Ground Hog!

This beastie is the bane of my small garden! Should I leave my "deer buffet" unprotected without multiple wraps of fruit netting, the groundhog will eat my plants down to nubs! He can climb into the steel raised beds with aplomb and chow down greedily, leaving me nothing!

So, we are on the watch for this ravenous rodent. Should we spy him, we become very quiet. My good husband takes out his rifle, hoping to dispatch the unwelcome guest. But the powerful senses of Mr. Ground Hog, in all their hypervigilance, cause him to notice any movement or gesture of malevolence against him. One glance, and he speeds away into one of his many burrow entrances, leaving my dear spouse disappointed again!

I've thought, "What would we do if he actually shot the ground hog?" Would we unceremoniously dispose of the furry carcass? Or......would we EAT him? That would be what we would do if the proverbial crap hits the fan. It's what's for dinner!!

The word in the holler is that ground hog tastes like cheap steak. And that you want to save the skin, because ground hog skin is the best skin to cover the drum of an old mountain banjo!

Here is an actual recipe for preparing a ground hog. I found it in a book called "Front Porch Songs, Jokes and Stories" collected by Wayne Erbsen. The author of the recipe was a Mrs. Gladys Carpenter of Buckeye, West Virginia.

How to cook a Ground Hog

Take one skinned groundhog with entrails removed. Try to get a young or middle-aged hog. Your old groundhog will be tough. Cut it up and remove the "strong bone" which is under the front armpits. For old groundhogs, soak in strong salt water for about one hour, with one teaspoon of vinegar added. Rinse in fresh water. Boil for 15 - 20 minutes in water with 1 tsp. baking soda added. Rinse and boil for 10 minutes more.

For young groundhogs, eliminate the baking soda step. Now, take your flour and cornmeal of equal proportions, along with salt and pepper, and mix together in a paper bag. Add the groundhog and shake it good so the ingredients even up on it. Then fry it at low speed and prick it with a fork. When the fork penetrates easily, turn it up to high speed and brown. Dash on a little Worcestershire sauce. Serve with cornbread and vegetables.

We might need to enjoy this natural meat in case of a disaster!

Have fun Prepping, my friends!

Ruth