# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Gardening >  How to Cook Winkles

## Rick

Winkles, also known as periwinkels, area a type of snail. They used to be popular among the poorer class in Europe and Britain. To cook them, simply boil them in a small amount of heavily salted water. This loosens theanimal from the shell. Then you can pick them out with the point of a sharp object like a small stick or knife - you "winkle" out the meat. Eat them with a dressing of venegar, serve them with butter or your favorite sauce. You can also make them into a soup. 

If you've never heard of periwinkle, here's a wiki for you:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_periwinkle

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## Alpine_Sapper

> Winkles, also known as periwinkels, area a type of snail. They used to be popular among the poorer class in Europe and Britain. To cook them, simply boil them in a small amount of heavily salted water. This loosens theanimal from the shell. Then you can pick them out with the point of a sharp object like a small stick or knife - you "winkle" out the meat. Eat them with a dressing of venegar, serve them with butter or your favorite sauce. You can also make them into a soup. 
> 
> If you've never heard of periwinkle, here's a wiki for you:
> 
> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Common_periwinkle


Have you tried it? What kind of texture do they have? 

I had a girlfriend once that was fond of Escargot, but, uh, yeah, not unless I'm going to die if I don't.

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## Tahyo

I do know that Escargot is a bit on the chewy side.  I've had it on and off through out the years when someone else ordered it as an appetizer.  It's always been in a butter/garlic sauce.
I didn't have any problem eating Escargot and doubt I'd have a problem eating the periwinkles, but it would have to be a "need to" basis in the wild.

It's a good tip to know though.

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## Rick

Like Tahyo said, most snails can be a bit on the chewy side. Not much different that mussels or oysters. The difference, of course, is that mussels and oysters are filter feeders and snails are not. Because of that, mussels and oysters can accumulate toxins in their flesh more readily than snails. I don't eat any of them unless they are cooked.

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## Jay

> Have you tried it? What kind of texture do they have?


Boiled inner tube!

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## Rick

Jay - lol. It's not that bad. it's chewy but it has a good flavor.

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## crashdive123

Used to spend our summers in Nova Scotia.  We'd grab snails, muscles, small clams - find an old can on the shore - start a fire - lunch.  Parents would ask what we did for lunch - when we told them they looked at each other as if to say well they're still alive.  Overall a bit chewy - better with a bit of butter.

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## Aurelius95

Reminds me of a story of misunderstanding.  I lived in Japan for a few years back in the 90's.  One of my Japanese friends and his wife took me to dinner one night.  He asked me if I liked _kaki_, which I knew to be a persimmon.  However, Japanse has several words that sound the same, but can only be distinguished by either context (which I wasn't very good at) or by writing the character.  I later learned that _kaki_ is a type of nasty sea urchin, as well as a persimmon.  Needless to say, they do not taste the same

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## Ole WV Coot

I am amazed that somebody didn't say they taste like chicken. I have eaten them in garlic sauce but was too drunk to remember the taste but it was good solid meat with not much taste because of the sauce.

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## Rick

In that case, Coot. They tasted just like chicken.

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## canid

seriously the texture is like muscles or clams. same for limpets.

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## Ken

Been eating periwinkels as far back as I can remember.  Don't overcook them and they're not rubbery.  Boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes at most.  Remove from the shell with a long sewing needle.  Dip in drawn butter.  DON'T EAT THE LITTLE PLASTIC LIKE "ENDCAP" - it's edible but feels like biting into a, well, a piece of plastic.  Used to be able to fill a bucket on the 12 Mile Drive in Newport, R.I. a while back.  They were all over the rocks along the shore.  Now, I think, you need a license to harvest them :Frown: 

Thinking 'bout it some more, they taste exactly like slugs!

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## LadyTrapper

> Used to spend our summers in Nova Scotia.  We'd grab snails, muscles, small clams - find an old can on the shore - start a fire - lunch.  Parents would ask what we did for lunch - when we told them they looked at each other as if to say well they're still alive.  Overall a bit chewy - better with a bit of butter.



How interesting ! What part of Nova Scotia?
We pick winkles for a little extra cash sometimes during the flood tides...may sound odd, but never eaten them. Too busy eatin' lobster :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:  :Big Grin:

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## crashdive123

> How interesting ! What part of Nova Scotia?
> We pick winkles for a little extra cash sometimes during the flood tides...may sound odd, but never eaten them. Too busy eatin' lobster


Riverport-right on the bay.  Not too far from Lunenburg.  Beautiful area.  Looking forward to a trip back there.

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## Omid

Ive never tried snail.

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## Teotwawki

I think escargot is quite good.

But then if you drown just about anything in pool of good butter and garlic: tasty.

Spent some time in Hong Kong long time ago... Made the mistake of ordering Hairy Crab and Sharks Fin Soup.  I'd heard both were considered a delicacy.  Well the crab looked like a big hairy tarantula and you ate it by scooping out the "meat" with this little baby spoon.  The "meat" had the look and consistency of yellow mustard but not much taste at all.  The sharks fin soup: tasteless cartilage soup.

A good food is snapping turtle!

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## fatbarsteward1

> Been eating periwinkels as far back as I can remember.  Don't overcook them and they're not rubbery.  Boiling water for 2 - 3 minutes at most.  Remove from the shell with a long sewing needle.  Dip in drawn butter.  DON'T EAT THE LITTLE PLASTIC LIKE "ENDCAP" - it's edible but feels like biting into a, well, a piece of plastic.  Used to be able to fill a bucket on the 12 Mile Drive in Newport, R.I. a while back.  They were all over the rocks along the shore.  Now, I think, you need a license to harvest them
> 
> Thinking 'bout it some more, they taste exactly like slugs!



Well I bow to your greater knowledge, I too have eaten these since I was a very small boy and if you don't cook them too long they are tender and very very tasty.

Your other comment:- Having never eaten slugs I cannot comment on the similarity of taste but I suspect they don't taste the same as our good old British Winkles!!

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## Wildthang

> Well I bow to your greater knowledge, I too have eaten these since I was a very small boy and if you don't cook them too long they are tender and very very tasty.
> 
> Your other comment:- Having never eaten slugs I cannot comment on the similarity of taste but I suspect they don't taste the same as our good old British Winkles!!


Yes, the common garden slugs are edible, but you have to keep them in a small cage, and feed them corn meal for about 2 weeks to unasty them. Of course chickens like them fresh out of the garden, and no, they don't taste like chicken!

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