Possum: The Other Dark Meat, by Dakota and Calvin Bricker, Jr Posted on February 5, 2013 [Editors Note: The following article first appeared on C.I.s Facebook page, and soon after we published it in our April 2012 Newsletter.] We always heard stories about eating possum but never had a chance to try one until recently on a scouting campout with Troop 28 on January 14th, 2012. Eric Hawbaker, who traps, graciously furnished us with a nice possum with the head still attached which is important because some folks say that the head is the best part of the possum. My Grandfather, Ellis Bricker born in 1901, trapped and ate possums. He said that they were greasy. David Zeisberger, a Moravian missionary to the Indians in the 1700’s, wrote “the flesh of the opossum taste like pork and is eaten by the English, rarely by the Indians.” The fact that the Indians didn’t prefer eating them was discouraging. Why did our ancestors eat possum, groundhogs, musk rat, and raccoons? It was a source of cheap protein. According to an article I read about the early 20th century, a family spent 35% to 40% of their income on food compared to our 15% today. My GG Grandfather lived in Montgomery Township and died in 1919. We were amazed that his one-hundred and five chickens were assessed at $1.25 each. At this time, a good wage was only 15 to 25 cents an hour. (Note: According to the 1917 Montgomery Township records they paid 17 cents an hour to laborers that were working on the roads, 22 cents an hour to the road master (supervisor), and 30 cents an hour to rent a farmer and his team of horses.) If we had to work five to six hours to buy one lousy chicken with feathers, the possum, groundhogs, raccoons, and the neighbor’s dog would probably taste pretty good. No wonder chicken thievery was a popular pastime in the past. My Grandfather raised chickens but he ate a considerable amount of possum. I assume that he sold the chickens to people who did not appreciate possum. The first thing we noticed from examining this particular possum was the globs of tallow hanging on it. The critter was as fat as a hog! We cut off large chunks of tallow from the possum and discarded it, which the old people would not do. Tallow is a source of calories and was used to make candles and soap. The grease could have been used to make a rush lamp in Colonial days. We can appreciate the benefits of a fat possum to the early white settlers and our recent ancestors. We decided to cook the possum based on an article in the first Foxfire Book (a collection of stories about Appalachian living.) Most people baked their possum with sweet taters. After skinning the possum, remove any musk glands underneath the front legs and then soak in salt water for a day. Precook the possum in a greased Dutch oven with sassafras twigs, salt and pepper, and a little bit of water. We didn’t have sassafras twigs, so we used an online recipe that flavored the possum with thyme and marjoram along with salt and pepper. Simmer the critter until it is tender and then dump off the excess water and grease. Before baking, surround the critter with chunks of sweet potatoes, add a couple pieces of fatback and cover with chopped onions and salt and pepper. Bake and baste frequently until golden brown. When the taters are soft, the critter is ready to eat. There is an old saying in the south, “grinning like a baked possum.” It is true. After simmering for an hour and a half, we removed the lid to see the critter grinning like a politicking politician. After an hour of baking, we enjoyed our feast. The possum was moist, tender, and greasy, but tasty; we all agreed it tasted like the dark meat of a turkey. It had a very pleasant flavor with no wild gamey taste. The best part was two large chucks of head meat that tasted like tenderloin. The tongue was amazingly tender and surprisingly very delicious. The old people ate the brains. We didn’t because of the warning against eating nervous system tissue and the threat of wasting disease. The sweet taters were especially delicious. The seasoning was absolutely divine. Everyone agreed the sweet potatoes were the best they had ever eaten. Our local marsupial was an amazing, tasty culinary treat! If you are anxious to try one, may we suggest stuffing the critter with apples and raisins or with an old fashion chestnut and bread crumb stuffing along with the sweet taters? Let us know your results. Go for it! Posted in Publications | Tagged Calvin Bricker Jr, Conococheague Institute, Dakota Bricker, foodways, opossum, possum | Leave a reply Search Recent Posts Find unique gifts for the giving-season at CI’s Gift Shop! 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