Carp

Have you ever eaten carp? They certainly don't taste as good (to me) as catfish or even bass! Sure they are easy to grow, but why do you suppose they are called trash fish?

Offered by Roger.

I've eaten carp, and I agree that they aren't one of the best tasting fish, not to mention the extreme number of small bones. I think they are grown because they eat vegetation. They are usually cooked (steamed) with a very strong tasting sauce, like fermented black beans. I certainly wouldn't waste my time with bass, as in a pond they are most likely to eat every small fish that is hatched/born. Post pole shift, I don't expect carp would work out,as all the fresh water plants I'm familiar with need lots of light, so they really wouldn't have anything to eat. Carp will eat most anything, but I don't think they will eat rotting vegetation. I've caught them, as you say, with bread and also cheese; but they can't resist worms or a piece of red meat. I think they are able to locate it more easily from it's smell.

Offered by Ron.

Carp is an excellent food fish if you choose the correct species and is farmed all over the world for that purpose, cooked with herbs and spices, stuffed with rice etc., it can be a very acceptable meal to even the most discerning palate, and any bony fish is easily filleted for a meal and the bones, head, etc. used for soup.

Offered by Jan.

Carp are a very hardy fish that can be pond-farmed without the need for aeration (which in turn would require electricity). In lesser developed countries including Central Europe and Asia, Carp are in fact the most popular fish produced through aquaculture methods. However, they are a lot less popular in places like America due to being somewhat oily and having lots of bones. I believe they should be considered a primary source of backup food supply in the event of a widescale catastrophe as they are highly efficient protein producers. Below is one article I found on preparing them. The great thing as well is that it would be difficult for a roving gang to see/take all of your pond fish, and thus pond fish are highly recoverable from attack esp given that fish eggs would spawn.

From the Pole Shift ning.

From Mother Earth News, Issue No. 33 - May/June 1975:

A two-foot piece of board ten inches wide, with a large nail driven through one end, is a great help in the skinning process . . . and you'll need a rough wooden table-far from the house but near a convenient supply of running water-to carry out the messy job of filleting. Other necessities include a long, thin, sharp knife, a pair of pliers or vice grips, a pan of salted water (half a pound of salt per gallon) for the fillets, and a bucket for the non-edible parts.

First, the skinning. Hose the slime off the carp and impale it near the tail on the spike that sticks up through the board. With the point of the knife, pry off a row of scales far back on the carcass and cut the tough skin underneath. Next use the backbone of the fish to pry against as you slit the skin along the spine from the tail to the bony skull. Then open the belly from end to end, being careful not to spill the guts. Catch hold of the flap of skin at the tail end with the pliers or vice grips and pull slowly toward the head, taking care to clean the meat off the skin with the knife if any starts to pull loose from the carcass (see Fig.. 1). An extra pair of hands is really helpful at this point: one person tugging the skin with the pliers while the other holds the carp in place and frees the clinging flesh. Cut the meat along the spine and belly and across the skull end of the fillet, and begin to pull the flesh toward the tail, slicing it off the bony ribs as you go (see Fig. 2). Once the piece of meat is free, wash it off and put it into the pan of salted water. Then turn the carp over and repeat the process on the other side.

About the leftovers: Richard Reed uses the huge volume of eggs in the female carp as food for his flock of mallards, and we find that our chickens like the roe mixed with their mash. The rest of the carcass makes a high-quality fertilizer. We grind the leavings in our shredder-grinder, for easier spreading and less worry about turning up sharp bones in the garden next spring. Bury the fish-wastes deep, so the dogs and cats won't dig up the patch to get at them, and stand back ... because those plants will begin to grow and produce like nothing you've ever seen before,

Meanwhile, though, you've just cut up your first carp and will probably want to have a fresh fish fry right away. Soak the meat for ten minutes in the salted water, pat it dry, and cut it crosswise into slices the size of fish sticks. Beat one egg in a bowl with a little milk, dip the fillet strips into this mixture, and roll them in whole wheat flour or cornmeal seasoned with salt, parsley, and sage. Then get the frying pan hot and add vegetable oil or shortening. Brown the coated fish on all sides. (We mix the leftover egg and milk with the seasoned flour and add a dash of baking powder to make a dinner pancake. You'll find your carp feast worthy of all that labor. Carp has both. light and dark meat and is fattier than most fish, with a texture that reminds us of tender pork. The meat also has numerous sharp bones when cooked fresh and will have to be carefully picked over bit by bit before being served to young children. (Well, you knew there had to be some disadvantages!)

Much as we enjoy fresh fried carp, we prefer to can this meat because it makes the bones soft and digestible (a wholesome calcium bonus). Just cut the fresh or smoked fillets into strips and pack them tightly to within an inch of the top of pint canning jars. Add half a teaspoon of salt and two or three tablespoons of hot salad oil if desired. Put the cap on each jar and screw the band down firmly. Process the fish in a pressure cooker at 10 pounds for 100 minutes or at 15 pounds for 80 minutes. The finished product can be used in any recipe that calls for tuna.