inside the locked cabinet

Not sure if the same applies to an airgun (I don't think it does) but it would be common sense to have them locked away.

Otherwise, yes .... clubs will arrange for safekeeping in a secure environment.

Cheers

wobbley

Debt_Free_Chick wrote:

Not sure if the same applies to an airgun (I don't think it does) but it would be common sense to have them locked away.

No it doesnt, there's no rules on storing airguns. Unless it's power output is over 12 ft/lbs in which case it becomes a firearm and is subject to the same rules. As for shotguns, as opposed to firearms the only requirement is to keep it 'secure'. This could be- mounted above the fireplace with a locked trigger guard, on top of a wardrobe/under a bed in a 'secure' room. But when applying for an SGC the police will want to make you get a proper gun cabinet. Although this is not law, it is sensible.

I used to shoot lots. Anything that could be eaten DID get eaten. It's amazing how many of the older generations love rabbit. I used to butcher it and give it away to friends, relatives, neighbours, and colleagues. Most of what I shot was vermin causing problems with land or crops, I rarely shot game. It's better to shoot humanely and provide a scource of good cheap food for someone, than to gas, trap, or rip to shreds with dogs.

As far as Game Shoots throwing away birds, thats really stupid. Not only is it wasteful but it also gives ammiunition(accidental pun) to the 'antis'

Pink.

Hi Gumpo,

Here are some older threads that might interest you:

Foraging - Natures Food

Free Food Challenge

Also check out the Foraging forum on www.downsizer.net

Pink