URBAN HUNTING & FORAGING
Beyond your now-empty kitchen lies a world of hidden wild edibles—plants, trees, insects, and animals that offer sustenance and nutrition. Pre-zpoc it is a world that most people unknowingly pass by every day, despite the fact that hunting and gathering is how we, as a species, ate for millennia. Large-scale and commercial food production began very recently in the long history of humankind, and yet most of us have known nothing else, save for those who had a home garden or who grew up on a farm.
Having a wide variety of food sources is the best way to approach apocalyptic eating. If one source gets cut off or becomes unavailable, you have other options at the ready. So even if you can set up a productive window or rooftop farm (see Window Farming, page 148 , and Rooftop Farming, page 153), knowing what’s already available in nature is a very good idea. Plus, supplementing your diet with wild edibles will ensure a better diversity of nutrients.
Hunting and foraging means embracing the low-tech wisdom and tradition of our ancient ancestors and learning how to sustain ourselves with nature and our own wits. A scary task to the n00b survivor, to be sure. The following section will help you to find, identify, and prepare a sampling of the wild edible plants, nuts, and other foraged foods that are widely available across North America, knowledge that will also serve you well should you ever need to venture out Into the Wild (page 251). It will also introduce a few of the edible bugs available, because insects will probably be the easiest protein source to hunt down while you are being hunted down by the walking dead. Finally, we’ll dip our toes in the pond of urban hunting, discussing the ubiquitous squirrel and how to hunt it.
Foraging at the End of the World
North America is home to over 200 wild plants, many of which you can dig up right in your own neighborhood. While the Universal Edibility Test (page 24) will be of huge help for any plant you cannot identify with confidence, it does take about 16 hours to determine if a food is safe to eat. The following section provides a basic reference and identification guide to the common wild foods that appear in the recipes in this section and throughout the book.
BAYBERRY, NORTHERN (MYRICA PENSYLVANICA) & SOUTHERN (MYRICA CERIFERA)
GEOGRAPHY: Myrica pensylvanica across eastern North America, Myrica cerifera across the southern United States
BAYBERRY
(MYRICA PENSYLVANICA & MYRICA CERIFERA)
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny or partially shaded sandy habitats, like fields or seashore
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Large shrub to small tree; olive-green to grayish leaves that smell of commercial bay leaf when crushed; M. pensylvanica leaves oblong, rounded, and mildly toothed at the tip; M. cerifera leaves oblong but pointed at the tip; both produce small bluish-green berries in the fall
CULINARY NOTES: Harvest the leaves and use as you would commercial bay leaves (soups, sauces, stocks, braising, etc.) fresh or dried, but use twice the quantity. Or you can chop fresh leaves finely and add to rubs for meat. They are most fragrant in winter and early spring.
COMMON CHICKWEED (STELLARIA MEDIA)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny open fields, gardens, lawns, meadows
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Ground-trailing plant with soft fuzzy stems; smooth spade-shaped and opposite (meaning they grow in pairs) leaves; tiny white flowers at the tip of the leaf stems, with five deeply split petals that appear to be ten
CULINARY NOTES: Raw chickweed leaves have a pleasant grassy flavor and a milder spinach flavor when cooked. Common chickweed is one of the first greens to appear in spring and can be eaten through the winter if the weather is mild.
COMMON CHICKWEED
(STELLARIA MEDIA)
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Scarlet pimpernel (Anagallis arvensis) looks similar to common chickweed, but can be ruled out by its four-sided stem and bright orange-pin blossoms. Spotted surge (Euphorbia supina, also known as spotted sandmat) often grows alongside chickweed though they do not look much alike—its milky white sap is a distinctive identifier.
COMMON SPICEBUSH (LINDERA BENZOIN)
GEOGRAPHY: Across the eastern United States, Ontario (Canada)
WHERE TO LOOK: Damp partially shaded woodlands, moist thickets, swamps, trailsides, riverbanks
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Shrubs 5–12 feet in height; gray-brown bark spotted with bumps called lenticel; tiny yellow flower clusters first to appear in spring; bright green oval and pointed leaves that smell lemony when bruised; bright green berries that ripen to bright red in late summer/early fall with a savory and spicy aroma similar to allspice
CULINARY NOTES: The twigs can be chewed or used to infuse an allspice-like flavor in tea during barren winter months. The leaves make a lovely sun tea, while the fresh berries that appear in late summer and early fall can be finely chopped or mashed and are great in marinades, sauces, and rubs for game meat. The berries are highly perishable and too oily to be dried.
COMMON SPICEBUSH
(LINDERA BENZOIN)
(RUMEX CRISPUS)
CURLY DOCK (RUMEX CRISPUS)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout the United States and southern Canada
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny and partially shaded disturbed areas like fields, parks, roadsides, stream sides, vacant lots
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Large, thick, and hairless individual leaves that ascend the stalk in an alternating pattern with wavy edges and a distinctive red/purple vein that runs down the center; a tall flower stalk that has long clusters of tiny green flowers (summer) or reddish seeds (fall)
CULINARY NOTES: Curly dock has a tart, lemony flavor. The young leaves can be eaten raw in spring through summer. Leaves harvested after the plant has flowered will be tough and more bitter, making them better to use in soups and stews. As a plant containing oxalic acid, it should be consumed in moderation.
DANDELION (TARAXACUM OFFICINALE)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Lawns, sunny open fields, meadows, parks, trailsides
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Tight oblong green flower buds that give way to yellow flower heads; saw-toothed leaves
CULINARY NOTES: The immature green flower buds and young leaves of dandelions are some of the first wild edibles of the spring. The familiar yellow flower heads are also edible and can be used after you remove the sepals (small green leaf-like growth under the petals). Both flower buds and heads have a taste reminiscent of carrot. The leaves become increasingly bitter as the plant matures and are best in early spring, though they are still edible through fall, when they will also provide new tender and tasty leaf growth.
DANDELION
(TARAXACUM OFFICINALE)
FIELD GARLIC
(ALLIUM VINEALE)
FIELD GARLIC (ALLIUM VINEALE)
GEOGRAPHY: Most of the eastern half of North America, plus Washington, Oregon, and California
WHERE TO LOOK: Lawns, edges of forests, fields, parks
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Slender, cylindrical, and hollow chive-like leaves that grow in dense vertical bunches; many tiny white or lilac flowers that emerge from a tight spherical cluster of purple bulblets; a small white bulb below ground; all parts have a distinctly garlicky aroma when crushed, distinguishing it from poisonous look-alikes
CULINARY NOTES: Field garlic is a fairly accessible way to add onion and garlic flavor to foods. Slim spring shoots are the most tender and can be eaten raw or cooked much like chives. As the plant ages, the shoots will become thicker and tough, but can be slow cooked in soups or stews. The bulbs can be dug up spring through fall, but be conscious not to overharvest in one area (never pick more than 10%) as harvesting the bulb kills the entire plant.
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Other members of the lily family (family Liliaceae) and the common ornamental Star-of-Bethlehem (Ornithogalum umbellatum) can be mistaken for field garlic. If any part smells like onion or garlic when bruised, it is edible; the poisonous look-alikes are scentless.
GINKGO (GINKGO BILOBA)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Widely planted in urban settings, in sunny parts of parks and along residential streets
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Distinctive fan-shaped leaves, bright green during the spring and summer, bright yellow in the fall; dusty, round, orange-yellow, and putrid-smelling nut-bearing fruit
CULINARY NOTES: Harvest and process the fruits, which odorously ripen in the mid to late fall, using gloves because it can irritate bare skin. After removing the nuts from the fruits, be sure to rinse well before roasting over medium-low heat (300°F; see Judging Temperature, page 47) for half an hour—the nuts must be cooked before consuming. Crack them open after roasting and consume the inner flesh as is or brown in a hot pan for added flavor—they are soft, rich, and slightly chewy with a pleasantly pungent flavor.
(GINKGO BILOBA)
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE (HELIANTHUS TUBEROSUS)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout most of North America, except Nevada, Arizona, New Mexico (United States), and British Columbia, Alberta (Canada)
WHERE TO LOOK: Near streams, ponds, lakes and rivers, also in disturbed areas like roadsides and other pathways
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Bright yellow flowers (it’s a species of sunflower); slender sparse petals or “rays”; rough sandpapery leaves (spear-shaped) and stems; ginger-like tubers underground
CULINARY NOTES: The tubers, which taste more like sunflower seeds than artichokes, provide the best nutrition in late fall when the flowers fade after the first frost, though if you can positively identify the plant, they can be harvested anytime. Jerusalem artichokes can be used like any root or tuber—boiled (quickly), roasted, or panfried, etc. Eat sparingly as they cause intestinal upset for some. They are not overly abundant in the wild but are easily cultivated, so if you find a stand, harvest a few bulbs and grow your own.
JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE
(HELIANTHUS TUBEROSUS)
JUNIPER (JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA & JUNIPERUS OCCIDENTALIS)
GEOGRAPHY: Juniperus virginiana is common in eastern and central North America, Juniperus occidentalis in the West
(JUNIPERUS VIRGINIANA & JUNIPERUS OCCIDENTALIS)
WHERE TO LOOK: Fields, hedgerows, parks, woodlands
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Conical and scaly bright needle-like green leaves with dusty blue “berries” that are technically cones
CULINARY NOTES: Juniper berries are typically used as a seasoning and flavor enhancer, so use sparingly. Pick them fall through winter and use fresh, dried, chopped, or powdered to impart a sharp, peppery flavor that pairs very well with the richness of winter game, soups, and stews.
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Because several small ornamental varieties (J. sabina and J. oxycedrus among the most common) are poisonous, avoid junipers in urban and suburban areas unless you have made a conclusive positive ID.
LAMBSQUARTERS (CHENOPODIUM ALBUM)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny or partially shaded disturbed areas like fields, lawns, parks, and trail- and roadsides
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Diamond-shaped wavy toothed leaves that have a mealy white powder on their undersides; dense vertical spikes of small green spherical flowers; large plant that averages 3–5 feet tall and has virtually no odor
CULINARY NOTES: The leaves taste very much like their relative, spinach, and can be used in much the same way. The tiny black seeds, replacing the flowers in fall, can be dried and rubbed out of the seed heads then cooked like a grain. They have a nutty flavor and rice-like texture that makes for a good hot cereal.
LAMBSQUARTERS
(CHENOPODIUM ALBUM)
PAWPAW (ASIMINA TRILOBA)
GEOGRAPHY: Eastern North America
WHERE TO LOOK: On trees growing in rich soil—along streams, rivers, and other waterways, forests, and other verdant places
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Small clusters of velvety maroon flowers with six petals; long oblong leaves that smell of bell peppers when bruised; green mango-shaped fruits growing in clusters of 2–9 fruits
CULINARY NOTES: These native North American anomalies are as close as you are likely to get to tropical fruit come the zpoc, but their range has been steadily shrinking and they are increasingly uncommon. Use the fruits, which ripen late summer to early fall, as you would mango or pineapple—their flavor is a pleasant combination of both.
PAWPAW FRUIT AND TREE LEAVES (ASIMINA TRILOBA)
POOR MAN’S PEPPER
(LEPIDIUM VIRGINICUM)
POOR MAN’S PEPPER (LEPIDIUM VIRGINICUM)
GEOGRAPHY: Most of North America except Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan (Canada)
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny spots like lawns, gardens, fields, meadows, and roadsides
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Long lance-shaped toothed leaves; bottlebrush-shaped flower stalks with tiny four-petaled white flowers in the summer; small, flat, circular seedpods with tiny yellow-brown seeds in the fall
CULINARY NOTES: The leaves and flowers are best eaten raw and can be harvested spring through summer. They provide a spicy and peppery zip to any food they are added to. The seedpods that appear in the fall can be mashed with vinegar and used as a mustard.
QUEEN ANNE’S LACE (DAUCUS CAROTA)
QUEEN ANNE’S LACE
(DAUCUS CAROTA)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout most of North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Open fields and meadows, roadsides, pastures, lawns
KEY IDENTIFIERS: A hairy solid stalk with visible red veins, never growing more than 3–6 feet; a small root that smells of carrot; mature flower heads are flat and made up of densely packed tiny white flowers, often with one purplish-red flower in the center; the green flower head closes up into the shape of a cup as it matures and bears fruit/seed
CULINARY NOTES: The small and tender roots of young Queen Anne’s lace can be used as a carrot substitute, while the leaves can be used in place of parsley. Once the plant has flowered, remove the green or reddish fruits that appear in late summer and early fall from their “cups.” You can eat them fresh or dry them for an intense carrot flavor that can be used in place of seasonings like caraway or celery seed.
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Hemlock is a poisonous look-alike though it can be identified most readily by its smooth and hollow stem that is splotched with purple marks, the powdery white flower stems with much sparser white flower heads, and a bitter, unpleasant-smelling root.
RED CLOVER (TRIFOLIUM PRATENSE)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny meadows, lawns, pastures, parks, roadsides
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Rounded flower heads made up of many tiny, narrow, two-sided magenta flowers; low-growing, slender, and branching stalks; familiar three-parted leaflets growing from the end of the leaf stalk
RED CLOVER
(TRIFOLIUM PRATENSE)
CULINARY NOTES: Clover’s fresh pink flowers have a flavor reminiscent of snap peas and are best plucked in late spring, though they can be harvested through fall. Eat them raw or lightly cooked, or dry them out for use in tea during the winter—they are a source of calcium, vitamin C, magnesium, phosphorus, and niacin.
SHEEP SORREL
(RUMEX ACETOSELLA)
SHEEP SORREL (RUMEX ACETOSELLA)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny lawns, fields, meadows, parks, roadsides
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Mature leaves that look like a sheep’s head (hence the name), with an arrow base (the “face”) and two pointy outer “ear” lobes; leaves have a strong lemon flavor
CULINARY NOTES: Sheep sorrel is a good all-purpose green with a tart and lemony flavor that withstands cooking. The basal leaves (those that grow at the bottom of the stem) are generally better tasting than higher stem leaves and best in early spring. As a plant containing oxalic acid, it should be consumed in moderation.
SMOOTH SUMAC (RHUS GLABRA)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Full and partial sunlight in fields, thickets, wood, trail- and roadsides, stream banks, seashores
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Dense stands of small trees; stout twigs that exude a white sap when broken; shiny, long, and feather-shaped alternate leaves; large vertical clusters of tiny green flowers in the summer months that give way to vertical clusters of red berries in mid to late fall
SMOOTH SUMAC BERRIES
(RHUS GLABRA)
CULINARY NOTES: The berries can be juiced as a replacement for lemon juice or other acids in cooking, or submerged in water and mashed gently to steep for a refreshing lemonade-type drink. You can also dry the berries and grind them as needed for seasoning.
POISONOUS LOOK-ALIKES: Poison sumac (Toxicodendron vernix) is a small shrub or tree that looks quite like the edible varieties of sumac; however, this poisonous variety can easily be ruled out by its drooping white (not upright red) fruit clusters and more densely packed leaflets.
STINGING NETTLE (URTICA DIOICA)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout North America
WHERE TO LOOK: Fields, open woodlands, trail-and roadsides, thickets, riversides
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Oval-shaped toothed dark green leaves that grow from a ribbed four-sided stem; long slender drooping clusters of tiny green flowers; the entire plant is visibly covered with tiny stinging hairs
CULINARY NOTES: Stinging nettles are aptly named and should be harvested with gloves, though the tiny stinging hairs are destroyed with cooking. Leaves from smaller plants that have not yet flowered will be most tender, though the leaves can be plucked throughout the spring and summer. They will give a robust herbal flavor to any dish.
STINGING NETTLE
(URTICA DIOICA)
WOOD SORREL (FAMILY OXALIDACEAE)
GEOGRAPHY: Throughout the United States and Canada, except the far north
WHERE TO LOOK: Sunny or partially shaded lawns, fields, meadows, roadsides, parks, disturbed habitats
KEY IDENTIFIERS: Three-lobed leaves similar to clover though distinctly heart shaped; small banana-shaped seedpods with tiny reddish seeds within; star-shaped five-petaled flowers ranging in color from white (pictured on the next page) to yellow to pink
CULINARY NOTES: The leaves, flowers, and seedpods can be eaten raw or cooked spring through summer, and will add a strong sour and lemony flavor to dishes. The root bulbs are also edible, have a mildly sweet flavor, and can be cooked like any root or tuber. As a plant containing oxalic acid, it should be consumed in moderation.
WOOD SORREL
(FAMILY OXALIDACEAE)
RECOMMENDED READING: For more on urban foraging, check out Foraged Flavor: Finding Fabulous Ingredients in Your Backyard or Farmer’s Market by Tama Matsuoka Wong with Eddy Leroux.
WEEDS THAT FEED SPRING SALAD
This salad boasts a variety of edible greens most people pre-zpoc scorned as common weeds to be eradicated from pristine lawns rather than nibbled on for sustenance and nutrition.
The good thing about weeds is that they are robust, and so the plants in this recipe should be easy enough to find in backyard gardens run amok or parks, forests, and other wilder green spaces. (Refer to Foraging at the End of the World, page 102, for a full guide to finding and identifying the plants used here.)
These greens are among the first wild edibles of the season, and their young leaves are most tender and tasty in early spring.
YIELDS:
2 Hungry Survivor servings, 3–4 Regular Joe servings
REQUIRES:
Colander
Large mixing bowl
Small plastic container with lid
TIME:
10 minutes
INGREDIENTS:
1 c. foraged red clover flowers, roughly chopped if desired
2 c. foraged sheep sorrel leaves
2 c. foraged common chickweed leaves
2 c. foraged dandelion leaves
2–3 wild garlic bulbs, finely sliced
3 tbsp. oil, preferably olive
1 tbsp. vinegar, preferably apple cider or white wine
½ tsp. Dijon mustard (optional, if available)
Salt & pepper, to taste
METHOD:
Rinse all greens individually in a colander, if available. If you have access to a salad spinner or even paper towel, use it to remove excess water. Add the greens, save for a handful of the wild garlic, to a large mixing bowl.
In a small plastic container with lid, add the olive oil, vinegar, Dijon (if using), remaining sliced wild garlic, and salt and pepper. Shake vigorously.
Pour about 
of the dressing over the greens, then toss to coat. Taste the salad, adjust salt and pepper if needed, and add the remaining dressing if desired. Serve immediately.
GOING GINKGO NUTS
Ginkgo nuts are found inside the putrid-smelling yellowish-orange fruit of the ginkgo tree. The trees are Asian in origin and date back hundreds of millions of years, but you can find them in many towns and cities across North America—they have become popular plants in landscaping because of their robustness in the face of harsh urban and suburban landscapes. The trees are extremely recognizable because of their distinctive fan-shaped leaves (see Foraging at the End of the World, page 102) that turn a beautiful bright yellow in the fall, when the round orange fruit of the Ginkgo ripens and drops, and you will almost certainly smell them before you see them.
If you plan to harvest from a particular tree and there is little shuffling foot traffic in the area, lay out a tarp or sheet to catch the fruits as they fall. Remove the nuts from the fruits wearing gloves, as its mildly toxic flesh tends to irritate skin. Be sure to cook the nuts for at least 30 minutes before eating; when not fully cooked, the nuts can be mildly toxic as well. And don’t be put off by this less-than-enticing preamble; the finished product is rich, slightly chewy, and punchy, a truly great snack or addition to other cooked dishes.
YIELDS:
About 1 lb. of nuts
REQUIRES:
Gloves
Baking sheet or cast-iron pan
HEAT SOURCE:
Indirect, Hibachi Grill or other Oven Hack (page 44)
TIME:
30 minutes prep
30–45 minutes roasting time
INGREDIENTS:
2 lb. gingko fruit
Salt, to taste, if available
METHOD:
Set up Hibachi Grill or other Oven Hack for roasting at about 400°F (see Judging Temperature, page 47). Using gloves (and a face covering of some kind if the smell really bugs you), remove the nuts from the fruit.
Wash the nuts thoroughly in several changes of water (if you have it, but you must rinse the nuts at least once before roasting).
Put the nuts onto the baking tray and roast for 30 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so, until nicely browned and the shells start to crack.
Remove from heat and let sit until cool enough to handle. Using the flat side of a knife or some other tool, crush the nuts to crack the shells, if they are not already cracked. Remove the shell and the brown papery skin. Cooked nuts are shiny and slightly translucent and should be either jade green or amber-yellow.
Season to taste with salt and snack on them as is or pan roast them until brown for added flavor. Use in any recipe where a punchy pungent flavor would work. Consume them promptly or store them in a cold spot (if available).
Apocalyptic Entomophagy
Entomophagy is the practice of eating bugs. You can dress it up in whatever fancy science-y words you like, come TEOTFW—The End of the Free World—chances are grubs will have to find their way into your gob if you don’t want to starve to death.
Here in North America, and in much of Europe, we turn our noses up at the thought of chowing down on insects or other creepy crawlers. Worldwide, however, it’s estimated that approximately 2 billion people consume bugs as part of their regular diets, many doing so with gusto. The truth is, bugs can be delicious.
In fact, the idea of turning “mini-livestock” into a viable food source for human beings is becoming a thing pre-zpoc, with international support from organizations like the United Nations. In a 2013 report the United Nations highly encouraged entomophagy as a way to fill the hunger gap, more efficiently use resources, and reduce the environmental impacts of protein-for-food production: Not only are bugs nutritious and often quite comparable (gram for gram) protein-wise to traditional livestock, but they are also far more efficient at converting feed to edible protein and do not have many of the negative environmental impacts associated with factory farming, like methane emissions. Bug protein is also a great source of iron, zinc, copper, and vitamin B1 (thiamine).
Many bugs are edible. In fact, over 1,400 species have been catalogued as such. The following pages cover a small selection of edible insects that most any North American should be able to find during the zpoc, but know that beyond these specific recommendations there is a whole world of edible insects out there. Not sure if you can eat that creepy crawly squatting in your safe house? Zack Lemann, entomologist and entomophagy enthusiast at the Audubon Nature Institute in New Orleans, advises that when you come across a bug that might make a good meal, remember: if they are brightly colored, excessively stinky or hairy, or are known disease carriers (mosquitoes, flies, etc.), stay away. Also remember when eating any questionable bug for the first time to follow the steps in the Universal Edibility Test (page 24) and ingest only small quantities to begin with.
If circumstances allow, Zack also says it is good practice to purge your insects before you eat them—withholding food or feeding them choice vegetation for a day before consuming them will allow any potentially harmful or unsavory food to pass through their systems. While lots of insects taste very good raw, cooking is an extra level of protection you can provide yourself from parasites and other potentially harmful bacteria. Rinsing before cooking is also a good idea if you have the water to spare. Before cooking, you can remove wings, legs, and heads—which tend to be the toughest parts anyway—to make them a little less, how shall we say, creepy.
If freezing temperatures are available to you (say if you are breeding mealworms or crickets during the winter), the most humane way to kill any insect is by freezing them, whereby they fall asleep and then die. If not, pinching off the head or squeezing the thorax is another quick way to dispatch most any bug.
Like animal protein, bugs should generally be eaten promptly after killing. You can do pretty much anything with insects— sauté, fry, bake, blanch, or grill them. The best cooking methods for individual species will vary; for example, Zack recommends roasting as a great cooking method for already crunchy bugs like grasshoppers and crickets; it will make their exoskeletons, legs, and wings drier and easier to chew. Sautéing is great for bee larvae/pupae while dragonflies take on a lovely crustaceous flavor when fried. And don’t forget the seasoning! Most bugs benefit from a little flavor enhancement, even just a little salt or some simple herbs and spices.
TIP: Harvesting certain insects, specifically those who dwell in colonies (termites, bees, and ants), will in all likelihood seriously damage or even kill the colony from which you harvest. These are actions that are recommended for survival situations only and should not be attempted pre-zpoc.
ANTS (FAMILY FORMICIDAE)
SEASON: All seasons, but easiest to catch during the spring, summer, and fall
Ants are a colony insect. During the summer months, entry points to their nests are easy to find by looking for mounds of dirt with small holes in them and ants typically filing in and out. Their nests can be quite deep underground, especially during cold winter months—as deep at 15 feet.
Most varieties of ants are edible, and all should be cooked—ants contain a lot of formic acid, which gives them a urine-like odor and vinegary flavor, but cooking decreases this by breaking the acid down. Since they are typically pretty small, ants can be snuck into most dishes and baked goods as an added source of protein. They also make for a good roasted snacking food, seasoned with salt and some dried dill.
ANTS
(FAMILY FORMICIDAE)
CICADAS (FAMILY CICADIDAE)
SEASON: Late spring and early summer
Periodical cicadas (Magicicada) have gained notoriety in the eastern part of North America for their extremely long development phase—the nymphs live underground feeding on the fluids of deciduous forest tree roots for anywhere from 13 to 17 years—making their emergence an event eagerly awaited by bug enthusiasts.
CICADAS
(FAMILY CICADIDAE)
All variety of cicadas are edible. Cicadas are arthropods—invertebrates that have exoskeletons, segmented bodies, and jointed appendages. Sharing that classification with shrimp, lobster, and crabs, along with grasshoppers and crickets, cicadas are often referred to as the “shrimp of the land” for their taste, appearance, and seasonal abundance. In fact, anyone with shellfish allergies should avoid arthropods.
When cicadas emerge from their underground nurseries in the spring, they molt, shedding their nymph skins to become adults. After molting they climb onto to tree trunks to avoid predators while their adult exoskeletons harden—this is the best time to harvest as they are easily spotted and still reasonably soft. Early mornings are the best time to look for freshly molted nymphs.
Giving cicadas a quick dip in boiling water is a good way to prepare them for cooking and a sure fire way to kill off any bacteria they might have picked up underground. According to Mike Raupp, professor of entomology at the University of Maryland and author of Cicada-Licious, boiling will bring out the shrimpy flavor of cicadas; eaten au naturel they have a nutty and buttery flavor. Their legs and wings can be quite tough to chew and are best removed before eating or cooking. Their bodies can be roasted, sautéed, grilled, or baked as you please.
CRICKETS (FAMILY GRYLLIDAE)
SEASON: Late spring to early summer for nymphs, mid-summer to late fall for adults
Those lovely Jiminy chirpers are an abundant summertime insect, quite inoffensive, and probably the most widely eaten insect worldwide.
By day crickets hide in dark, moist, and secluded areas, like cracks or drains, and emerge at night to feed, which is when you should try to catch them. Native North Americans would often dig a pit in the middle of a field known to have abundant crickets, then encircle the field and slowly drive the crickets toward the pit. When the pit was full, they would light a fire to roast them. You can also catch crickets with a common insect-nabbing method called “sweeping,” by using broad upward strokes in tall grass or shrubbery with a short-handled net (see page 117).
CRICKET
(FAMILY GRYLLIDAE)
You might prefer to remove the legs and antennae of adult crickets before consuming. Crickets are especially good roasted.
EARTHWORMS (LUMBRICUS TERRESTRIS)
SEASON: All seasons, but they’re easiest to catch during the spring, summer, and fall
“You may not know how to hunt, trap, or fish, but certainly you know how to dig.” Wise words from Green Deane, who writes an excellent foraging blog called Eat The Weeds (eattheweds.com). And the ability to dig is especially handy when it comes to collecting earthworms. There may be over 1.5 million earthworms in an acre of dirt, meaning these are probably the most easily found and caught insects in this guide.
EARTHWORM
(LUMBRICUS TERRESTRIS)
Earthworms are 82% protein and a source of omega-3 fatty acids. They can be eaten in their entirety, meaning no waste. They can also be prepared any number of ways: They add a meaty bite when cooked and added directly to dishes, or a less in-your-face addition to soups or other dishes when dried and powdered. Just be sure to purge them for a day before eating. Depending on your tastes, you might also want to boil them before consuming to remove mucus, much like with snails. Boil, changing the water every few minutes or so, until the water remains clear.
GRASSHOPPER
(SUBORDER CAELIFERA)
GRASSHOPPERS (SUBORDER CAELIFERA)
SEASON: Early spring to early summer for nymphs; early summer to early fall for adults
Grasshoppers look much like crickets, though larger, and tend to have similar habitats and life cycles. Several species are poisonous, so avoid multicolored hoppers and go for the solid green, brown, or black bugs.
You can catch grasshoppers in the same ways you would crickets: by using a large field pit or sweeping with nets. Both grass-hoppers and crickets can be bred; however, they are very picky eaters and unless you know and have a constant supply of their foliage of choice, it can become difficult to sustain them, especially over winter.
Like crickets, you can remove their wings, legs, and antennae before consuming. In mature adults the exoskeleton is quite tough; roasting will make it crunchy, or a strong acidic marinade will soften it.
HONEY BEES (GENUS APIS)
SEASON: Early spring to early fall for larvae and pupae; all seasons for adults
While bees do occasionally build hives in the wild, the vast majority of North America’s bee population is kept at commercial and amateur apiaries—the best place to find them when hunting and foraging.
When they do build a colony in the wild, they are typically found deep in tree trunks. Because of their immense value to the local ecosystem as pollinators and as honey-producers, I would be inclined to keep bees (see Apiculture, page 126) rather than eat them. However, they are quite edible!
HONEY BEES
(GENUS APIS)
Not only are bees pretty tasty, they are generally nutritious. The most sought after are the baby bees (larvae and pupae) tucked away in the honeycomb of a colony. They are prized for their sweet flavor and succulent texture. In Japanese culture, the larvae and pupae are called Hachinoko and are considered a delicacy. They contain about 15% protein and very high amounts of vitamins A and D (so high that regular consumption is not recommended). The adults are also edible (don’t forget to remove those stingers!) and contain about 18% protein, the amino acids lysine and methionine, an assortment of B vitamins, and good quantities of C and E vitamins.
The biggest challenge in harvesting bees is the bees themselves; they will ferociously protect their hive. See Burgling a Beehive (on page 127) for more information on preparing to engage with bees and finding the larvae and pupae or “brood.” Once in, you can harvest full frames of brood from commercial hive structures or cut out pieces of comb containing the brood from wild hives. Melt the comb gently in hot water, freeing the bees from the wax. Rinse them well with hot water to remove the remaining wax and then prepare as desired.
MEALWORMS (TENEBRIO MOLITOR)
SEASON: Spring through fall
Mealworms are the larvae of the darkling beetle. They are about an inch long and typically a whitish-yellow color, though they darken as they age. Once hatched, mealworms will remain in the larval stage for about 3 months, at which point they will transform into pupae for about a week and then hatch into adult beetles. The larval stage can be prolonged if they are kept at cool temperatures.
As soon as you are safely able to get out of your house or apartment, scout out the pet stores in your area—many carry mealworms as food for lizards and other pets.
MEALWORMS &ADULT DARKLING BEETLE
(TENEBRIO MOLITOR)
The larvae (mealworms) are what you want to eat, but take whatever you find and you can breed them for food (see Raising Mealworms, page 125). They will be harder to find in the wild, though parks, woodlands, and other green spaces are your best bet. Look in dark, moist, and hidden spots like under logs or leaf piles.
Mealworms are tender and have a generally thin skin (though it thickens and darkens with maturity). They can be incorporated into virtually any dish, like Mealworm Fried Rice (page 122), but work especially well with potatoes and are popular in cookies too.
TERMITES
(INFRAORDER ISOPTERA)
TERMITES (INFRAORDER ISOPTERA)
SEASON: All seasons
In nature, termites provide the valuable function of breaking down wood and returning its nutrients to the soil. They do not hibernate, though their activity in winter slows. You can generally find them by hacking into large pieces of dead or rotting wood in forests and parks. When harvesting them from a colony be sure to wear long sleeves, pants, and gloves; the soldier termites have strong, well-developed jaws and bite hard.
Termite colonies contain three castes—workers, soldiers, and reproductives—that all look slightly different. All castes of termite are edible, though most eaters consider the winged reproductives the most tasty. Termites contain all the essential amino acids that humans require, and their flavor can be described as “minty wood.” They are small enough to be used as mix-ins in baked goods like breads or cookies or roasted and kept as a trail snack.
ROASTED CRICKETS
By far the most popular way to serve crickets, enjoyed the world over from Bangkok to Vancouver, is roasted. Roasting crickets, grasshoppers, and other insects with a tough exoskeleton makes them crispy and crunchy and much more pleasantly munched on. Roasted crickets take on a mildly shrimpy flavor. In fact, if you have a shellfish allergy, you should not eat crickets, grasshoppers, or cicadas. They are members of the arthropod family, along with shrimp, crab, and lobster.
This recipe is easily adapted to whatever spices and seasonings you have on hand, so experiment with different flavors.
YIELDS:
2 c. roasted crickets
REQUIRES:
Baking sheet, lined with parchment or lightly greased
Large mixing bowl
HEAT SOURCE:
Indirect, Ammo Can Oven or other Oven Hack (page 44)
TIME:
5 minutes prep
30 minutes bake time
INGREDIENTS:
2 c. crickets
1–2 tbsp. oil
2 tbsp. cornmeal
1 tsp. cayenne or chili powder
Salt & pepper, to taste
1 tbsp. or a couple of takeout packets soy sauce (if available)
METHOD:
Set up a Ammo Can Oven or other Oven Hack for 350°F roasting (see Judging Temperature, page 47). Remove the large hind legs, wings, antennae, or whole head from each cricket, if desired.
Toss the crickets in the oil until evenly coated. Sprinkle with the cornmeal, cayenne, salt and pepper and soy sauce (if using), then toss again.
Spread the crickets out on a baking sheet and bake for 20–30 minutes until golden brown and crispy. Note that some crickets will change color when cooking.
Let cool completely before eating.
MEALWORM FRIED RICE
Once the pandemonium of the initial outbreak has passed, if you can get your grubby survivor hands on some mealworms (not actually worms, but the larvae of the darkling beetle), you will have a no-fuss-nomuss source of protein that is also a great starter bug for anyone not accustomed to entomophagy (eating insects; see Apocalyptic Entomophagy, page 115). They are also dead easy to raise yourself (see Raising Mealworms, page 125).
As far as the yuck factor goes, mealworms are pretty harmless looking: no pointy legs or searching antennae, bulging eyes or stingers. Mealworms have a springy texture and slightly nutty flavor, making them good for a variety of applications—roasting, sweet and savory baking, or stewing.
Though the recipe here uses rice, you can use any shelf-stable grain. Generally, leftover rice works quite well for fried rice, though you can also cook your rice fresh and air-dry it a little on a baking sheet. Use whatever foraged ingredients you have available in your area, though lambsquarters work very well here (see Foraging at the End of the World, page 102). What makes this recipe especially good is the garlic and ginger, which can be grown successfully when Rooftop Farming (page 153) or Window Farming (page 148). Mince both the garlic and ginger on the large side and cook them slowly until they are medium brown and crunchy.
This recipe is adapted from Jean-Georges’ “Ginger Fried Rice,” published in Mark Bittman’s January 2010 New York Times article “The Minimalist: Fried Rice, Dressed Simply.”
YIELDS:
2–3 Hungry Survivor servings, 4 Regular Joe servings
REQUIRES:
Chef’s or survival knife and cutting board
Medium saucepan or pot with lid
Baking sheet
Large cast-iron skillet or other frying pan
Slotted spoon
Small bowl
HEAT SOURCE:
Direct, open flame or other Stovetop Hack (page 42)
TIME:
10 minutes prep
30 minutes cooking time
INGREDIENTS:
4 c. potable water
2 c. white rice or other grain
2 c. foraged or farmed mealworms
½ c. vegetable or olive oil plus a splash for cooking rice
3 cloves farmed or foraged field garlic (2 tbsp. minced)
¼ c. minced farmed ginger
1 c. minced farmed onion
2 c. foraged lambsquarters, washed and roughly chopped
2 tsp. sesame oil (if available)
4 tsp. soy sauce (if available; try to scavenge some takeout packets)
Salt & pepper, to taste
METHOD:
Start a cooking fire or set up other Stovetop Hack. In a medium saucepan or other pot, bring the water and rice, along with a splash of oil and pinch of salt, to a boil. Once it reaches a boil, cover, adjust flame to low heat, and let the rice cook undisturbed for about 15 minutes (if using white rice; adjust cooking time for other types of rice or grains).
In the meantime, rinse the mealworms well with fresh potable water. Set aside. Once the rice is cooked, let it sit covered for about 5 minutes off the heat, then spread on a baking sheet to dry out. Set aside.
Heat ¼ cup of vegetable oil in a skillet or other frying pan over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger, then cook, stirring frequently, until it is nicely browned and crispy—do not brown over excessively high heat; rather, brown the garlic and ginger gently for about 5 minutes. Remove the ginger and garlic with the slotted spoon, draining off as much fat as you can, and add to a small bowl. Sprinkle with salt and toss, then set aside.
Reduce the heat to low and add more oil if needed. Cook the onions until they are soft and translucent without taking on much color. Adjust the flame again to medium-high heat and add the mealworms. Cook until they begin to brown, stirring frequently, for about 5 minutes. Add the lambsquarters and cook until the greens are wilted and tender, another 3 minutes.
Add the rice to the pan and mix to distribute the onion, mealworms, and lambsquarters evenly. Add salt and pepper to taste. Continue mixing until the rice is heated through. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed. Divide the rice among bowls, then top with a drizzle of sesame oil, soy sauce, and the fried garlic and ginger. Serve immediately.
Raising Mealworms
Mealworms are an excellent choice for “mini-livestock” during the zpoc because they are a no-fuss-no-muss insect requiring little in the way of specialized equipment— a few empty Tupperware containers perforated with air holes and some simple bedding is all they need to be comfortable. Most importantly, they are not picky eaters—they can consume most any form of vegetation you give them (though they prefer fruits and vegetables).
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Mealworms, pupae, or mature darkling beetles
4 plastic storage containers including lids
6–8 c. oats, bran, or cornmeal
Moist vegetable or fruit like carrots, potatoes, apple (canned works well too)
As soon as you are safely able to do so, head straight to your local pet store(s) to try to find live mealworms; they are often carried as food for lizards and other insect-loving pets. Another good place to try is bait shops (if they exist near you), where you might also score some earthworms while you are at it.
By the time you get to them, the mealworms may have morphed into pupae or beetles, or even perished from lack of food and water—though larvae and adult beetles will consume pupae if hungry, meaning they might be able to sustain themselves for a little while without care. In the wild they are harder to find, but look in dark, moist, and hidden places like under logs or piles of rotting leaves.
Once you have mealworms, pupae, or beetles (or a combination thereof), you will need to separate each type out into their own container. Each container should include some bedding (oatmeal, cornmeal, or bran work well if you can get them) and a slice of a moist fruit or vegetable, like apple or potato. A piece of canned fruit will also work, but it will mold more quickly and need to be replaced more frequently. Replenish food as needed. Each lid should be punctured with air holes before covering your critters.
If you store the mealworms at cool (fridge-like) temperatures, it will delay their development and thereby increase the window of optimal edibility, but you should warm them to ambient temperature before feeding. Be sure to check them at least once a day to pick out any critters that have moved on to the next stage of development and put them into a pupae-dedicated or a beetle-dedicated box; otherwise, cannibalism of pupae will become a problem in the larvae and pupae bins. Remove dead or malformed bugs as well.
After about 2 weeks, swap out the bedding in the mature beetles’ bin as they should have begun laying eggs in it and may start to eat them. Give the beetles fresh bedding and store the used bedding in its own container. The eggs hidden in the bedding will hatch, and the mealworms can be moved back to the appropriate bin; the bedding can be reused if it is still reasonably clean.
Apiculture
During the zombie apocalypse you can be sure I would beeline it for the honey. Not only is apiculture (the keeping of honey bees) extremely important to our ecosystems and thus post-apocalyptic food growing efforts (its true importance only too recently realized with the increasing incidence of Colony Collapse Disorder), but the honey they produce is, to use a trendy and overused word, a “superfood.”
Because of its natural hydrogen peroxide content, honey has been shown to speed up the healing of wounds when applied topically (no, not zombie bites, sorry); it is full of polyphenols, a type of antioxidant that promotes heart health and protects against cancer; and it can aid in digestion. Made up almost entirely of easily digested sugars, honey is an excellent source of energy. Plus bee larvae and pupae are excellent protein sources. That’s serious bang for your survivor buck!
Unfortunately, the chances of happening upon a hive while scavenging the wasteland or bugging out in the wilderness are low. According to Chase Emmons, Chief Beekeeper at the Brooklyn Grange (in “Apocalypse Q&A: Beekeeper” by Jamie Feldmar, appearing in Issue 6: Winter 2013 of Lucky Peach magazine), wild honeybees are rare. They are not indigenous to North America and were brought here by the Pilgrims from Europe in the 17th century. The majority of our honeybee population is maintained and supported at managed apiaries, or bee farms, across the continent. You might find feral colonies living in drywall, ceilings, or in hollowed-out trees deep in the woods. But my recommendation would be to actively seek out local bee farms from which you can adopt a hive or harvest honey, and I suggest highlighting them on the survival map in your Flee with Flavor Bug-Out Bag (page 5).
HOW BEES WORK
Bees are fascinating little creatures—far more interesting than I can communicate in this modest survival guide—and if you are going to attempt to harvest honey or keep bees during the zpoc, there are a few basics worth knowing.
There are three types of bees in a hive—the workers, the drones, and the queen. There is only one queen per hive, and without a queen, a colony will quickly perish. The hive is almost continuously replenishing its population, and the queen is the only one who can lay the fertilized eggs that produce workers or new queens. A virgin queen mates once soon after birth and can then lay fertilized eggs for the rest of her life—approximately 3,000 eggs per day for upward of four years! When the queen senses that drones are needed, she will lay unfertilized eggs. (Yes! Drones come from unfertilized eggs!) Workers can also lay unfertilized eggs, but it is rare and only done when the queen is unproductive or has died, and they sense egg production has stopped. You can pick out the queen by looking for her noticeably longer torso and legs.
The vast majority of a colony’s population is made up of female worker bees that do all of the maintenance for the hive—build comb, feed the drones and queen, care for the young, and gather the ingredients needed to make honey. During the summer they literally work themselves to death and typically live a mere 30 days.
Drones are the only males in the colony and are typically few in number—their only function is to mate with a virgin queen. Since they are useless during the winter months when the colony is hibernating, the colony will eject the drones as the weather gets colder.
At commercial or hobby apiaries, bees are typically housed in large wooden boxes. Inside these boxes are individual wooden frames that provide a surface on which the bees build their wax comb. These boxes are usually divided into two distinct areas. The “deep hive body” is typically 1–2 large boxes that form the base of the hive. The deep hive is a hub of activity: Here the queen will lay eggs, and the workers will care for the young (called “brood”) and store sealed (or “capped”) honey for the winter. Eggs are laid in individual cells of the honeycomb, and the brood will go through several stages of development there until they emerge as adult bees. You can differentiate brood from capped honey by the more prominent and bumpier caps on the brood cells. Above the deep hive body are smaller boxes, called “supers,” where excess honey is stored and from which beekeepers generally harvest.
BURGLING A BEEHIVE
Especially during the initial stages of the zpoc, you’ll probably be doing more burgling than beekeeping—you will (respectfully!) steal that liquid gold but won’t really have much time to hang around and take care of the colony.
Whether you’re dealing with wild or farmed bees, burgling a beehive is a tricky business. Before making like a bear and diving into a hive, you should consider protection, how you will handle the bees (with care!), and how to go about harvesting the honey so as to minimally impact the colony.
Protection
Bees will want to protect their precious hive, honey, and queen from your advances. And you will want to protect your flesh from their stingers. Cover every square inch of flesh with layers, layers, and layers. Thick denim or leather makes a great base! Additionally, you will need to cover your face. You can improvise a beekeeper’s hat with a wide brimmed hat and some fine-mesh netting if you can scavenge those items; otherwise, Chase suggests trying a 5-gallon bucket. Cut out a hole for your face, then cover the hole with a fine-mesh screen (from a door or window). Attach fabric on the inside that will drape down to seal off your shoulder area.
Bee Handling
Smoke is a traditional method used in handling bees. The (false) threat of fire triggers their natural instinct to prepare to flee the hive, and they will become temporarily distracted by gorging themselves on honey to tide them over until they can find and set up a new home. Once they are stuffed, it becomes harder for them to flex the muscles needed to sting. Smoke also destroys the pheromones bees use to communicate, creating mass panic and confusion in addition to hampering their retaliation efforts.
While smoke is an effective way of handling bees, it does cause stress and damage to the colony and should be used in moderation. If you decide to become a zpoc beekeeper, you can limit the amount of smoke you need (if any) by visiting the hive on bright sunny days when most workers will be out foraging.
To create a bee-friendly smoker, burn leaves, paper, and small dry twigs in a container with a small opening that lets out streams of smoke (a soda can, for example). When first approaching the hive, stream some smoke into the entrance to set the bees on alert, then waft it over sections of comb or hive as needed.
Harvesting
Accessing the honey in a way that has minimum impact on the hive itself should be your main goal—that way you can leave the colony intact, the bees will continue to provide their important ecological services, and you can be provided with a steady supply of food.
This will be hard if you’re harvesting from a wild colony living deep in a tree or in drywall—chances are you will need to destroy the colony to get at the honey. This should only be done in extreme survival situations! It’s far easier to harvest from a hobbyist’s or commercial beekeeper’s farm. You can remove the rectangular frames housing the comb from the hive structure one at a time, though you will need something to pry them loose with—a shoehorn-like metal tool (called a hive tool) should be kicking around any bee farm.
Look for capped honey to harvest; the caps are semitranslucent and more flush with the comb than the capped brood (that you may also want to harvest), which has bumpy and more prominent caps. Remove the frames you want, smoking the bees as needed, and shaking them back onto the comb you are leaving behind. This is important because you want to avoid displacing the queen. If the hive is healthy, however, the bees should be able to raise a new queen if anything happens to her during your raid. When done with each frame, carefully replace it, smoking the area beforehand to clear the area of any bees that might get crushed.
Be kind to the bees and don’t overharvest! Remember, their honey is their only natural source of food.
BEEKEEPING BASICS
If you find yourself at a swell Long-Haul Bug-Out Location (page 306) or other semipermanent location, it will most certainly be worth your while to hunt down an existing hobby or commercial farm and adopt a colony.
Bees have got it bad—keeping a hive healthy and productive is tough enough during the best of pre-zpoc times, let alone when modern medicines and equipment will be off the table. But generally speaking, your hive will require little from you and is fairly self-sufficient. Here’s a rundown of the basics.
Regular inspections are common practice when the hive is operating full throttle during spring and summer months. To ensure your hive is healthy, look for the queen herself or, since the queen can be hard to spot, evidence that the queen is alive and well and reproducing. Single tiny rice-shaped eggs at the very bottom of open cells and compact area(s) with bumpy capped brood or bright white larvae are good indicators.
Fall and spring inspections are particularly important in temperate climates as opportunities for you to help the colony transition through seasons. Though the bees “cluster” to keep themselves warm throughout the winter, as the weather cools you can provide them with a little extra protection from wind and snow. A loose-fitting tarp might work well—just be sure to allow ample air circulation or you will suffocate the colony. You may also need to feed the colony to help them get through the winter if they do not have enough honey on hand. The average colony living in colder northern states needs at least 8 frames of capped honey to get through the winter (keep that in mind when harvesting!). The colony may also need feeding in the spring if they’ve exhausted their honey supplies.
In either case, feed your bees a water and sugar solution called “syrup.” Different concentrations will stimulate different behaviors in the hive, but a 1:2 ratio of sugar to water is a good all-purpose syrup. The simplest way to deliver the syrup is through a thick resealable bag punctured with tiny needle holes and laid hole-side up in an empty super.
ROASTED TREE RAT
Squirrels get a bad rap. Their unfortunate nickname “tree rat” is indicative of how most people view them—as just another pesky disease-carrying rodent. I prefer the more romantic view of them as peaceful denizens of the forest, integral to the varied ecosystems they call home. These creatures, easily found across North America, also make for good table fare. (See Bagging Squirrel, opposite, for tips on hunting squirrel with both firearms and traps/snares.)
Unlike other edible urban animals, such as raccoon and pigeon, tree squirrels are far more picky about their diet and tend to eat almost exclusively vegetation and nuts—meaning they clock in far lower on the ick scale than other more opportunistic eaters (see You Are What You Eat, page 132). Though squirrels are known to carry fibromatosis in the South and babesiosis in California, the meat can always be made safe to eat with proper cooking (read: well-done).
Author of The Scavenger’s Guide to Haute Cuisine and host of the Sportsman Channel’s show MeatEater, Steven Rinella grew up in Michigan and hunted/ate squirrel often as a kid. Pre-zpoc when he feels a little nostalgic for squirrel meat, he sets up traps in his Brooklyn backyard to catch them. He suggests a simple preparation of roasting the animal in quarters, and I have amended his recipe to incorporate wild seasonings that can be used in place of lemon juice and thyme.
This recipe is adapted from Steve Rinella’s “Lemon-Thyme Squirrel,” published in August 2012 in the New York Post.
YIELDS:
1 Hungry Survivor serving, 2 Regular Joe servings
REQUIRES:
Chef’s or survival knife and cutting board
1 medium mixing bowl
Fork or other implement for poking small holes into the meat
Skewers or nonpoisonous hardwood tree branches
HEAT SOURCE:
Direct, open flame, or indirect, Oven Hack (page 44)
TIME:
10 minutes prep
20 minutes cook time
INGREDIENTS:
1 squirrel (field dressed, see Basic Field Dressing & Butchery, page 37)
½ c. oil, preferably olive
Salt & pepper, to taste
A good handful of foraged lambsquarters, poor man’s pepper, and wood sorrel, roughly chopped
METHOD:
Before starting, make sure your knives are sharpened and ready to go. If you have large shears available, you can snip the squirrel; otherwise, use your knife to cut the animal in half lengthwise. Then cut each half into quarters by cutting just below the rib cage. With a fork, pierce each piece of meat several times and add to a medium mixing bowl.
Wash your hands thoroughly and have all remaining ingredients close at hand. For seasoning, keep one hand clean (i.e., handle the meat with only one hand). Sprinkle salt and pepper liberally over the meat with your clean hand, using the other hand to rub it in. Do the same for the oil and herbs.
Let the meat sit for about 20 minutes while you wash up your hands and tools (sanitizing them in boiling water if proper soap is not available), and prepare the fire. Roast over an open flame or using another Oven Hack set for 400°F (see Judging Temperature, page 47) for 15 minutes or so, turning frequently to ensure even cooking. The meat should be completely cooked through to an internal temperature of 160°F before eating.
Bagging Squirrel
The upside to hunting and trapping squirrel during the zpoc? For most urban and suburban zpoc survivors, they will be abundant and easily found. The downside is that most species tend to be quite skittish, making them tough to actively hunt, especially if you’ve never hunted before. Another knock against tree rats is their size—even the fattest squirrel will typically feed only one person. The average gray weighs in at about a pound and offers a mere 1,000 calories. When operating in survival mode, you would need to catch at least three per day per person to meet the minimum recommended survival-mode daily intake of 3,000 calories—though the fatter and lazier fox squirrels can come in at a hefty 3 pounds!
Given their skittishness and low calorie count, squirrels are best considered a good supplemental food source that you spend little time and energy trying to obtain, which means making traps and snares (see Tracking, Hunting, & Trapping, page 25) is the most energy- and time-efficient way to go about catching them.
Here’s a rundown for bagging the ubiquitous tree rat:
WHERE THEY LIVE
Tree squirrels (as opposed to their less common ground-dwelling and flying brethren) can be found in woodlands, parks, and other green spaces throughout the United States and southern Canada. The majority of tree squirrels you’re likely to come across will be various species of gray, fox, and red, and each has slightly different geographies, appearances, and habits. Generally speaking, though, tree squirrels are at home among the branches, nesting within trees when possible or building large leafy nests in the crotches of branches.
HUNTING TIPS
Find trees that bear nuts, and you will almost certainly find squirrels (excluding harsher climates of the far north). But squirrels actually have quite a varied diet that can be drawn on for baiting them: tree buds, maple bark, wild fruits, corn and grain when available, bulbs, roots, and the occasional insect or bird’s egg. Often trees that host squirrels will have fine scratches in their bark and cuttings (nutshells, pieces of vegetation, etc.) at their bases.
When using traps, leave them open with food inside for several days so the squirrel can become accustomed to feeding there. If hunting with a firearm, the most effective method is planting—find a tree that hosts them and plant yourself at said tree before dawn. Clear a 2-foot radius around you to avoid any rustling—you must remain utterly still and quiet.
EATING TIPS
Squirrels have tough hides that are difficult to remove, so skin them while they are still warm (minutes after dispatching them). If the hide is difficult to pull off by hand, you can cut away the fur, just be sure to keep the blade pointed away from the meat so as to avoid getting fur onto the meat underneath. The tougher the hide is to remove, the older the animal, which can be helpful in determining whether you should quick cook or braise them. After cleaning and dressing them, if you are in need of a quick on-the-run type meal, it’s easiest to roast them whole though they can be broken down into smaller parts (see Basic Field Dressing & Butchery, page 37). Flavor will depend on their diet (squirrels living in primarily coniferous forests tend to have a more woodsy and pronounced flavor, for example), but generally their flavor is fairly neutral and often likened to wild rabbit.