We have talked a lot about how to breed snails, describing the different characteristic works thanks to the valuable advice of the company La Lumaca di Ambra Cantoni. Our snail farming guide traces the essential lines for caring for snails through to harvest. Now let’s see what is the last step to bring the snails to the table or sell them for consumption: the purge .
In animal farms, in general, the cattle are finally slaughtered, in the case of snails the matter is a little different. A purge phase is necessary clean the snails and dries them, so that they are better preserved until they are cooked.
So let’s see how to complete a snail farm by harvesting and purging.
Contents
The collection phase
To be collected, purged and sold, snails must have a hard shell and a perfect rim , that is, when the shell in front is slightly turned. The border indicates that the snail has become fully adult and has therefore reached its final size. Once it’s edged, the snail won’t grow even if it’s still eating, so we’ve reached the point where it’s best to harvest.
To perform this operation, you must interrupt the irrigation system for at least a few days as snails must be picked perfectly dry for storage. For the same reason, it is not necessary to harvest on rainy or particularly humid days. At the same time that the irrigation is stopped, the snails are placed inside the wooden pallets, wait a few days to allow the snails to stick to the top and then proceed to harvest.
when you pick up select manually the already sharp subjects, he will take care of putting back on the leaves the snails with the still tender shell, which must finish growing. Snails are very attracted to wood, so much so that they stay on top of the pallet without grazing and feeding, and for this reason it is never necessary to leave the pallets permanently in the enclosure.
The purge phase
After harvest, it is very important purging which serves to free the intestines of the snails from the manure and to make them lose a good part of their humidity, so that the flesh of the snails can be properly preserved.
The purge phase lasts at least 7 days, during which it is planned reduce humidity snails by at least 30%. The snails, as expected, must be harvested dry, suspending irrigation a few days before and avoiding rainy days, during the purge phase there is a further reduction of the water present in the shells. Moisture is a vehicle for bacteria that cause mortality and can spoil snails. For this reason, it is imperative to avoid wetting the snails throughout the purge phase .
Snails need to be purged in cage which can also be self-built, using wire mesh like those used in rabbit cages. The cage must be ventilated on all sides.
After the purge week the snails are ready to be cooked or sold.