Learning To Cook With Insects

Learning To Cook With Insects FARM HOME Food 5-2-30 "The collective weight of a single season's descendants of one pair of cabbage aphids ù if all survived ù would be greater than the weight of the earth's entire human population. We need to tap that tremendous protein potential for ourselves," says Ron Taylor, a California scientist who may be the world's leading authority on using insects as food for humans. With his help, you can make any number of tasty dishes using bugs available "for free" on your own farm. He's published a book entitled "Entertaining With Insects" that contains recipes for anything from Beetle Sausage and Mealworm Chow Mein, to Oatmeal Worm Cookies. "At first, people find the idea of eating insects repulsive but there are people around the world who think drinking a white liquid from a cow, or eating decaying cheese, is repulsive. People eat oysters alive, their muscles contracting, their hearts beating and fecal material passing through them. Honey, essentially a bee's vomit, is prized and yet we reject the insects themselves," Taylor told FARM SHOW. When Taylor and his collaborator, Barbara Carter, first set out to cook with insects, they found a number of insects available commercially but no recipes for using them. "You can buy fried ants, worms, and caterpillars, canned grasshoppers, baby bees, silkworms and butterflies, and various chocolate-covered insects. Many of these products are imported and hard to find, so we often buy from commercial bait farms," Taylor explains. He says insects are easy to raise, taking up little space. Bees, grasshoppers and worms (which are not really insects but are edible) are three of the best home-grown prospects. He notes that grasshopper plagues, dreaded in this country, are often welcomed in some parts of the world where the bugs are gathered up as "manna from heaven". "'Entertaining With Insects" sells for $4.75, including postage. It contains recipes for specific insects. A majority of the recipes call for what is termed a "Basic Insect Mix", designed to use whatever "basic" insects are readily available. Here are a couple insect dessert recipes you can try on your own: Candied Insects 1 1/4 cup butter 2 1/3 cup brown sugar, packed 3/4 cup dark corn syrup 1 cup cleaned, mixed insects Mix butter, sugar, and syrup. Beat until smooth. Stir in insects. Place in baking dish in oven at 375? for 30 minutes. Cool. Peanut Butter Worm Cookies 1/2 pound earthworms 1 cup peanut butter 1 egg 1 cup sugar 1 cup flour 1 teaspoon vanilla Boil earthworms for 10 min. and drain. Mix together all ingredients. Roll dough into small balls and place 1 in. apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350? for 15 min. For more information, contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Ron Taylor, Woodbridge Press, P.O. Box 6189, Santa Barbara, Calif. 93111 (ph 805 965-7039).

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