Are Garden Snails Escargot?

Any land snail is a potential meal.

The French refer to two types of snails as escargot. The large white snails (Helix pomatia) are called gros blanc, while the smaller gray or brown snail (Helix aspersa) is called petit gris. Most of garden snails in North America are of the latter type. Any land snail is a potential meal.

Collecting Snails

Build a snail trap by inverting a flower pot over a handful of bran. Prop up one edge of the pot, and come back to gather snails early in the morning. Bran is one of their favorite foods, and after eating their fill they attach to the inside of the pot, making for an easy harvest.

Tree Snails

Many gardeners place a band of copper around the base of trees to exclude snails. Snails are often found gathered around the bottom of banded trees. Some tree snails are protected species, so before collecting tree snails, check with a local extension or wildlife agent. Avoid collecting snails around trees sprayed with insecticides.

Remove Slime

Remove the slime from snails before cooking them. Soak snails for three to four hours. For every 50 snails, add 1/2-cup salt or 1/4-cup vinegar. Change the liquid occasionally. Mucus turns the water milky. After soaking, rinse well and then cover the snails with fresh cold water and bring them to a boil. After eight minutes, plunge them into cold water.

References

• Mother Earth News: Escargots in Your Garden
• United States Department of Agriculture National Agriculture Library: Raising Snails