Weevils

[signseeker]

Okay, so the other day I'm talking with my friend who's husband works for the County Extension. She tells me there's weevils in pretty much all wheat and many other grain - it's just the way it is. Then she says if you grind the wheat to flour, who cares anyway? Then she says if you bake it into stuff, who really cares anyway? I'm like :001_sconfused: "But I thought they made you sick or something." She doesn't seem to have the smallest concern about weevils at all.

Thoughts? Are they terrible? Are they just a little extra protein?

[phylm]

The tiny nits are there and will hatch under favorable conditions. That's why we remove the oxygen in the storage container with oxygen pacs, dry ice, heat canning, or vacuum packing, to prevent hatching.

If I'm faced with real hunger or starvation, I'll gladly pick weevils out of rice, wheat, etc., and utilize the grain for food...in fact my thrifty nature has prompted me to do that a time or two in past lean times. In the meantime, I'll do all I can to keep the weevils from hatching. I'm rather thankful that I grew up with practical country folks before our society turned zero-risk hysteria into a virtue.

Sorry, keeping up with the news, since the messiah was anointed, has turned me into one cranky Yankee.

[signseeker]

I also heard they would float to the top if you poured it in water...?

See, I've been sucked into the "Don't touch THAT! It's GROSS!" mentality and really haven't thought about it rationally.

(See? One minute it's cranky and the next it's rational. :thumbup: )

[Earthling]

I've floated some stuff in rice to the top of the water - or rather it floated to the top when I put it in water - then I skimmed it off. Not recently Mirk :wink5:

[Aldon]

Just grind it all up and bake it into the bread!

Salem witch trials were due to a mold or fungus.

[ghostcat]

I also heard they would float to the top if you poured it in water...?

See, I've been sucked into the "Don't touch THAT! It's GROSS!" mentality and really haven't thought about it rationally.

(See? One minute it's cranky and the next it's rational. :thumbup: )
If you really want the truth then, other than the basic storage precautions, don't worry about it. Eating a few weevils won't hurt you. We have gotten to be accustomed to the idea that all of our food is pristine and without any contamination. We are living a lie!! Everything we eat has some degree of contamination, everything!!!!

The FDA recognizes the impossibility of getting every contaminant out of our food so they have guidelines on what is permissible and what is not. They call these "Defect Action Levels", when a product exceeds these levels they can not be sold in the U.S.. Here is just one of these levels for your enjoyment!!:l0 (48):


<table width="95%" cellpadding="5"><tbody><tr><td valign="top" width="30%">APPLE BUTTER</td> <td valign="top" width="20%">Mold
(AOAC 975.51)</td> <td valign="top" width="50%">Average of mold count is 12% or more</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="30%">
</td> <td valign="top" width="20%">Rodent filth
(AOAC 945.76)</td> <td valign="top" width="50%">Average of 4 or more rodent hairs per 100 grams of apple butter</td> </tr> <tr> <td valign="top" width="30%">
</td> <td valign="top" width="20%">Insects
(AOAC 945.76)</td> <td valign="top" width="50%">Average of 5 or more whole or equivalent insects (not counting mites, aphids, thrips, or scale insects) per 100 grams of apple butter </td> </tr> </tbody></table> DEFECT SOURCE: Mold - post harvest infection. Rodent hair - post harvest and/or processing contamination with animal hair. Whole or equivalent insects - preharvest, and/or post harvest and/or processing insect infestation,
SIGNIFICANCE: AestheticIf you are interested in what you are eating when you are eating commercially prepared foods you can read more here: http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/dalbook.html (http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/%7Edms/dalbook.html)


Before you freak out and decide you aren't going to eat any more commercially prepared foods you need to be aware that most commercially prepared foods are much, much "cleaner" than the homemade stuff.:yummie:

[signseeker]

Rodent hairs?!?! :shocked:

There will be NO rodent hairs in any of MY canned foods, I will promise that right now.

(Hair in food is like the gag reflex on steroids.)

[ghostcat]

Rodent hairs?!?! :shocked:

There will be NO rodent hairs in any of MY canned foods, I will promise that right now.

(Hair in food is like the gag reflex on steroids.)Just feathers, huh!:l0 (32):

[threepercent]

Rodent hairs?!?! :shocked:

There will be NO rodent hairs in any of MY canned foods, I will promise that right now.

(Hair in food is like the gag reflex on steroids.)

Please dont do that, Im a sympathy puke'r.

[signseeker]

I'm going to "strenuously object" (what movie is that from?) to your statement that homemade food is much dirtier than commercially prepared food. I just don't buy it. I mean, I buy commercially prepared food, of course. But I think food at home is cleaner. From the garden/orchard to the kitchen to the jar and to the mouth.

[GAMom]

Growing up way back in the dark ages, we were glad to have the food we ate - Mom would just skim off the weevils from the rice before she put it on to boil or if they were in the cornmeal, she'd just tell us kids "Well, there's a bit more protein in our dinner."
<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p<O:p</O:p
Oh, and BTW have you ever thought about the amount of rodent dirt (poop) in the ground pepper you use? Check it out - there's more than you'd think. That's why I use whole pepper corns and grind my pepper when I need it for seasoning! Something else to think about!<O:p</O:p

[Earthling]

This is certainly a useful thread. :l0 (9):

[signseeker]

Are you eating boogers, earthling? Heh.

What do you mean there's rat poop in my pepper?? :shocked:

[Aldon]

Well,.....not all pepper, just yours. hehehhehheheh

[signseeker]

Everybody was Kung Fu fighting... :boxing_smiley:

[Earthling]

After this thread no one will need a diet . . . no one will want to eat! I will try to find a smilie better than one picking it's nose . . . :hat: :l0 (44):

[althor]

I've eaten weevils and at the time I didn't think it was a big deal. what I don't know is whether or not they were alive before I cooked them.

I was in college and they were in a box of hamburger helper. I had a bowl never noticing anything and then my roommate asked for some. He noticed the weevils and just about heaved. I took a closer and was surprised at how many there were... all nice and plump. I thought about it for a minute and just kept eating. My food budget was limited and since I hadn't noticed before I figured I'd just go ahead and finish. Even after knowing I really had a hard time noticing a difference.

I had just come from South America where I ate stuff that concerned me a lot more.

[ghostcat]

I'm going to "strenuously object" (what movie is that from?) to your statement that homemade food is much dirtier than commercially prepared food. I just don't buy it. I mean, I buy commercially prepared food, of course. But I think food at home is cleaner. From the garden/orchard to the kitchen to the jar and to the mouth.Yeah , but how many of those had unnoticed worms or other little critters you didn't see. How about all the bug droppings? what about all of the bacteria? The average kitchen is not cleaned as completely or as often as your commercial processors equipment is, nor does your typical kitchen endure as exhaustive an inspection. Very few home kitchens could pass an FDA inspection.

[stripe]

I am greatful that I have a Vegan diet so that I do not have to deal with all the extra things in prepared food.
stripe

[signseeker]

You only *think* it's vegan. Muwahahaha! If you unknowingly eat some "critter" are you still a vegan? Hmmmm....

What althor said about S.Am. reminded me of my sister going on a month-long survival shindig at the Y. I can't remember the guy that did it but I'm sure some of you guys would recognize him. They ate *whatever*. And I remember her telling me about drinking out of an old trough they found and it had a floating dead rat in it! :yikes: (My sister's totally cool.)

[ghostcat]

You only *think* it's vegan. Muwahahaha! If you unknowingly eat some "critter" are you still a vegan? Hmmmm....

What althor said about S.Am. reminded me of my sister going on a month-long survival shindig at the Y. I can't remember the guy that did it but I'm sure some of you guys would recognize him. They ate *whatever*. And I remember her telling me about drinking out of an old trough they found and it had a floating dead rat in it! :yikes: (My sister's totally cool.)Would that be Larry Dean Olsen?

[signseeker]

Yes! That's his name! What's funny is that my folks and I were at Miracle Hot Springs in Idaho and there he was! My dad bought one of his books and then after chatting a while discovered my sis was on his survival thing.

[ghostcat]

Yeah, he is considered the person who started the whole aboriginal survival movement. Tom Brown was the next big proponent. Now there are thousands involved.

[WolfBrother]

I've found "critters" in pasta, wheat products (flour etc), you name it.

Now when I bring home anything like that, I put it in the freezer for a couple of days or so.

Freezes (kills) the critters and the eggs.

Most places do a good job of "critter" proofing. I suspect what gets by are the eggs that hatch out "critters" who lay more eggs. Then the "critter" proofing gets rid of most of the "critters" but not the eggs and the cycle continues.

Freezing everything breaks the cycle.

[DMGNUT]

WolfBrother beat me to the punch. Put anything like pancake mix, cake mix, bisquick, etc in the freezer for 72 hours, and you're good to go. Weevils may get into it later, if not properly stored, but what's in it already will not spawn.

[signseeker]

So... you guys are *against* consuming them?

(Wussies. :frown2: )

[Aldon]

All I know is that Weevils wobble but don't fall down:)

Possibly showing my age.

[althor]

... just simmer for 25-30 minutes and they'll be plump and juicy...

[DMGNUT]

I've never eaten any (that I know of), but I've been told they are ok to eat. I've also been told that if algae gets into your properly stored water, its still ok to drink (maybe thats why they have that lime drink mix... :wink (4):).

Personally I'd just as soon store and/or prepare my supplies properly and not have to worry about it. But if things go wrong with my plans... they'll be a great source of protein.

[ghostcat]

So... you guys are *against* consuming them?

(Wussies. :frown2: )Having eaten more than a few bugs in my time it wouldn't bother me a bit.(hey, after years of eating Scout cooking, weevils are nothing) So who's the wuss your talking about?

[signseeker]

Hey, if the shoe fits...

But, if it doesn't, then never mind. :l0 (43):

[rhiamom]

Y
What althor said about S.Am. reminded me of my sister going on a month-long survival shindig at the Y. I can't remember the guy that did it but I'm sure some of you guys would recognize him. They ate *whatever*. And I remember her telling me about drinking out of an old trough they found and it had a floating dead rat in it! :yikes: (My sister's totally cool.)

I can't believe they let people drink water from a trough with a dead rat in it! That is the single best way to contract leptospirosis. and leptospirosis can be nasty. http://www.cdc.gov/ncidod/dbmd/diseaseinfo/leptospirosis_g.htm

[signseeker]

I don't know - it was all there was, apparently. This was back in the late 70s, though. Maybe the survival classes only drink approved water nowadays. :mellow:

[Baconator]

Are weevils and mealworms the same thing? Those little guys that get into saltines and stuff? They're not bad. Sort of like the soy beans of the animal kingdom.

[signseeker]

Timon (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001447/): This looks like a good spot to rustle up some grub.
Young Simba (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001795/): What's that?
Timon (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001447/): A grub. What's it look like?
[Timon eats the grub]
Young Simba (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001795/): Ewwwww, gross.
Timon (http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001447/): Tastes like chicken.

[CurtisG]

Well my wife gets really mad if i give too much detail about where honey comes from.