What meat did country folk eat in the 20's-30's in Georgia?

[Nicodemus]

I heard they ate a lot of those gopher tortoises during the Depression.

Florida had a season on gophers up till the late 1970s. I`ve eaten it and it is by far the most delicious turtle. Even better than a softshell.

 

[Hillbilly stalker]

anybody ever wrung a chickens neck

Had an aunt that could grab one by the the goozle, give her about 2 or 3 cranks and never break stride walking across the yard. Paw paw nick named her “ rooster” because of that, it stuck till the day she died. She was feisty, kinda quick like a banty hen anyway.

 

[kmckinnie]

I think maybe I have rung one before.

 

[Nicodemus]

Had an aunt that could grab one by the the goozle, give her about 2 or 3 cranks and never break stride walking across the yard. Paw paw nick named her “ rooster” because of that, it stuck till the day she died. She was feisty, kinda quick like a banty hen anyway.

Speaking of Banty`s, ours has been setting 10 eggs and they commenced to hatching last night. This was what greeted me when I went to let em out this morning. That little light colored spot is a biddy. We`re curious as to how many she`ll hatch out.

 

[specialk]

That “shooting out the winder” really sticks with a fellow too dont it ?

it's funn'er with a flashlight....

 

[Artfuldodger]

Not meat but milk and eggs were also an available source of animal protein.

 

[kmckinnie]

That “shooting out the winder” really sticks with a fellow too dont it ?

I missed several deer out of a stand. We put a truck door on the side and it’s got a good mirror on it to brace off. Feels natural now. And it’s on a old logging road. Ain’t missed in a while now.

 

[Shotgun1]

Grew up in a small town middle GA during 40s and 50s. Raised hogs and chickens in town back then. Also we ate the usual small game and fish when we were lucky. Also there was a local farmer who lived a few miles out of town. During the cooler months when he had one available he would butcher a jersey yearling and peddle it around town out of his wagon. I still remember how that grass fed jersey yearling tasted. He always did this on Saturday and always sold it all.

 

[NCHillbilly]

anybody ever wrung a chickens neck

Many, back in the day.

 

[NE GA Pappy]

Many, back in the day.

And if you were a bit over zealous on those fat hens, you would be holding the head in one hand while the rest of the hen was flopping around on the ground in front of you.

 

[WOODIE13]

Coons, turtle, squirrel, groundhog, rabbits, grouse, deer, turkey, raised pigs and beef for meat, had chickens for eggs and meat. Caught fish, running trotlines were more of a job than for fun.

Had a garden, ate a lot of home canned vegetables and fruit. Put taters and winter apples in the cellar for the cold months. Dug ramps, picked morels, dandelions and poke greens in the spring.

Collected walnuts and chestnuts, dug sassafras roots for tea. Picked gallons of cherries, raspberries and blackberries.

 

[ryork]

All of my grandparents were born between the late teens and the mid 20s. I grew up next door so to speak to my maternal grandparents. They raised pork on their farm and being located just up the road from the Hollingsworth Ferry on the Hooch a lot of catfish. My grandfather also loved turtle, and would tell of catching ***** heads out of the creek, shooting a fair amount of squirrels, an occasional robin, building rabbit boxes, and I don't think he liked it much but consumed a possum or two as well back in the day. An annual treat was "salty fish" from Steeds Store in Roopville. My grandmother continued to fix those well into the 1980s until they couldn't be found anymore. I loved those things! My grandfather had a term he called "depression food". I was probably 11-12 yrs old before I figured out that referred to eating whatever was available during the great depression and not something you ate when feeling a little sorry for yourself......

 

[Big7]

My Great Grandfather raised Opossum to supplement chicken and turkey.

 

[GeorgiaBob]

My parents were both born in 1920. Dad, who grew up in the Piney Woods of deep east Texas, recalled the frog legs, rabbit, hog, venison, lamb, goat and beef that made the supper table a good place to be. Mom, growing up in central West Tennessee had a less varied meat selection with more fowl, more hog, and not much meat from anything else.

OTOH, I can still remember visiting Mom's Aunt Nina at her home outside Milan, TN every Memorial Day week. If you surprised her with a weekday visit, you were likely to have only 12 to 15 different veggie dishes, and a side of fried salt pork for lunch. Let Aunt Nina fix Sunday dinner, knowing you were coming and Oh. My. Lord! Chicken fixed three ways, a ham to die for, sweet taters swimming in butter, okra - both fried in bacon fat and simmered with tomatoes, onions, peppers, and whatever else, lima beans, snap green beans, canned green tomatoes from her garden, brussel sprouts caramelized with honey and served with bacon, several different "roadside greens" a few served in chicken broth, and more. And all that was just one meal.

And the deserts, they deserve a book, not just a paragraph. Mom's family was country, depended on what they could grow long before the Depression, and shortages didn't change their habits much. Dad's family was well fixed in East Texas to get all the game they needed to eat well.

 

[Nicodemus]

One more wild game my folks utilized, this time of the year and I was reminded of it just a minute ago when a couple of robins pitched down in the pasture. During this time of the year they would thrash robins. Then they would dress and salt for later what they didn't eat fresh.

 

[NCHillbilly]

One more wild game my folks utilized, this time of the year and I was reminded of it just a minute ago when a couple of robins pitched down in the pasture. During this time of the year they would thrash robins. Then they would dress and salt for later what they didn't eat fresh.

Grandpa talked about eating robins and snowbirds, and woodhens.

 

[Nicodemus]

Grandpa talked about eating robins and snowbirds, and woodhens.

I've eaten woodhens with Daddy when I was a youngun camping and trapping. For all I know there might have even been a Lord God in the pot as well....

 

[WOODIE13]

We ate chipmunks, we shot a bunch one weekend, cleaned and froze them at my buddy's grandparents place.

Guess his grandpa thought they were squirrel, cooked and ate them. He said they were great, but smallest squirrels he ever seen

 

[Resica]

Coons, turtle, squirrel, groundhog, rabbits, grouse, deer, turkey, raised pigs and beef for meat, had chickens for eggs and meat. Caught fish, running trotlines were more of a job than for fun.

Had a garden, ate a lot of home canned vegetables and fruit. Put taters and winter apples in the cellar for the cold months. Dug ramps, picked morels and poke greens in the spring.

Collected walnuts and chestnuts, dug sassafras roots for tea. Picked gallons of cherries, raspberries and blackberries.

You could still find plenty of American Chestnuts?

 

[WOODIE13]

You could still find plenty of American Chestnuts?

Used to, most of them died.