Rabbits..

[JonnyP]

Janie and me are going to be eating more rabbits this year. We have both been a bit funny about eating bunnys in the past.. Its a healthy and free meat, so we decided to research recipes, and experiment.
So far this year we have eaten two rabbits, caught here on the farm, using my ferrets and some longnets. We are going out and catching one rabbit and then packing up.
We have cooked both rabbits in the slowcooker (as we normally do) and both meals have been delicious. Janie did a rabbit pie for the first meal and a rabbit stew (Hugh furry Whittlingtool recipe) for the second.
We really enjoyed both meals and it seems to us that slow cooking the rabbit first is the way to go, but I would love to hear of others recipes and what does it for you with rabbit..
Also, does anyone make clothing etc from the hides, or even tools from the bones..? I would like to hear from you and how you do it..
More info on the meals on Janies blog.. http://hedgecombers.com/

[Kiltie]

I have rabbit often-airgun, the river near me is like watership down most of the year-the recent cold spell has definately taken the weaker animals as their numbers have dropped a bit, I've tried several times to preserve pelts and failed :(, good tip I got ages ago regarding the gamey taste for those that are not too keen (my better half) is to cut the meat into cube sized chunks, place in a pot then pour over a pre-made solution of bicarb (baking soda 2 tbsp in about 2 litres of water) til the meat is just covered-leave overnight and cook next day after draining and washing-for someone who eats raw livers I was impressed, SWMBO now tucks into rabbit with relish (no, not burger relish, its an eating description), I will post up a method for preserving pelts that I've not tried out yet-it sounds a wee bit far fetched but WTF I'll give it a go at some point.


Jim

[Aaron Rushton]

i use an airgun to hunt rabbits. i usually joint them then just barbacue them with a bit of salt an pepper, nice 'n' simple. as for hides, scrape off all the fat with a knife (a flint actually works better!) until you have a completely clean rabbit skin. you can get a kit from snowdonia taxiedermy which is really simple and works well.

[Kiltie]

:shocked:
this method of preserving involves good ole battery acid, thats why I haven't gave it a go as yet

here's that link

http://www.ssrsi.org/Onsite/bunny.htm

[Fletching]

Rabbits make a really good curry too but my favourite is to brown the meat and then fry onions and garlic, add carrots, leeks and button mushrooms, sweat for a bit, add the bunny bits back with some chopped parsley and tarragon, simmer for ten mins, add a glass of white wine, simmer another ten mins add some single cream, slow the simmer for five mins then serve with rice or cous-cous. Delicious.

Steve

[Fletching]

Don't forget, you can 'jerk' the rabbit meat too. It's doesn't last as long as beef (say, a couple of weeks is safe), but tastes great when wandering around the forest.

[swkieran]

cant beat rabbit meat its a very healthy,if you have any farms near you ask they usually let you roam there land for nothing as rabbits are a pest for farmers,also be wary of mixamototis happy hunting :)

[JonnyP]

Some great info there.. Cheers chaps.. :0)
We are tanning some sheep fleeces at the mo, so I might be able to use the alum that they are soaking in to do the rabbit skins too. Worth a try I guess. I think I will freeze the skins as I get them and then do a batch of them in one go..
Aaron.. You mention a flint for scraping their hides.. I have had a lot of trouble scraping the fat off the sheep skins using knives and curved bits of metal and scrapers. I should of thought about how our ancestors did it, I have a flint knapping set.. Doh..!!

[Realbark]

I took mine using a lurcher - i find a good way to cook is by boiling the whole animal in a pot after prep, then de-boning and adding to stews or pies. She was good for a half dozen a week. Half for her, half for us. BTW this is my first post here - is there an intro section to say hi?

Re the mixi - if their eyes are clear its still worth checking the liver for spots - this is an early stage sign of a sick animal (white or lightly discoloured)

[Bambii]

BTW this is my first post here - is there an intro section to say hi?

Yes there is. It's at the bottom of the page, It's called ''Introduce Yourself & Welcome to the Community!'' just below 'General Chit Chat'.

*fail* I just saw your post there.

Good advice on checking the liver

[mahikan]

Battery acid seems a little extreme to me!
There is a method to tan the hide using sour dough.
Better to case your hide when skinning the rabbit allowing it to dry skin side out, belly splitting the hide reduces your options for the use of the hide. The casing method of skinning will leave you with very little fat on the skin and allow you to mount it on a drying board.
If there is any fat left on the skin try and wipe it of with a piece of hessian (sacking) cloth, using blades will damage the hide.
First Nations here will quite often just spiral cut the green cased rabbit and spin it with twine to make a blanket. Or split the untanned casing to fit on your foot to use as a sock inside a moccasin.

[Aaron Rushton]

mixy dosent actually have any effect on humans. but rabbits that have mixy tend to be really skinny anyway. plus the look a bit manky.

[Matt]

I've not heard of the casing method of skinning, could you explain how to please.

Many thanks, Matt.

[Bambii]

To tan skins, you can use the animals brain? I think :O

[mahikan]

I've not heard of the casing method of skinning, could you explain how to please.

Many thanks, Matt.

Good question.

Most Fur bearing animals here are case skinned apart from the Beaver.
Hang the Rabbit up by the back legs,legs stretched apart, cut a ring around each back leg proximal to the body.
Cut a line from both back legs to the anus then cut a ring around the anus.
Start peeling the fur down towards the head pushing the skin away from the body,use fingers not knives or flint/obsidian.
Cut of front legs above knee (proximal) to the body.
Continue peeling to head behind ears.
Cut of head remove fur from head.
With most creatures I continue peeling over the head to the lips but with rabbits there is no need to, apart from taxidermy purposes.
Mount the fur on a flat board the same shape as a tube of lipstick the board goes into the tube stretching the hide slightly.
Push a small diameter doweling rod (1cm diam the length of the Rabbit) into the case, stretch it slightly downwards pin the bottom.
Clean of skin with an abrasive piece of fabric, hessian, nylon scrubbing pad etc.

Leave to dry for about a week in a dry room at normal room temperature.

Gut the body make stew.

I really should make a video or something that would certainly help with a few pictures etc

[mahikan]

To tan skins, you can use the animals brain? I think :O

Yep you certainly can use the brains of the animal it makes a really soft hide when incorporated into the lengthy tanning process. The main tanning process happens when you smoke the hide after Braining, stretching and rubbing around a metal band. The smoking process preserves and water proofs the hide plus adds the tan colour.

[Matt]

I really should make a video or something that would certainly help with a few pictures etc

That would be excellent, your explanation was good and I think I got most of it, except the dowling and pinning bit.

Many thanks, Matt.

[Kiltie]

I'll second that Mahikan a video would be brilliant-a picture is better than a thousand words :)

[JonnyP]

We do not worry too much about mixy rabbits in early stages, but we would discard any dodgy looking livers. The ferrets normally get the livers anyway..
Thats great info about case skinning Mahikan.. Like Matt, I got most of what you are saying, but a bit unclear about the dowls. Do they hold the case in place and keep the tension..?
Pictures would be great if you have time..
We use Smarty's tanning method, using bleach to set the fur.. I have heard of using battery acid, but I don't fancy trying it..

[fish]

mixi rabbits are fine to eat just when cooked,and very easy to catch!
not that its likly to happen here but a total diet of rabbit will depleat your vitamin A and result in you being brown bread! there was a voyage of exploration in the 1800'sthat foundered on an artic island ,provisions ran out but the men were eating to fill on wild rabbits,40 of them were buried there before they were rescued,took a long while to die of it mind,the captain thaught t was the lead from the canned food and ordered the lot thrown overside!

we eat a fair bit of coney here,most taken with the catapult,some snared others dog and ferret.

heres a recipe for a tasty banger:

5lb belly prk
3lb rabbit meat
8oz rusk or bread crumbs
1lb leeks

1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon coarsly ground black pepper
2 table spoons fresh finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
water to mix
pass the meat and the leeks through the mincer,then add the other ingredients,mix to a paste consistency and stuff into skins as per usual.

by the way this is by far the easiest way to skin a coney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0I1PIunco&feature=related

[Aaron Rushton]

mixi rabbits are fine to eat just when cooked,and very easy to catch!
not that its likly to happen here but a total diet of rabbit will depleat your vitamin A and result in you being brown bread! there was a voyage of exploration in the 1800'sthat foundered on an artic island ,provisions ran out but the men were eating to fill on wild rabbits,40 of them were buried there before they were rescued,took a long while to die of it mind,the captain thaught t was the lead from the canned food and ordered the lot thrown overside!

we eat a fair bit of coney here,most taken with the catapult,some snared others dog and ferret.

heres a recipe for a tasty banger:

5lb belly prk
3lb rabbit meat
8oz rusk or bread crumbs
1lb leeks

1 teaspoon of salt
1 teaspoon coarsly ground black pepper
2 table spoons fresh finely chopped sage
1 teaspoon mustard powder
water to mix
pass the meat and the leeks through the mincer,then add the other ingredients,mix to a paste consistency and stuff into skins as per usual.

by the way this is by far the easiest way to skin a coney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0I1PIunco&feature=related

but aslong as you have a little bit of carrots and peas your allright! :p somones been watching too much QI....

[Kiltie]

We use Smarty's tanning method, using bleach to set the fur..

what is that method Jonny, is there a link on-line for it ?


Jim

[Matt]

by the way this is by far the easiest way to skin a coney:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KU0I1PIunco&feature=related

I never seen a rabbit skinned like that either, superb. After watching I found this, apologies for the hijack but they're still small, grey, furry and edible http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66AVwthXgMA&feature=player_detailpage

[Aaron Rushton]

I never seen a rabbit skinned like that either, superb. After watching I found this, apologies for the hijack but they're still small, grey, furry and edible http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=66AVwthXgMA&feature=player_detailpage

sorry matt ut it really is not this easy. this is either a different species of grey squirrel, or a very young one as our (or as i should say, north american) grey squirrels are much tougher and very ticky to skin. i have probably shot over 30 squirrels and they have all been extremely diffificult to skin apart from a few small young ones which were easier but not as easy as this. i have tried replecating this video five times and each one it has simply not worked. i usually jsut take the back legs off anyway as up front is about 3 forkfulls of meat and not worth the effort.

[wisemen]

Another air rifle rabbit hunter here and my last rabbit recipe was a rabbit tagine. Excellent stuff!!!

[klause]

The first rabbits i caught whilst out lamping wit dog, many moons ago, was cooked in the oven wrapped in streaky bacon - tasted like boot leather!!
From then on i always made rabbit stew or a pie -
the kids loved my "CHICKEN" pies lol.

[Ben Casey]

My first rabbit was cooked/smoked in a wood in Germany we were given a rabbit and had to make a smoker from branches wrap hessian around it then try and smoke it. Was dry and sort of burnt but after three days of no food it was like a rump steak LOL

[JonnyP]

what is that method Jonny, is there a link on-line for it ?


Jim

Its from a book called The complete book of tanning skins and furs by James Churchill.
The fur is fixed by soaking in bleach for 10 mins, rinsed and then soaked in allum sulphate..

[mahikan]

Saw a comment about people dying from eating to many Rabbits.
If you go into survival mode using Rabbits as your sole source of fats and protein there is the possibility you will die.
It is important to subsidize your diet with other fats or proteins.
The very high protein fat free Rabbit meat creates an imbalance (keeping the explanation simple here) in the human digestive system that will hasten the effects of ultimately starving to death. Other than subsidizing your diet with other food sources you can offset this starving process by skinning the rabbit and boiling it in a stew with liver, heart, brains, eyeballs. etc

[Roadkillphil]

I got a fine young roadkill rabbit this morning on my way to the beach for a dawn surf.
I'm gonna prep he for my dinner tonight, but I'd like to keep the pelt. I've had the method of foxtail preservation explained to me by soaking in meths. Would this be appropriate for a rabbit skin, and would the skin still be soft and pliable?
I have Meths pouring out of my ears at the mo so I'm thinking of a resource that is readily available to me.:D

All advice welcome

Cheers

Phil

[Ben Casey]

Hi Phil I dunno if this will help I was just searching the net :)

http://www.tn.gov/twra/pdfs/tanninghides.pdf

[Ben Casey]

Curing Small Animal Pelts To preserve small animal pelts, such as rabbit, airdry them thoroughly. For hobby tanning, simply tack the skin flat to a board with the flesh side out and allow the skin to air-dry thoroughly. Although air-drying is sufficient treatment for small animal pelts, salting the hide as described below for large animal pelts may be done instead of air-drying.

[mahikan]

Hey Phil
Read my earlier post on this site, around number 15, there I mention how to case skin small critters.
I have read the www.tn.gov article which seems really good with the information on small animals.
To brain tan over here we use deer brains all mashed up into a soapy goo then applied to the hide.
You are probably going to use as mentioned your supply of meths.
I would really advise that you don't salt the hide, it can ruin the life of the pelt, just air dry it.
Any pelts that are salted for the Fur Trade industry over here will not be accepted by the main warehouses, buyers, for trade.

[Roadkillphil]

Thanks for the info guys :D

[bivouac jack]

Here's a link to one of my Youtube accounts.It shows one method of preping a rabbit. http://youtu.be/lhnvcmP9pok
Sandy AKA Bivouac jack

[Realbark]

Dunno about the prepping of skins for tanning or whatever. However gutting, skinning and cooking rabbit is very easy. My old dog was good for a dozen a week. A bit of practice and you are away re prepping. I never have had an interest in keeping the skins so only ever peeled and headcut the animals. The book i learnt from is called Field Dressing and Butchery by Monty Burch - excellent value tho i made many mstakes as i practised, but none that were not edible!