Twice Cooked Candied Cicadas

[alabaster]

So these odd insects might only come out every 17 years around here, but we can make a good use of 'em when they do. Actually, there are other kinds of cicadas that come out more often, so we could have them every few years, I suppose.

Go catch cicadas. Lots of 'em. I promise, people will ooh and ahh and say you're crazy, but once they start going down the hatch, it'll catch on quicker than you may think! I put them in ziploc bags when I go bug hunting. Make the glaze out of brown sugar and a little vanilla extract. I put in some butter too. Melt the butter and mix in the brown sugar and vanilla until it's a very thick concoction. The thicker it is the better it candies in my experience. Keep in mind bugs are all that I've candied, so if you have a family recipe for this, please share it with us.

We did a batch with 15 or so the 1st time, which I have pics of, so I'll try and get 'em up.

!st, boil them for 10 minutes in case they're carrying any bacteria or other nasties that could make you sick. I'll confess that it's not likely, but I don't want you getting sick on a recipe from ol' Alabaster. This cooks 'em clear through, so you could eat 'em right away if you really felt up to it. They're kind of like plain seeds/nuts at this point, albeit with faces... I've been told to take off the wings and heads because they're harder to digest like that. Supposedly they digest very easily without heads & wings.

2nd, I pop off heads and pull off the legs & wings. Now put 'em on an un-greased sheet of foil and lay that on a baking sheet(I think that's what this pan is). Bake at 350 degrees for 20 minutes. This takes the mushiness out of them. They start to get REALLY crunchy and have an almost seed-like texture and consistency. I've done batches of more that took longer of course, so if you're doing a bunch they might take up to 30 minutes, but they're easy to check for texture.

Take the candy glaze and cover each bug completely. Lay 'em back on the baking sheet and bake 'em again for 5 or so more minutes to make the glaze crunchy.

BOOM! Snack time.

 

[Dani]

They better be twice glazed as well as twice cooked for me to try them and I would have to be STARVING! I guess if I was hungry enough and it was like crunchy candy. . . maybe. . . you know I would. Great recipe for something I hope to never have to cook up!

 

[Gazrok]

It's amazing the stigma people have against eating insects. The only thing that prevents me is the social stigma and availability of ready stores of them. I usually get the BBQ flavored crickets when we go to theme parks, etc. Dried mealworms aren't bad either, like crunchy Asian noodles, but grosses people out, so whatever.... Come a zombie apocalypse, I won't have such issues.

 

[Brent S]

Well, my bet is on alabaster for not starving to death! I know it's just protein, but I'm going to have to be pretty hungry to forage, cook and eat them. I've tried a lot of things, snails, oysters, sushi, octopuses, crawdads, etc., and I guess it's no different. I didn't cook any of those things though, and there was probably some alcohol involved in most of em! I'm impressed with your culinary adventures.

 

[alabaster]

Gazrok, what do you mean "Ready stores"? Creepy crawlies are among the most abundant food sources out there.

It really is a social stigma though. Its all about what you know as you're growing up. Some people eat eyeballs like they are candy. Some people eat fermented fish pastes and some eat nastier stuff yet. Ever hear of Kopi Luwak? It's a "Gourmet? coffee that has been eaten and EXCRETED by asian palm civets(Which look like some sort of cat). Think about that. People are making coffee out of POOP!

As far as I'm concerned, I want to know what's edible and how t make it. In real lfe, I Won't be candy coating cicadas. I'll be eating them straight up. I know I can though. I don't have a weak stomach, so I will grub aon anything that God has blessed us with. Including grubs themselves. Which aren't really that good, by the way. They remind me of a zit popping in your mouth. It's horrendous, but it could save your life.

 

[Brent S]

Gazrok, what do you mean "Ready stores"? Creepy crawlies are among the most abundant food sources out there.

It really is a social stigma though. Its all about what you know as you're growing up. Some people eat eyeballs like they are candy. Some people eat fermented fish pastes and some eat nastier stuff yet. Ever hear of Kopi Luwak? It's a "Gourmet? coffee that has been eaten and EXCRETED by asian palm civets(Which look like some sort of cat). Think about that. People are making coffee out of POOP!

As far as I'm concerned, I want to know what's edible and how t make it. In real lfe, I Won't be candy coating cicadas. I'll be eating them straight up. I know I can though. I don't have a weak stomach, so I will grub aon anything that God has blessed us with. Including grubs themselves. Which aren't really that good, by the way. They remind me of a zit popping in your mouth. It's horrendous, but it could save your life.

Yeah, you're right there next to my idol, Andrew zimmern, on the travel channel. He travels all over the world and eats bizarre foods. I really like the zit popping analogy! He'll, I'm still struggling with barbecuing some little bunnies, and you're allready all in, my praise to you!

 

[Dani]

Well, my bet is on alabaster for not starving to death! I know it's just protein, but I'm going to have to be pretty hungry to forage, cook and eat them. I've tried a lot of things, snails, oysters, sushi, octopuses, crawdads, etc., and I guess it's no different. I didn't cook any of those things though, and there was probably some alcohol involved in most of em! I'm impressed with your culinary adventures.

I love oysters and crawdads, sushi and octopus is something I actually like. . . snails, I have never tried, but I am not totally against them, I worked at a restaurant in my young teen years that served them. We usually have a crawdad/crawfish boil around here at least once a year if not more. They are so yummy!! Just purge and then boil up with some crab boil and then season with Tony's. . . .oh yeah, tiny little lobsters!

 

[Gazrok]

Gazrok, what do you mean "Ready stores"? Creepy crawlies are among the most abundant food sources out there.

I mean, that I don't have to catch. While in a SHTF situation, no worries doing so, but in current, modern life, I'm not about to spend hours catching bugs, when I can go buy more palatable food at the store.

Whereas if I could go to the store and pick up more exotic foods like this (at an affordable rate), they would be more "ready".... Of course, supply and demand and all of that. Just because I'm not adverse to eating bugs doesn't mean I'd want it as my first choice.

 

[alabaster]

I see, Gazrok. You don't want to have to harvest them. I can dig it(No pun intended). We have lots of bugs around so we don't have to look far. Even this close to DC we have lots. It may be the climate. I remember having lots in Florida too, but many were so small you'd need a trillion to make a decent meal. I'm not even sure if some of them are edible. Love Bugs and mosquitos aren't on my nom-nom list. Neither are palmetto bugs! When I move back this year I'll poke around and see what's good down there.

Brent S, doing what you're doing isn't as easy as some think. There was a thread here, I think by old_anorak about slaughtering animals. Some people just don't have the stomach for it. I've seen people hunt deer and turn their heads when they got close enough to see a dead mammal. When I opened it up they lost it. Literally threw up over the sight. I tell you the worst experiences IMHO are when "Modern" people(Meaning they're not of the old way of farming and raising animals solely for sustenance) try to raise animals. I've known a lot of people who actually grow attached and name their animals, spend time with them almost like I play with my dogs. When it comes time, it's like killing a pet. That's sooooo much harder than shooting a deer in the woods or catching a fish, etc... Don't beat yourself up about it. I would think having some reservations about killing an animal is a good thing.

 

[Brent S]

I see, Gazrok. You don't want to have to harvest them. I can dig it(No pun intended). We have lots of bugs around so we don't have to look far. Even this close to DC we have lots. It may be the climate. I remember having lots in Florida too, but many were so small you'd need a trillion to make a decent meal. I'm not even sure if some of them are edible. Love Bugs and mosquitos aren't on my nom-nom list. Neither are palmetto bugs! When I move back this year I'll poke around and see what's good down there.

Brent S, doing what you're doing isn't as easy as some think. There was a thread here, I think by old_anorak about slaughtering animals. Some people just don't have the stomach for it. I've seen people hunt deer and turn their heads when they got close enough to see a dead mammal. When I opened it up they lost it. Literally threw up over the sight. I tell you the worst experiences IMHO are when "Modern" people(Meaning they're not of the old way of farming and raising animals solely for sustenance) try to raise animals. I've known a lot of people who actually grow attached and name their animals, spend time with them almost like I play with my dogs. When it comes time, it's like killing a pet. That's sooooo much harder than shooting a deer in the woods or catching a fish, etc... Don't beat yourself up about it. I would think having some reservations about killing an animal is a good thing.

I agree having some respect and compassion for any living thing is a good trait. Well no doubt I'm not looking forwards to the rabbits as they really are cute, but I'm doing this to learn now, before I ever have to depend on it. The chickens weren't too bad, and plucking was much easier than I expected. At least I've had rabbit before that someone else had prepped, and I definitely enjoyed it. The first batch of eight are getting close to big enough to clean, but probably three or four more weeks more. I'm actually curious enough about the process that I'll be able to seperate the emotion from the task. I've got to admit though, years ago I was hunting with a guy in Missouri, and when I had a buck in the crosshairs I just decided I didn't want to take it's life and shot above it on purpose. I guess the difference is that was just for sport, and now this is for survival, even if I'm just practicing right now.

 

[alabaster]

Makes sense. My FIL threw a shot on a buck once because it was "Just for sport". Something about that experience made him not want to hunt anymore. He still went to hunting camp, but he didn't drop the hammer on anything anymore. He told me he knew he could do it, and that life was such that he didn't need to hunt to feed my MIL and all my SILs... Fine by me. To each their own. I don't like hunting for sport either, of course. I must say I'm impressed that you're willing to take this on in your current circumstance. A lot(Most, I would say) aren't willing to hand;e that unless they have to. I think it's a large part of why hunting is dying off. People just can't wrap their minds around killing for food when food is right around the corner at the grocery.

 

[Dani]

I agree having some respect and compassion for any living thing is a good trait. Well no doubt I'm not looking forwards to the rabbits as they really are cute, but I'm doing this to learn now, before I ever have to depend on it. The chickens weren't too bad, and plucking was much easier than I expected. At least I've had rabbit before that someone else had prepped, and I definitely enjoyed it. The first batch of eight are getting close to big enough to clean, but probably three or four more weeks more. I'm actually curious enough about the process that I'll be able to seperate the emotion from the task. I've got to admit though, years ago I was hunting with a guy in Missouri, and when I had a buck in the crosshairs I just decided I didn't want to take it's life and shot above it on purpose. I guess the difference is that was just for sport, and now this is for survival, even if I'm just practicing right now.

Are you planning on pressure canning your excess meat or freezing it?