Pickled Critter Feet?

I'm reading The Final Frontiersman: Heimo Korth and His Family, Alone in Alaska's Arctic Wilderness by James Campbell about his visits with, and description of, his full-time trapper cousin Heimo Korth's life above the Arctic Circle in Alaska (there was a recent show about him and other Alaskan trapping families called "The Last Alaskans;" the book was written in 2005). The book is great (so is the show) and I'd highly recommend it!

I came across something interesting in it that I wanted to ask y'all about: It mentions the family eating pickled beaver feet from the beaver they catch. It's a very brief description. All Heimo says about it is that they put the feet in vinegar and that they are good eating. I've been gifted 2 frozen raccoons and would like to try to pickle the feet, if that would be edible and tasty. If not, then I won't do it. Has anyone ever pickled and eaten the feet of a critter? How did it turn out? Could someone share their recipe for it, if they have one?

Thanks!

-Kris

I have eaten the feet of grizzly bears but they were WELL cooked.

I would be cautious eating feet etc. that have not been cooked because of Dracunculus insignis often found in the lower extremities of aquatic and semi-aquatic critters.

If you boiled them first you'd probably be fine

I've eaten more pickles pigs feet and ears than I could ever remember. It's very similar to head cheese as far as I can tell. Feet (or ears) get boiled in a mixture of water, vinegar, pickling spice, and sugar until the collagen is dissolved and the feet are soft. Once cooked enough it goes into the fridge to cool and set up into jelly. I wish I could remember the exact recipe, but it's been quite a while.
However, even with a market hog there's only so much edible material. Very little meat, it's mostly skin and gristle that's edible. I'm not sure how much you'd be able to eat off coon feet. It would also take a LOT more than 8 coon feet to get enough collagen to set up into jelly.

This recipe is from a 1975 PRESTO guide to modern canning

I would not eat a 'coon's foot.

Some of you people are just nasty. You could make a side dish of noodles with the worms that come out of coon legs while you're at it

Yup

Why would you resort to eating stuff that should be thrown out on the carcass pile?

Neither would I

No coon feet for me No pig feet either. My mother loved pigs feet

Probably be better than the pressed monkey meat you get at MacDonalds.

Ive never ordered that

Your Mc D's Rocks Boco

If it were me, I’d stick with eating the meat, and toss the rest. I’ve cut off enough feet pads to tell you that they’re pretty much leather.... just saying..

Don't eat them wormy coon ankles.

I wouldn't figure coon feet would have much to them. Seen folks eat chicken feet, so it might not be much different.
Now I've never understood why trappers knock coon meat. Not very good advertisement for something that is both edible and most importantly salable. Especially in a down market.

I don't see anything wrong with trying raccoon feet as long as you cook them long enough and hot enough to kill any parasites.

Besides the novelty, I don't think there is enough on a raccoon's feet to make pickling 8 raccoon feet worthwhile.

Keith

Anyone like chicken breast or is it just me? Lol

I like prime ribs.

I have a question.... WHY??? I could see if your near starving or you were on a tv show (for the drama) but seriously beyond the usual beef, chicken or pork, there's usually deer, ducks, rabbits, fish or even the red meat on a coon. But why the feet? Especially with those worms. Unless I'm starving I'm not not eating something my dog isnt intrested in eating.

I think id rather try somthing adventurous than eat chicken breast one minute overcooked and it turns dry and starchy i cant hardly swallow it , give me a thigh any day ,eaven the feet . I realy doubt that coons eat near as much of its own crap as a chicken does or cannibalize its dead and rotting brethren before the barn keeper gets the deads picked up .

Just the coon meat alone ... good stuff!