Hare Cleaning- Step by Step Photos

Today I thought I would share with you guys a little step by step photo story of how to clean a Hare, This method can be applied to rabbit and other small game such as squirrel and in extreme survival situations when the world has gone to pot it will work on next doors cat!

I would like to point out there is "more than one way to skin a cat" there are certainly faster methods, cleaner methods for neat freaks and messier, more brutal method for those of you who do not care about the pelt.

I choose this method for roadkill for a few reasons- Firstly I always save the pelts for making fur items at home, Secondly because the longer the carcass has been sitting at the side of the road the tougher the skin become to remove (some people disagree, until I remind them I'm a small girl not a 6'5'' foot lumberjack). Third, I used the 'cut n pull' method on a pretty bashed up hare which resulted in guts everwhere, You cant always tell what the damage is like until you open them up. The fourth reason is I think handling an animal with care shows a more respect than some of the brutal methods I've witness.

When ever I clean a rabbit or a hare I'm taken back to my childhood, standing in a wheel barrow so I was tall enough to see my dad teaching me how to clean a rabbit on the dustbin ''first you take his shoes off, Then you take his socks off, Then we take his hat off, then we unzip his trousers, then we take his jumper off, then we see what he had for breakfast'' It sounds absurd but I never forgot so his teaching method worked!

Before you begin you will need a good sharp knife, a bowl of clean water to wash your hare once its jointed, i chopping board if possible and a couple of carrier bags.

Also I would like to note if you shot the Hare you would more than likely gut and jug it in the field/at the roadside

Above you can see the hare in full, This is a road kill animal and shows considerable damage to the head.

The first step is to make sure the rabbit has no urine left in its bladder but squeezing the bladder.


I start by snapping the front and back legs, bending them over and cutting through the fur. And then remove the head.

If you have a sharp hatchet or meat cleaver you can chop the feet off in one clean swoop.

Put the legs in a bag to one side these can be use later on in traps, used as dog chews or you can even make a key ring if your that way inclined!

Gently pinch the tummy fur and lift, this will separate the fur from the stomach and allow you to pierce through the skin without cutting the abdomen.

As displayed in the three photographs below, being by cutting the fur along the tummy and across each leg to the ankle.

Use your fingers to lift the fur away from the meat until the back end of the hare is skinned, you may need to cut around the tail or cut the tail off.

Grab hold of the hares feet with one hand and with the other hand grab hold of the fur and pull the fur clean off like removing a jumper.

Very carefully lift the layer of tissue that keeps 
the guts in place and cut the stomach open, making sure you do not cut the bowls or organs.

If you haven't already done so, cut the tail off now (pictured below)

Drop the guts into a bag and use your hands to clean the side of the hare, put the edible organs (Liver, Kidneys and Heart) to one side for cooking, and the intestines can be used in your traps

The pictures below may not look very nice but this stage is vital, you need to make sure that you push your finger through the anus to remove any poop that may be left in there

Slice underneath the 'armpit' to remove the front legs on both sides
and do the same from the inside of the back leg joint.

Cut the spine in half where the chest plate finishes and you will be left with a jointed hare like below. If your looking for a nice simple hare recipe take a look at - www.zombiesurvivalfoodbible.blogspot.co.uk/2013/08/posh-hare-stew-recipe.html

Thank you so much for taking the time to have a look, Please get in touch with any comments or questions :)

Summer

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

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Pheasant, Bacon and Onion Quick Recipe

This is a little video of my quickly cooking the pheasant i had just cleaned it makes a lovely pie filling, potato topping, or sandwich filling 

1 onion diced
2 slices of bacon
2 pheasant breasts
1 table spoon of duck fat or fat of your choice

simply fry until the meat is slightly golden :)


I would love for you guys to get in touch now :) This is the final video of three, If you watch it you will see I'm going up into the woods tomorrow (20/10/2013) and doing some outdoor cooking, I have 1 full pheasant ready and waiting for your suggestions, Conact me with any recipes you want to try, any ingredients your unsure of or just a challenge to see what i can come up with :)

I apologies for the quality of the video, these were taken on a mobile phone and have lost quality while being uploaded to youtube. Also no planning went in to the videos, its just a little fun

Thank you so much for reading and watching, Please get in touch with any comments or questions : )

Summer

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

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Cleaning Pheasants -no 2- Skinning and Gutting the Bird for Roasting

This is the second video showing a quick and easy method of skinning a pheasant, with a few helpful tips.

I apologies for the quality of the video, these were taken on a mobile phone and have lost quality while being uploaded to youtube. Also no planning went in to the videos so its just me talking at you:)


Thank you so much for reading and watching, Please get in touch with any comments or questions :

Summer

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

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Pheasant Cleaning- Removing Breast Meat Simple/Fast

The lovely Caitlin aka @summerbo2gamer on twitter was kind enough to contact me over the email form to talk about wild camping, hunting and skinning small game. This lead to a lengthy conversation and me agreeing to make a couple of video's about cleaning small game.

Here is the first video of three of me cleaning 2 roadkill pheasants, showing one of the most simple methods of removing meat from a bird, For those of you who read the pigeon recipe, this is the same method I used for pigeons. So take a little look :)

I have to apologies for the quality of the video, these were taken on a mobile phone and have lost quality while being uploaded to youtube. Also no planning went in to the videos so its just me talking at you for a few mins...
I will put up the next two videos in a mo

Thank you so much for reading and watching, Please get in touch with any comments or questions :

Summer

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

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DEER DIARY- First time deer cleaning experience

 

I thought I would share with you my first ever deer cleaning experience, As some of you will already know I eat road kill every week and the roe deer has to be the jack pot as far as road kill is concerned,  It was hit by a car and still warm to touch so it came straight home.

Over the years I have watched masses of videos on deer cleaning, I would go as far as saying I am obsessed, I watched videos from red necks using their trucks to skin the animals (which I personally would not do as it shows so little respect for the animal) to talented chefs like Mark Gilchrist expertly butchering a deer and teaching about the cuts of meat.

It has to be one of the best free experiences of my life, I'm pleased to say that watching the videos paid off as I skinned and butchered the deer from memory with help from my amazing Dad who encourages me in all my random activities and the camera skills of my friend Emma. This wasn't a rush job, from field to freezer it took over 3 hours, I could definitely speed the the process up next time but for a first time it was as much about learning and finding my feet and what worked best for me with the tools I had. (I should also say a special thank you to my mum, who was not happy with us doing this on the garden but still made us cups of tea and had a little look)

Please excuse me as I am much more comfortable referring to the deer carcass as Bambi, I hope this does not cause offence.

At first we tried to hang the carcass from a tree using nails and bailing twine, as i had saw similar in John Lofty Wiseman - SAS Survival Guide. This failed miserably, Dad then pointed out we have two industrial hooks on the stable side for horse training.
So some string, 3 people lifting and few minutes later we had bambi in a great starting position. 

 
I started out by trying to cut the throat to bleed the animal but it had been a little to late for this by the time we got home. My knives let me down at this stage too- time to invest in some ramboesk fix blade hunting knives!

So I moved on to splitting the carcase, taking a good look at the organs and inspecting the site of impact.
I was really pleased to find the bladder full, a healthy liver,  no burst intestines and everything smelt fine.

All the edible organs were put to one side for us and all the offal etc went to one side to use in traps.

After a good inspection it was time to start removing the skin, This took a lot longer than planned, it was so different from any other animal I have cleaned which once again lead me to think not only do I need some new knives but I need to sharpen my existing knives.

Wearing marigolds may look very girly but I promise you its worth looking like a girl. I've skinned and gutted to many animals bare hands and that smell lingers on your skin for ages!!

At this stage I wanted to clean up around the anus and just make sure Bambi was clean. For those of you who clean animals you will know the importance of poking your finger through the anus to remove any droppings

Skinning was slow and steady, This image shows the damage to the chest cavity caused by the car, You may have notice from the first set on photos I split the stomach but not the chest, I wanted to take a look at the lungs and chest separately, so they got opened up over another bag. Once again everything looked and smelt fine.

By this stage the baling twine had snapped on one side from the weight, I had given up trying to stay clean, and being delicate, I ended up sitting in blood and decided it was time to pull!!!

which resulted in the best ever father daughter bonding photo ever ever ever!! You can't see the smile on my face but you can see my dad is just about to start laughing as Emma the camera lady shouted pulllll :)

Finally the fur off in one piece, This got soaked in a bucket of water, nailed to a board and salted and left in the stables.
I am a firm believer in nothing should go to waste! The skull went into a bucket and out to one side ready to be made into a decoration.

So lots of Time, Tea, Team-Work, Chopping and learning later we had a full bambi cleaned and in the freezer!

I'm so grateful to my dad for giving me this opportunity, joining in in my excitement and I'm so proud because I witnessed him cooking for the first time ever as we sliced a nice fillet for each of us.

I would also like to say a special thank you to Emma for being mad enough to not only come and watch, but to film and to eat with us.

Not forgetting an extra special thank you to my mum who doesn't know how she made such a tom boy for a daughter but loves me anyway and still allows me to visit every day.

 

 Thank you so much for reading, Please get in touch with any comments or questions :)

Summer

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

Different Steel Strikers- Fire Skills

The ability to create fire without a lighter or match will save your life in a survival situation, fire is essential for cooking, boiling water and keeping warm, Fire can also be used to signal, keep animals away from camp, drying clothing and other logs for burning, preserving meat and fish, used as a source of light and boosting moral.

Learning how to create fire without a light or a match is a skill that must be practised time and time again and in all weather conditions using different mediums, All preppers and out doors folk should have a good flint and striker as it is arguably the best way to start a fire without a lighter or match. I carry my striker with me at all times in my survival tin and I suggest you do too!

This week I have been chatting on twitter with the wonderful @Archer245. He is a mind of information and has been kind enough to film a video for the blog :) If you are interested in bush-craft or the great outdoors I highly recommend following him on twitter.

This is a must watch video for anyone who's looking into setting up their bug out bag, upgrading their survival kit or thinking of making a steel striker for themselves. The video details different steel strikers, shows how well they spark and discusses the different methods used to make them.
So take a little look now :)

If you would like any further information on the steel strikers or any other questions about the blog please feel free to get in touch on the info below.

I also want to say a huge thank you to @Archer245 for taking the time out to make the video! THANK YOU!

 Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

The Rule of Three

For those of you out there who are interested in survival you already be aware of the rule of three, for those of you that don't know, this is basically a memory aid to remind you what's most important in a survival situation and allows you to prioritise. Once you had managed to escape the immediate threat of a zombie attack would you know what steps to take next? Could you figure out what was your most important need based on your situation? The rule of three will help you, The rule goes as follows-

·        3 minutes without air 

·        3 hours without shelter

·        3 days without water

·        3 weeks without food
      3 pints of blood maximum loss
      3 uses of fire- Heat, Water Purification and Cooking

These rules are not solid but a good guide line, Some people can much much more than
3 minutes without air, some people considerably less, also the circumstances change, If you were plunged into ice cold water this figure would be reduced dramatically. 

Shelter will be paramount in a zombie apocalypse, you must not only think about the fact that the human body can fail after 3 hours without shelter in extreme climates, but if you intend on resting you need to make sure you are protected from a zombie attack by being in a secure location such as a building or being very well hidden in by perhaps building a camouflage hide in the woods that will also protect you from cold, wind, rain, sun, desperate humans and flesh eating monsters.
I personally think shelter is the first thing you should aim to find or build in a survival situation.

Water is essential for life!  Our body’s loose water daily through normal bodily functions, urinating, defecating and sweating, the average person can only last 3 days without water. Our bodies gather a lot of water we need each day from the food we eat, if no water is available do not eat as water will be needed to digest the food. You must drink at least 1.2 litres of water per normal day, 2.5 litres when food is not available and even more in extreme situations as our bodies lose more water through exercise, illness and regulating body temperature. 

 There has been documented cases of people lasting almost 6 weeks without food, but 3 weeks without food is the general rule of course some people with a low BMI would not last as long. so with this being said make sure you have shelter and water before you go in search of food.

This is not usually included in the rule of three but I think it is worth noting that the human body can loose no more than 3 pints of blood, It is essential to learn some basic first aid so you can stop bleeding and treat minor injuries that could also lead to infection and death.

3 uses of fire- Heat, Water Purification and Cooking, This is not an official rule but something I feel is hugely important! Fire is a life saver, Fact! It will keep you warm, allow you to purify water, allow you to cook food, keep away bugs and animals, it can allow light in the dark, allow you to dry wet clothing and it will boost moral. Learning fire skills is essential to survival, I have never seen it written on any one else's rule of 3 but for me i think it ties in with food, shelter and water and you cant live without it!

I hope this helps you in the future choose what your next plan of action is based on your needs, so memories that rule of three it could save your life!  
Thank You 

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

 

Octobers Seasonal Foods

As the dark nights start creeping in and the weather begins to change its time to really make the most of what nature has to offer

Wild

Bittercress, Borage, Broad- leaved WH, Chick Weed, Crimson Glory Vine, Fat Hen/ Lmabs Q, Garlic Mustard, Hedge Mustard, Herb Bennet, Horse Radish, Lemon Balm, Mint, Nettles, Orache, Oregano, Rampion, Rose, Shepards Purse, Sorrel, Sowthistle, Sweet Cicely, Water Cress, Wild Rocket

Fruit

Apple, Blackberry, Fig, Pear, Plum, Quince, Raspberry, Sea Buckthorn

Vegetable

Aubergine, Beetroot, Broccoli, Brussels sprouts, Butternut Squash, Cabbage, Celeriac, Carrot, Celeriac, Celery,  Corn, Courgette, Fennel, Garlic, Leek, Lettuce, Mangetout, Marrow, Onion, Parsnip, Peppers, Pumpkin, Potato, Radish, Shallot, Swede, Tomato, Turnip

Game

Duck, Fallow deer, Golden Plover, Goose, Grey Squirrel, Grouse, Hare, Mice, Muntjac deer, Partridge, Pheasant, Rabbit, Rat, Red deer, Roe deer, Sika deer, Snipe, Woodcock, Woodpigeon

If you would like any recipes for any of the above, Have a glut of a specific item or would like to challenge me to cook something from the list please get in touch :)

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

Caramelised Courgette, Lemon and Lime Marmalade

Courgettes are in season and my friend Tony had a good glut, so he loaded my car with 2 crates full, I'm a little bored of roasted courgette already so now I have the task of preserving them!
The great thing about courgette is they don't really have a distinct flavour compared to peppers or beetroot which makes them much more versatile.

I was really impressed with how this batch turned out but I will alter the recipe next time, What's more impressive my friends daughter (age 8) had two slices of toast smothered in the marmalade and loved it!

Ingredients

• 1kg Courgettes
• 800g Caster Sugar
• 4tbsp Lemon Juice
• 4tbsp Lime Juice

Recipe 

• Before you start place a side plate in the freezer 
• Grate Courgette into a large heavy based jam pan 
• Add Sugar, Lemon Juice and Lime juice
• Stir the mixture really well, The courgette will release its water and become really runny in under a minute
• Simmer on a low heat for 5 minutes, keep stiring to ensure all the sugar has dissolved and everything is mixed
• Bring to the boil and the let the mixture bubble away for a minimum of 20mins (you will see from the top photograph that the mixture has turned a dark brown colour, this is because I had the heat up too high I was making cake and making Blackberry Jam at the same time. Most people would have thrown the mixture away but over cooking the mixture resulted in the sugar caramelising)
• Skim off any scum that bubbles to the top
• Test the marmalade by spooning a little on to your side plate from the freezer, run your finger nail through the marmalade and it should part leaving a line on the plate, If not simmer for a further 5 minutes and repeat the test
• Once the jam has reached its setting point. Ladle into hot sterilised jars, fasten the lids and leave to cool
• Store in a cool dark place until you are ready to enjoy 

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
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Banana, Chocolate Chip, Blackberry Cake Recipe

 

This recipe has nothing to do with zombies or survival but it is a great way of using up any over ripe bananas you have in the house. Its something a little bit different to do with your blackberries, I cant believe how well the flavours work together! if your like me and have baking items at home already its so cheap to make and healthy compared to some cakes. 

I insist that if you make this you HAVE to make my blackberry and chilli jam  recipe to smoother on the top!!
Now my mission is to alter the recipe so it can be cooked on an open fire or in some nice cast iron! Or possibly make it thicker so it can be toasted on green sticks, any tips from you guys are more than welcome!

Ingredients   

• 115g Butter
• 165g Brown Sugar
• 2 eggs
• 3 Spotty Bananas
• 1tsp vanilla
• 260g Self Raising Flour
• 1tsp Bicarbonate of Soda
• Pinch of Salt
• 1 Small Bag of Milk Chocolate Chips
• 20 Blackberries 
• Optional Tsp of spice Cinnamon/nutmeg/all spice/ginger

Recipe

• Preheat oven to gas mark 4 or a moderate heat (My oven does hot, Really Hot and HOT- you know your own oven so gage accordingly)
• Measure out Butter and Sugar and mash the two together with a fork in a large mixing bowl until the mixture is smooth
• Whisk your eggs together to break up the yokes and mix with the butter and sugar.
• Mash your bananas with a fork into the mixture
• Add your vanilla to this wet mixture
• In a separate bowl mix your flour, baking soda, salt and any spices you may wish to add
• Add the flour mixture to your wet mixture and start to combine the ingredients making sure you get all the flour from the outside. 
• Add chocolate chips and mix a little more
• Now add your blackberries (you may want to leave a few back to decorate the top) very gently mix the blackberries in.
• line a cake tin or bread tin with grease proof paper and poor in the mixture
• cook for 35-45 mins in the centre of a moderate oven or until your tester comes out clean

 Now make the jam from this recipe - http://zombiesurvivalfoodbible.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/blackberry-chilli-jam.html Once you try the two together you will be wanting to make a second cake in no time!

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible

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BLACKBERRY CHILLI JAM

Blackberries are in abundance at the moment so make the most of them while you can! I find it infuriating that people will pay £2.49p for around 25 Blackberries at the local super market (but then I think more for me) when you can step outside your front door and collect half a bucket full in an hour. My friend David and I pick together a few times a week what ever we can get our hands on, Not only do we have a nice hour or two out every couple of days but we also have a little bartering system too. David supplies me with tasty fruit wine and bread and I supply him with jams and game animals.

Back to the point, make the most of what on your door step, home made jam is by far the best jam you will ever have and the recipes are so flexible you can make them work for you! Learning how to preserve foods now will put you in good stead for any survival situation meaning you can feed yourself in winter when natural resources have died with the seasons.

This jam goes amazing on my home made blackberry, banana, chocolate chip cake that i will share the recipe for later.

Igredients

• 1kg Blackberries 
• 800g Jam Sugar
• Dash of lemon Juice
• 300ml Water
• 1tsp chilli flakes
• 3tsp of any hot sauce

 Recipe

•  Before you start place a side plate in the freezer
•  In a jam pan or large heavy based sauce pan add the blackberries and the water and simmer on a low heat on the hob for 5mins to soften the fruit.
• Add Chilli, Hot Sauce, Lemon Juice and Sugar, Stir well.
• Bring to the boil and the let the mixture bubble away for a minimum of 20mins
• Test the jam by spooning a little on to your side plate from the freezer, run your finger nail through the jam and it should part leaving a line on the plate, If not simmer for a further 5 mins and repeat the test
• Once the jam has reached its setting point. Ladle into hot sterilised jars, fasten the lids and leave to cool.
• Store in a cool dark place until you are ready to enjoy

 Although I added a lot of chilli to this batch its not hot enough for me, I will make a second batch tonight super hot!!

Email- tzsfb@hotmail.co.uk
Twitter- @zombiefoodbible