Opossum, Squirrels and Woodchucks - They Can Be Eaten

Old cookbooks have a wealth of interesting recipes that have long been forgotten. During the wars, the depression, and other times of rationing, people often had to use what they could find. There always seemed to be lots of squirrels. Woodchucks always seemed to eat everything you planted, and then some. Oppossums were not as much of a problem, but they could be mean. So having found some of those old cookbooks, I thought I would share some of the interesting recipes I found.

Mind you, I have not tried any of these. I don't have any photographs of the finished dishes, but if you are adventurous and want to try some of these, share your photos and your opinions.

PREPARATION OF WILD GAME

If you are a hunter, it is very easy to know how to safely kill these somewhat nuisance animals. If you  are not one to like guns, you can catch them with various traps available at places like Cabela's or other sport shops. Once they are trapped and killed, you need to skin them and you need to remove the scent glands and the organs.

OPOSSUM - Place a stick through him and hang him to let him bleed out, about 12 hours. Place him in a half filled tub of scalding water, holding by the tail, until the fur begins to strip. Take him out of the water and pluck off the fur. Draw, clean and hang him up to freeze for two or three nights. You might have to use a freezer for this if you are not in a place with freezing nights. (From the book Camping and Woodcraft, Horace Kephart. One source to buy is Amazon.)

SQUIRREL - To skin, hang up by the hind legs. Slit skin around first joint of hind legs. Insert knife in slit and loosen skin around the legs and rump. With fingers, pull tail and skin down over body until free. Cut off head and feet. Slit down front and remove entrails, reserving the heart and liver. When ready to cook wash thoroughly and dry. (From New American Cookbook, published by Books Inc in 1941. Edited by Lily Haxworth Wallace.)

WOODCHUCK - An old timer named Bob Flowers from the Smokies recommends only eating the gray ones. He says to remove the scent glands from under their front legs. Skin them and remove the entrails. I have no idea how to skin a woodchuck. Boil them fast to get all the strong into the water. According to J. Alden Loring, the only way to cook a woodchuck is by roasting him whole on a stick over a hot fire. (From the book Camping and Woodcraft, Horace Kephart.)

Recipes for cooking these three game animals.

OPOSSUM 

Recipe 1582 in New American Cookbook, 1941.
Plunge animal into very hot but not boiling water for 2 minutes. Pull out or scrape off hair without damaging the skin. Slit belly from throat to hind legs. Remove entrails, feet, eyes and brains. Do not remove head or tail. Wash thoroughly. If possible freeze for 3 or 4 days. When ready to cook, wipe with a cold, damp cloth. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Put in roasting pan. Add 1 cup water and the juice of 1 lemon. Bake in hot oven (400 F) for 15 minutes, turning once. Cover. Reduce heat and bake in moderate oven (350 F) 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours.

From Camping and Woodcraft, page. 311

After freezing for a few days, place opossum in a 5 gallon kettle of cold water that you have thrown two pods of red pepper. (Perhaps cayenne.) Parboil for one hour in the pepper water. Throw out the water and refill the kettle with fresh water. Boil for an additional hour.

In the meantime, slice and steam some sweet potatoes. Take the opossum out, place him in a large Dutch oven, sprinkle him with salt, black pepper, and a touch of sage. Lemon juice can also be added. Pack the sweet potatoes around him. Pour a pint of water into the oven, put the lid on. Bake slowly around 325 until brown and crisp. Serve hot with no gravy.

WOODCHUCK        

I had no recipes for cooking a woodchuck. I decided to do a Google search. I found a site called Wild Game Recipes. So I will only list two recipes.

Woodchuck Stew

1 woodchuck
2 onions, sliced
1/2 cup celery, sliced
Flour
Vinegar and water
Salt and pepper
Cloves

Clean woodchuck; remove glands; cut into serving pieces. Soak overnight in a solution of equal parts of water and vinegar with addition of one sliced onion and a little salt. Drain, wash, and wipe. Parboil 20 minutes, drain, and cover with fresh boiling water. Add one sliced onion, celery, a few cloves, and salt and pepper to taste. Cook until tender; thicken gravy with flour. 

Woodchuck Pie    

1 woodchuck, skinned and cleaned

1/4 cup onion
1/4 cup green pepper
1/2 tbsp minced parsley
1 tbsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper
4 1/2 tbsp. flour
3 cups broth

Biscuits:
1 cup flour
2 tbsp. baking powder
1/4 tsp. salt
2 tbsp. fat
1/4 cup milk

Cut woodchuck into 2 or 3 pieces. Parboil for 1 hour. Remove meat from bones in large pieces. Add onion, green pepper, parsley, salt, pepper, and flour to the broth and srit until it thickens. If the broth does not measure 3 cups, add water. Add the meat to the broth mixture and stir thoroughly. Pour into baking dish.

For biscuits: sift flour, baking powder, and salt together. Cut in the fat and add the liquid. Stir until the dry ingredients are moist. Roll only enough to make it fit the dish. Place dough on top of meat, put in a hot oven (400 degrees F.) and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until dough is browned. Serves 6-8. 

SQUIRREL          

All recipes were taken from New American Cookbook, 1941

Recipe 1579 Roast Squirrel

Boil heart and liver until tender. Chop fine and mix with poultry stuffing dampened with water in which giblets were cooked. Stuff squirrel. Sew the opening in the belly. Tie or fasten legs close to body with skewers. Rub squirrel with butter, oil or fat before cooking. Place on side in roaster. Roast in hot oven (450 F) for 15 minutes, turning once and basting frequently with melted butter or drippings. Reduce heat and continue cooking in moderate oven (350 F) 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours, basting every 15 minutes. Make gravy by adding a little flour, mixed to a smooth past with cold water, to drippings, blending well. One squirrel should be two servings. 

Recipe 1580 Brunswick Stew

2 gray squirrels                                                                   2 cups canned or strained

1 tablespoon salt                                                                           stewed tomatoes

4 potatoes, pared and cubed                                               1/4 pound diced salt pork

1 cup canned corn                                                               1 tablespoon butter

2 diced onions                                                                     1 tablespoon flour

1 cup lima beans                                                                 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Skin, dress, draw and clean squirrels. Disjoint. Put 8 cups water and salt in kettle. Bring to boil. Add squirrels, potatoes, corn, onions, beans, tomatoes and salt pork. Cover and simmer 2 1/2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes. Add flour, mixed to a smooth paste with butter. Mix well. Cover and cook 15 minutes more. Season with pepper and stir until slightly thickened. Serves 6 to 8.

Recipe 1581 Squirrel Pot Pie

3 gray or fox squirrels                                                          1 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup flour                                                                         1/4 teaspoon pepper

3 tablespoons butter                                                              Rounds of biscuit crust (not sure if biscuit is baked)

1 chopped onion.

Skin, dress, draw and clean squirrels. Disjoint. Roll in flour. Melt 2 tablespoons butter in saucepan. Saute squirrel until brown. Add 1 quart boiling water, onions, salt and pepper. Cover closely and simmer 1 hour. Lay rounds of crust on squirrel. Cover. Boil 15 minutes. Remove crusts and squirrel to hot platter. Blend 1 tablespoon flour and 1 tablespoon melted butter and add to liquid in pan, mixing well. Pour over squirrel and crusts. If desired lemon juice, sherry or Worcestershire sauce may be added to gravy before serving. Serves 6 to 8.

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Well, I hope some will try to refine these recipes. Many of the old cookbooks did not put complete directions, so some of these recipes may take a little trial and error to see what works best. These game animals are quite plentiful and there should be no issue with overhunting them, especially the squirrels. Happy hunting and happy cooking.