Giblets, by Ryan Adams. http://www.nosetotailathome.com
When it comes to all around everyday living, the human race has a tendency to be wasteful. That’s bad enough as it is, but what happens when we let it spill over into real world survival and preparedness during disasters and emergencies like getting lost in the woods, a camping trip gone wrong, sudden economic collapse, or the undead rising from their graves to feed on our flesh?
The saying “waste not want not” is never more true than times of real need, like those mentioned above. All around the world people are tossing out leftovers and the “extra” bits from animals to the tune of about 1.3 billion tons a year… and that’s a lot of goods gone garbage. (Global Food Losses and Food Waste)
Found in just about every animal or creature you come across, offal – commonly called “innards” or “organs” – can actually hold a lot of nutritional value and potentially life-saving opportunity for survivors that aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty and challenge the ideas of the western world around them.
Blood. Consumed ritualistically, added as a thickening agent for sauces, cured and salted for emergencies, turned into sausages, added to soups, and much more, this iron and nutrient rich resource isn’t just for vampires. More often than not, blood is consumed from domesticated animals, where it can be quickly and cleanly collected, processed, and consumed, and the medical history of the animal is well known.
Bones/Marrow. Packed with vitamins, protein, fats, and full of calories, bone marrow – the soft spongy center of the bone – is an excellent resource for survivors. Collected by boiling, baking, or scraping the insides of bones clean, marrow is relatively easy to access… but if should never be eaten raw.
Brains. If the nutritional content of a brain has anything to do with why Zombies literally kill for them, then it makes sense that the brain is such a sought after organ. However, this is a highly controversial piece of offal, and for good reason. Despite the fact that it’s one of the most nutrient rich organs, it also has the potential to be one of the most dangerous to consume. Highly infectious prion diseases like rabies and mad cow are known to call this organ home.
Zombease does not endorse the consumption of brains… human, animal or otherwise.
Aside from the marrow, boiling bones can make a light and healthy soup stock, provide the base for tools like fishhooks, handles, blades, and arrowheads, be fashioned into trap triggers, and even turned into jewelry for trade and barter (see: The Benefits of Barter).
Heart. Extremely variant in size, but almost always containing high calorie and protein content, the heart muscle is an excellent food for survivors in the wild or otherwise. While it can be eaten raw, it’s not recommended. Slow roast, stew, or grill heart muscle for the best result and flavor.
While hearts are often rumored to give magical powers and super-strength to those that consume them, the truth is that you’ll likely feel an instant boost to the system and a bit of extra energy, but nothing along the lines of bending steel bars with your bare hands or defeating a hoard of undead on your own.
Intestines. Like most other offal, intestines are nutrient rich opportunities for willing survivors. Intestines need to be thoroughly washed and cleaned inside and out before cooking or being used for sausage casing… and that’s something that not all survivors will have the stomach for. Intestines can also be used for an incredibly strong lashing, once applied allow to dry completely.
Liver. We all grew up dreading the day our mothers would serve us liver and onions. However, it turns out that it’s one of the best things we can eat as a survivor. Rich in proteins, vitamin A, iron, calories, and many other nutrients, liver can go a long way to keeping a person up and kicking during disasters or everyday survival. Always eat liver as soon as possible, the fresher the better. Prepare it by gently searing it in a pan, roasting it over a fire, or chopped and added to a stew. Make sure to carefully remove the bile bladder in the center of the liver before cooking and consumption.
Kidneys. Low in fat, high in protein, B12, and iron, kidneys are packed with energy, taste, and good eating… and the best part? There’s two in every meal. Kidneys can be prepared by rinsing in cold water, removing the outer membrane and cut in half. These can be baked, boiled, sautéed, roasted, grilled, and so on.
Sweetbreads. This is yet another nutrient rich opportunity just waiting inside wild game. While they are neither breads or desserts, sweetbreads (also known as pancreas) does have a slightly sweet flavor to them. High in proteins, fats, sweetbreads excel at giving those that consume them a quick energy boost. These are best sautéed with wild veggies like mushrooms or garlic.
The list goes on: Tripe (stomach), lungs, tongue, eyes, cheek meat, and so on….
While some countries/people are more prone to scoff or shy away from offal, others consider it to be a delicacy… even giving it fancy names like pâté, foie gras, chitlins, and so on. There’s nothing wrong with using what’s before you and getting the most out of a meal, but there is something very wrong with letting opportunity go to waste.
*While offal can be delicious and a potential life-saver, it can also be host to prion diseases like rabies, bovine spongiform encephalopathy, and so on… though this is true of most meats, especially those from large factory farms or those found in the wild. We suggest you read this short companion piece before eating any wild game: Eating Wild Game the Safe Way. For more information on rabies see: A New Threat From Above and Rabies in the Air.
I also listed the three above articles mentioned above below...
How To Eat Wild Game Safely
With more and more people learning how to forage, hunt and fend for themselves, many of us are confident that we can keep ourselves fed in the aftermath of a catastrophe like a large-scale earthquake, viral outbreak or even a Zombie apocalypse.
When it comes to hunting, harvesting rabbits, squirrels, birds and other types of small game are great ways to get that much-needed protein after you’ve licked the last jar of peanut butter clean, but it isn’t as simple as popping the top on a jar of food and knowing it’s safe to eat. While eating wild game can be one of the most reliable and satisfying ways to feed yourself, with no expiration date or butcher to tell you how long it has been on the shelf, how can you make sure it’s safe to eat?
Many diseases, parasites and bacterium are present in wild world just outside your door, but with a little know how and careful consideration, you’ll be on the right track to healthy harvesting and handling of wild game.
1. Watch For Signs of Illness. Before harvesting any wild animals, watch for signs of illness and disease. Pay close attention to the animals movement and general appearance. Does it seem healthy? Disoriented? Weak? Sick and, of course, deceased animals should not be harvested for consumption… no matter how hungry you are.The use of traps, snares and dead falls may not allow for pre-observation, so be diligent in your examinations of the carcass.
2. Perform an external Exam. Wear protective gloves during the external and internal portions of your check and/or thoroughly wash your hands after handling the animal.
• Do the hair coat, feathers, or other body coverings look healthy? Are there missing patches or off discolorations?
• Is the animal in good bodily condition or is it thin?
• Are any abnormal conditions present, such as growths, deformities, or injuries?
• Are there any other signs of illness, such as evidence of diarrhea (abnormal looking or soft stool adhered to the vent area)?
When conducting external examinations, it is important to know that infectious disease is not the only cause for unfit appearance of an animal. old age, malnutrition, injury and physical defects that inhibit the animal’s food gathering and eating habits are among other factors that can lead to unfit appearance. For example, fish with lamprey scars may be thin due to the lamprey’s effects on the fish, but that doesn’t make the fish dangerous to eat. But tumors on some fish have been associated with environmental contaminants… and that DOES make them unsafe to eat. Pay close attention to not just the animal, but the surrounding area that it was found in.
3. Perform an internal exam. After harvesting and following the external exam, it is important to inspect the inside of the carcass while the animal is being field dressed or otherwise prepared. Use all of your senses when examining a carcass for signs of infection, disease, or infestation.
• Does the carcass smell normal or are there odors of decay?
• Do any of the tissues or organs appear irregular or abnormal in shape or color?
• Do any of the tissues or organs show signs of abscesses or tumors?
• Are there any tissues or organs that contain what seem to be parasites?
While rotting tissues and abscesses may be the cause of rank odors rising from the body, less harmful alternatives can also be responsible for the odor. Spillage from the intestinal tract into the body cavity and even the food an animal eats may result in strong odors… though they are not indications of disease. Cedar, sagebrush and shellfish are examples of foods consumed by wildlife that may result in an odd smell, but do not represent potential human health hazards.
The appearance of the internal organs and tissues is often compromised during the harvest of an animal and they may be difficult to evaluate. However, signs of abscesses, fungal growth and tumors – such as discolored or swollen organs and open wounds not caused by harvesting – should result in the rejection of the carcass as safe for consumption.
4. Chow down or try again. The observations made during the external and internal exams will help you determine whether the animal is safe for consumption or not. If the there is any reason to believe that the animal may be unsafe to eat, do not eat it. While you might go hungry for a little longer, you’re more likely to survive a few hunger pangs, than a belly full of parasites and a bloodstream full of disease.
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Whether the undead are at your door or your out for the weekend in the woods. Always examine your meal-to-be carefully. The last thing you want to worry about is where you can find a bathroom in a hurry and how in the hell you’re going to get better after eating something you shouldn’t have.
A New Threat From Above
Scientists have recently discovered that prions remain an active threat, even after going through the digestive tract of crows. The discovery of this new vector is both frightening and foreboding. Where this new form of transmission leads the Human race is anyone’s guess, but the expectations are grim.
Prion diseases, famously known as Mad Cow, Rabies, etc, attack and disrupt the tissue structures within the central nervous system. Infected individuals suffer from memory loss, confusion, insomnia, psychiatric problems, unsteady gait, loss of bodily control, and oftentimes death. Basically, prion diseases can turn a Human-being into a Zombie of sorts, but not luckily not the undead kind.
The most frightening part of this discovery is that these crows show no sign of their condition and simply seem to be carriers. This leaves us at a major disadvantage when trying to determine when and if one of these aerial creatures is infected. Without testing the blood or fecal matter of these potential carriers, it is impossible to differentiate between those carrying and those not.
Other scavengers such as insects have been shown to transmit these diseases in the same manner with no ill effect on their own systems. Although crows may not be alone with this type of transmission, they pose a greater threat due to their ability to travel long distances in a relatively short amount of time via flight.
So the next time you go to feed the birds at the park… you might want to rethink what you’re doing.
Rabies in the Air
A new strain of rabies virus is evolving faster than any other strain on record, and it’s proving difficult to keep under control.
Already passively spreading between foxes and skunks, like a flu might between Humans, this no-contact (airborne) strain is both frightening and foreboding at the very least. And with each new incident of infection giving the virus the opportunity to mutate into a more virulent form, it’s just a matter of time before it becomes transmissible among Humans.
If and when a strain of airborne rabies becomes transmissible among Humans, the effect on humankind would be devastating. With an incubation period of about 2-12 weeks, it’s likely that infected individuals would travel great distances, spreading the disease along the way, before showing any signs infection. This could quickly lead to a pandemic of epic proportions, crippling communities and even whole countries within a matter of months.
Ranging from flu-like symptoms to partial paralysis, anxiety, insomnia, confusion, agitation, abnormal behavior, paranoia, terror, hallucinations, and eventually death the symptoms of rabies are nothing to scoff at. Currently there is no cure to rabies once symptoms have presented themselves and without immediate medical attention infected individuals will likely be lost the illness.
But, on the plus side, it hasn’t happened yet so there is still time to prepare… we hope.
