Topic: a use for snails...

[Multiveg]

http://www.ananova.com/news/story/sm_1486316.html?menu=news.quirkies  ::)

Cough mixture made from snail slime

A company in La Florida, Chile is producing and selling a cough remedy made with snail slime.

Maria Sannino, owner of the snail farm told Las Ultimas Noticias: "I have more than 8500 snails working so we can get material for this ancient cough medicine recipe.

"The snail slime has antibiotic property as well as antibacterial and anti-inflammation ones."

The medicine is called Karacoflu and has artificial flavour of strawberry and avocado.

[kenkew]

Too much trouble; Just get a tub of garlic butter.

[Jesse]

Faced with the prospect of swallowing snail slime, I think I'd stop coughing instantly! :o ;D

[redimp]

Too much trouble; Just get a tub of garlic butter.

French woman on R4 said that the common garden snail she tried in the UK was better than escargot - had better flavour and texture allegedly.  Anyway I am veggie bordering vegan so whatever, as food or medicing they are off my list.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Can't speak for snail slime but I swear by tincture of propolis for coughs. Propolis is plant resin collected by bees and used to seal cracks in the hives. It's antibiotic, antiviral and antifungal; I've completely cured abscesses a couple of times with nothing but small lumps of the stuff taken orally.

[busy_lizzie]

Yeh, I am a great believer in propolis too.  A friend used to get it for me raw, but then I noticed you could get it in the Health food shop in a handy capsule.  Great for your immune system.   :) busy_lizzie

[Doris_Pinks]

Multi  :-X   BLEAH!!!

[amphibian]

All British snails are edible, simply capture them and purge them by not feeding them for three days, then plunge them into boiling water, remove them from their shells and fry with butter garlic and herbs. An excellent source of free protein and makes a use of the nasty heckers. You eat my lettuce, I eat you--at least your crops haven't just gone to waste.

I am a life-long veggie though, so if anyone wants the ones from my lotty give me a shout and I'll stick them in the post.

[redimp]

All other things considered (i.e. me being veggie) purging snails seems cruel.  OK I know eaters do not want them full of crap but that seems the equivalent of force feeding geese to make fois gras - one of the most abominable substances on this planet.

[Robert_Brenchley]

Yet we eat winkles, at least we do if we can be bothered shelling the things, and presumably they're full of it too.

[aquilegia]

I thought you were supposed to feed them lettuce leaves for three days incase they had eaten anything with nasty chemicals on them before. It's about getting the chemicals out of their systems rather than the crap.

but as another veggie, I wouldn't eat them. I can't kill them (unfortunately as they are breeding like wildfire in my garden!) I need to get a pet that I can feed them too (that's ok by my book - I don't mind them dying I just don't want to waste their energy by another animal not benefiting from it). Where can I house some chickens?

[Jesse]

Aqui I was about to suggest chickens for you, you do eat eggs don't you? But they'll have to be kept in a run otherwise your small garden will be trashed, I found out the hard way. If you got two bantams you could house them in a rabbit hutch with a run attached.

Did anyone watch Rick Stein last night, he was at a french market and bought a tub of snails, the snails had been cooked in the biggest pan I've ever seen. I've tasted escargot a long time ago, didn't like it but I think that was more mind over matter, I prefer to feed the snails to my hens. :)

[aquilegia]

Jesse - yes I do eat eggs (but only organic ones - so home ones are fine). Trouble is - I don't even have room for a run! (unless it could go on the shed roof!)

[Jesse]

High rise chickens! ;D