Recipes

Monday, September 23, 2013

Winter Meat


O Wise One took advantage of the cooler temperatures to start the butchering of some of our winter meat. The young rabbits were ready to go in the freezer and so he decided to butcher them. These young rabbits were all born in early summer and fattened of with a combination of pulled weeds, garden culls and some purchased rabbit chow and alfalfa hay. In return we have added 17 bags of rabbit pieces to the freezer stash and 4 bags of rabbit loin. 


This is pure, white meat naturally low in cholesterol and fat. Easily raised in a small area with their diets easily supplemented with weeds and twigs around the homestead and garden.  On this homestead we use chicken/ turkey and rabbit meat interchangeably in most recipes. You are just as likely to eat fried or barbecued rabbit at my table as chicken. 


These loin strips will become breaded strips either baked or fried. I have even used them in stir fry. 




The livers are frozen and become catfish bait for future fishing excursions.


Every spring we have several litters born on this farm and spending their whole life here.


Raised in easily and economically built small cages and tractors. 


While most homesteads feast on beef we instead get through our winters on venison, some pork, rabbit, chicken, turkey and fish.  This results in investing in very few fences, stocking small amounts of hay for the two goats, and purchasing some wheat straw for bedding and garden mulches.

 We do feed our laying hens through the winter, butchering any extras and also feed our flock of adult turkeys also through the winter butchering our spring turkey chicks in the fall as soon as they are large enough to butcher. We maintain our breeding stock of rabbits also through the winter which is 3 does and a buck. 

            Blessings from The Holler

          The Canned Quilter


5 comments:

  1. This is very wise indeed. Good meat and only takes a small space unlike cattle.

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  2. That is beautiful meat!

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  3. We always had rabbits when I was a kid in the 50's. Chickens as well, but we loved fried rabbit. Those loins look really good.

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  4. Beautiful meat undeed! Its so great to know how your food is raised and fed. Rabbit will be in our future as well, though really we here are cowivores ;). I love chicken too, so they will have a home here as well.

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  5. I never knew that rabbit meat was naturally low in saturated fat and cholesterol. I think that I will be sweet talking my hubby into getting some rabbits :) We eat a lot of chicken, venison and fish, but the fish isn't fresh like yours. I have learned a lot from your posts. Thank you.

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