Preparing meat in a survival situation?

[K Williams]

Are there any plants that can be added to small game(squirrel, rabbits, etc.) that make them taste better? Anyone have any "survival" recipies?

 

[Stryver]

Mint is found in abundance in moist areas, and can add flavor to game. Penny seed (It has another name, but I don't know it) has little round seed pods with tiny seeds inside with a flavor similar to mustard seed. I would not use them as a bulk food in a diet, but they season well. Juniper can be used for seasoning, if you like Gin (I do...

). Any edible berry can be used. Birch sap is excellent, maple sap less flavorful but more sugary. Any other plant you'd drink a tea from, or would eat normally with a distinct flavor.

Go eat some, and see what they taste like, then decide if you'd like your other food to taste similar. That's the way I cook in the kitchen, and it works well in the wilds too.


Stryver

 

[Alberta Ed]

There are lots of survival books out there that tell you what you can or can't eat. Mors Kochanski's Northern Bushcraft is excellent for the boreal forest of North America. You may want to look for a book that relates to the flora of your area.

 

[K Williams]

Thanks for the replies.

 

[GREENJACKET]

I know this is a cheat but dried mixed herbs, garlic granuals, salt, peper and OXO cubes make most wilderness food taste great. If you really want to spoil yourself then add a little bottle of olive oil. Don't carry a lot, just enough.

You wouldn't go out without your rainproofs. It is better to enjoy yourself and cheat a little when practicing survival skills than be fed up and not do it at all.

The British Army carry "brew" kits: tea bags, milk powder, sugar etc. Thats why we keep smiling.

 

[Jeff Clark]

I tend to lean away from extra seasoning. It would be a shame to poison yourself with a poorly selected herb that at best offered no real nutritional value.

That said, I really like the taste of sage with meat. Another handy flavoring is wood smoke. Even if you cook in a pan you can toast meat a little on a stick over the fire and pick up a nice smoky tang.

 

[the4th]

I don't like mint much. (Except for nausea.)

Pine nuts work well with a lot of game. Especially if they are roasted.

Choosing what wood you cook with can greatly help with flavor if the meat will be exposed tto the smoke while coooking. Maple, oak, hickory, mesquite, pine, and apple woods are all good for smoking.