Serious question for you squirrel eaters.

#1 09/05/07, 04:16 PM

Do you pressure cook the old squirrels? If so can you tell me how long to pressure cook them?

Today I went out and bought me a pressure cooker. When I was growing up my ma use to pressure cook the old squirrels that I would bring home. She would pressure cook them for a while and then roll them in flour and pan fry them. They were down right tender and tasty from what I remember. But I haven't had it that way since before my ma passed on which was in 1990.

Well I've really been eyeballing these big old redfox squirrels thats been dancing around in my yard every morning. Sure making me hungry. Usually I just slow boil the old ones and make squirrel and noodles or dumplins. But I'm really wanting to sink my teeth into some fried squirrel instead. So any advice on pressure cooking will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

big rockpile · #2 09/05/07, 04:46 PM

I just boil mine until Tender.Let them cool,flour them up and fry them like young one.

big rockpile

Hillbillybob · #3 09/05/07, 06:07 PM

I will tell you how my wife fixed old squirrels.
She would cut the squirrel up into pieces and fry/brown the squirrel then in the same skillet she would add 2 cups of water put the lid on it and place in the oven at 300 for about 2 hours. The squirrel falls off the bone and is so tender. You need to have mashed potatoes for the gravy to go with the squirrel and fresh homemade biscuits to put honey on. My wife always softened real butter and whipped the honey into it. Add something green and blackberry cobbler with all the hot coffee you want and you have a meal fit for a king.
Hillbillybob

YounGrey · #4 09/05/07, 10:27 PM

Here's some ideas for slow cooking squirrels:
http://homesteadingrecipes.blogspot....ch?q=squirrels

#5 09/05/07, 10:47 PM

People, people, people! I've been slow cooking and crockpotting old squirrels for 20 years. I just want to know how long to pressure cook them so I can fry them up and have fried tender squirrel for supper. Thanks for the ideals tho, I really enjoyed that web site youngrey posted.

Something else I'm gonna enjoy when I get time is Swiss Steak. It was one of my favorites. Ma would take some tough cuts of deer steaks, cube them up and pressure cook them with tomato sauce, onions, and bell peppers. Then serve it over rice. Oh my gosh I thought I was in heaven. :baby04:

EDDIE BUCK · #6 09/06/07, 12:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by r.h. in okla.

Do you pressure cook the old squirrels? If so can you tell me how long to pressure cook them?

Today I went out and bought me a pressure cooker. When I was growing up my ma use to pressure cook the old squirrels that I would bring home. She would pressure cook them for a while and then roll them in flour and pan fry them. They were down right tender and tasty from what I remember. But I haven't had it that way since before my ma passed on which was in 1990.

Well I've really been eyeballing these big old redfox squirrels thats been dancing around in my yard every morning. Sure making me hungry. Usually I just slow boil the old ones and make squirrel and noodles or dumplins. But I'm really wanting to sink my teeth into some fried squirrel instead. So any advice on pressure cooking will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Just a little tip,I found out the hardway. Would'nt want you to make the same mistake I made. What little knowledge I have about fox squirrels one thing I've noticed, they will use a large oak full of acorns as a stepping stone just to get to that pine tree full of green pinecones. If there are any pines around your place look around the pines for green cones that the squirrels have cut or fed on. If you find many, don't cook the squirrels unless you like the taste of turpentine

#7 09/06/07, 09:11 AM

Thanks for the tip Eddie. The taste of turpentine I shouldn't have to worry about. In my neck of the woods there's basically nothing but hard woods. One reason why all the squirrels are in my yard is cause there is a shortage of natural foods this year due to the late killing freeze we had last April. I had two toe-sacks full of walnuts that I had picked up last year that I wasn't using so I placed them out under a tree by my house. Well a squirrel or two found them and they went and told all their buddies. So now I've got squirrels everywhere. From the looks of it, you would think I live in the city and not out here in the country. Every morning when I walk out the door there will be at least a half dozen or more scampering away. And some of them are some really big old fox squirrels. Making my mouth water.

#8 09/06/07, 09:17 AM

Forgot to mention. I googled searched "Pressure cooking squirrels", and found two different variances in time. Some say 15 minutes, others say 20 minutes. I guess I can try the 15 minute first and then the 20 minute the next time and see which one turnes out the more tender.

I found one sight that showed about 4 hunters skinning squirrels out. They must have had about a hundred dead squirrels on the table waiting to be skinned. I thought man I might be lucky if I have killed that many in my whole life time.

fishhead · #9 09/07/07, 08:20 AM

I think you can sell the tails too.

#10 09/07/07, 08:52 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fishhead

I think you can sell the tails too.

Yes, you can. I've never collected a whole bunch to sell but I have sent a few into Mepps fishing lure company. They double the value if you take the lures in trade. Which is alright for me cause I could always use and extra rooster tail or two for the summer.

big rockpile · #11 09/07/07, 08:59 AM

I like the Meat to stay together,thats why I don't pressure cook

big rockpile

#12 09/09/07, 11:49 PM

Well update. This evening, or yesterday evening, (depending on what day this is) I went squirrel hunting and managed to shoot 3 squirrels. I got out in the woods about 4:00 p.m. and walked and walked and never saw a squirrel till I was almost back to the jeep. Which was about 2 1/2 hours later. Found two in one tree, and one in another tree. All running fast from tree top to tree top, which I expected and that's why I brought old Bessie with me. Bessie is a double barreled 20 guage. So the squirrels didn't stand much of a chance with Old Bessie around.

So now I have some squirrel meat to try my new pressure cooker out on.

Eddie, I used that video's method of skinning the squirrels out with and I think I managed to skin them in about 2 minutes flat. Quit an improvement from the last time I tried it. I might could have done it a little faster but I'm dang near too fat to bend over and place that squirrels tail under my foot! :1pig: