Are slugs edible?

DaleW

DaleW

Joined
Dec 22, 2006
Messages
2,194
Now, being a native of the Pacific Northwest, I've slipped and slid on my share of slugs while tromping down the trail. I've always wondered if they are edible. Are they escargot without the shell or poisonous/nasty to eat? I mean, geez, if Bear Grylls can squeeze the water from elephant dung, what's the challenge in a little toasted slug? They are easy to catch and it wouldn't take much to cook one. Regardless of the safety, I wouldn't eat one raw--- YUCK!
 
Parasites can be a problem according to your link: parasitic rat lungworms.

From a vetinary site: http://www.uac.arizona.edu/notes/dog&catinf97/#Lungworms-cats
"Lungworms. Lungworms produce coughing and lung irritation. One species is transmitted by eating infected snails, slugs, rodents, and birds and another from ingesting eggs or larvae directly. Treatment is effective..."

I donwannaknowanymore.....
 
I asked a guy that teaches outdoor survival about eating slugs once, and I never forgot his reply.

"when you never hear anyone talk about foraging a certain plant or animal, there is usually a good reason why"

PS, I was specifically asking him about common garden slugs.
 
My husky loved Oregon banana slugs. She ate them every chance she got.

Never tried them myself!
 
I've always been told they can carry some nasty parasites and some reports have said meningitis as well.
 
Hey Guys...

Karen Hood has a cool method of doing those Big Assed slugs..You know the ones the size of you thumb or bigger....

Dumb them into a fish aquarium with corn meal for a couple of days to crap out all the dirt...
Smear a inch of vasoline all around the top inside of the glas to keep them from escaping...
Karen says when you put corn meal in the bottom,, they Bread themselves!! LOL

Don't know about cooking them,, but I would assume they need to be cooked well..

ttyle

Eric
O/ST
 
SAS Survival Guide says for snails and slugs to starve them for a few days or only feed them on non-poisonous plants so they can excrete their poisons. Then put them in saltwater to clear the guts. Finally boil for 10 minutes adding herbs for flavour.
 
jho said:
SAS Survival Guide says for snails and slugs to starve them for a few days or only feed them on non-poisonous plants so they can excrete their poisons. Then put them in saltwater to clear the guts. Finally boil for 10 minutes adding herbs for flavour.
Click to expand...

Gotta get that book. Sounds like a plan if you're stranded for a while. I guess it's a better plan to find something furry and kill it.

I lived across the perimeter road from a small lake. The ducks used to wander though our tall grass looking for slugs. They would walk in a line, like a bunch of beaters driving game from the bush. Once in a while a duck would snatch one in its bill, flip it up and down the hatch. Makes me want to eat duck too.... not.
 
Talking of parasites, take a look at a common garden slug with a hand lens. They are usually covered with tiny little crawling beasties!

Technically, the same animal as a snail.

Bon appetit!

Rick.
 
Slugs? fok that! Fact is most Westerners are slightly to a lot overweight so give me water and funghi for a few days, I'll live off my fat reserves rather than ingest a whole load of parasites.
 
No! :eek: They are NOT the edible type and besides, edible snails need purging by starvation before eating them. There are some wicked poisons in many common snails,plus your neighbours MIGHT have been putting slug pellets down for them just before...formaldehyde anyone?Leave them for the hedgehogs(which are a much more promising food source)
 
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