RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

after reading this i might have to catch me a few anyone know of a site with pictures of how to clean one? i learn best in person or by pictures

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

I'll clean one in the next few days (hopefully) I'll take pics in a step by step process for ya. Hopefully I'll get one soon.

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

After boiling and scraping off the 'skin' and toenails, cut out the airplane shell.

The bottom shell will lift out like a can lid. Remove the entrails.

Slice the legs, tail, and neck loose from the inside of the top shell.

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

I clean mine about the same as farmcntry ; except I don't put mine in boiling water. I just cut off the head,nail the tail to a stump and cut the bottom shell off and then work on the leggs and neck.
After I get all the meat out,I cut all the yellow and white fat off and cut into cooking portions.
put in pressur cooker with seasoning you like till tender,flour and pan fri in hog lard till brown.

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

I trap snappers and there good eatin!

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

when we were kids mom used to have suprise dishes like tongue, heart, etc; one night she fed us turtle, i dont think she knew what she was doing, it was extremely tough, like chewing on leather, didnt taste bad though.

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

You guys have peaked my interest and now I am just going to have to find a turtle!!! Not too many here in the desert called Utah!!!

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

they got me too im in no hurry to catch one but next time i do ill try and clean and cook him ive got a lake in the back yard no more then 50yds. from the back door so it`ll be soon. what does the boiling do to it loosen the skin or tenderize it? i dont have a pressure cooker so id have to boil it. but how long do i boil it for? is there a minimum size for the turtles? i dont think we have any HUGE ones in here im guessing the majority of what i see is around 5lbs. when i wanna catch some ill probably set out jugs or some trout lines but whats a good bait? i keep catching them on live bream when im bass fishing but bream wint stay alive ling on a trout line
thanks for the info so far, sean

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

rusty ; cut that bream in half and bait the line or jug with it.
I always use a trebble hook and beef liver for turtles.if there are lilly pads in the lake , you can lay the bait on top of them and the fish want eat your bait.
with the trebble hook you will catch a lot of them in the foot.they push the hook out of there mouth with there foot and the other hook gets them in the foot.

if you don't have a pressure cooker ; use a crock pot and let them cook overnight;or boil till you can stick a fork in it (tender).

there are no size limits on them in Fla. I like the soft shells best.the snappers are bigger but less meat(unless you get a real big one)50lbs or more.the small snappers are better tasting(less tough);but you get less.

I had an uncle that comerrical fished for a living.sometimes he would call and we cleaned 15 to 20 turtles at one time.that was a" JOB" to clean that many.

good luck........give them a try (boiled till tender then fry like chicken) you cn't beat it for a change.[8D][8D][8D]

RE: anyone here eat turtles?
 

boiling before you start cleaning makes the shell's soft and you can peel that skin and toenails off easily. Throw it in boiling water for 1min each side and repeat as needed.

5# snapper isn't much meat at all. Good one to try as the first one though.
Jugs work well with chicken liver or shad, etc. You may catch catfish on them if thre are any in your pond

Good luck.