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Re: NFC: off topic: turtle catching in January
CEFCHURCH at aol_com wrote:
>
> I have been given the assignment to provide fresh turtle for soup next
> month. Any ideas on where to find and how to catch them this time of the
> year? Recipes even?
I've gone snorkling in shallow community ponds during the colder months
up north and while it is really chilling, you can literally pick them up
off the bottom like you're collecting stones. They are so out of it in
the cold weather that you can handle them pretty easily. I assume here
you're referring to snappers since you're out of the range of the
diamondback terrapin (which I think is still protected anyway). Anyway
they aren't buried very deep and you can probably pick a fair number up
with plain sight. Worst case you may have to comb through the sediment
with something like a pitchfork (preferably something smaller with the
tines a little closer together if you have one).
Snapper soup was a big favorite with my grandparents generation in
Philadelphia. I don't know the details of how to make it, but I've
heard the rough idea is to try to clean up the outside of the turtle
with a wire brush or something as the shell gets lots of algae and such
growing on it. When the shell is pretty clean, put the turtle in a
large stock pot and boil the bejeezes out of it for the day. For
spicing it up you can try using Old Bay Crab & Shrimp Boil (you can get
it in the spice aisle at the supermarket). Strain the stock and put
that aside as your broth. The shell will come apart and you can pick
the meat apart with your fingers. The skin will come right off with
your fingers. Pull the turtle meat like you're pulling pork. Add it to
the broth. I don't know what other stuff they added to the broth so you
may want to check around. I'd suggest going to http://google.com and
search on the key words "snapper soup recipe". I'll bet you get more
information than you can possibly use in the first page of hits alone.
--
"I would remind you that extremism in defense of liberty is no vice; and
I would remind you also that moderation in the pursuit of justice is no
virtue." - Barry Goldwater
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