Let’s talk about birds—geese, specifically. When I think of ideal household pets or livestock, geese are not the first creatures to come to mind. Actually, until about a week ago, I thought of geese only as large, flapping, non-cuddly producers of gooey droppings. Thankfully, Carla Emery has forced me to reconsider this opinion. If you are feeling similarly on the fence about these great waterfowl, here are a few fun facts that may help sway you in their favor.
Geese are basically a hardy cash crop.
Believe it or not, geese can thrive on no more than grass. “In fact, except in winter, geese fare quite well with very little care. It’s not unusual to see them foraging through snow. They are extremely resistant to disease and parasites, and they need only a little shade in summer and a bit of shelter against extreme cold. Waterfowl are actually hardier in resistance to poultry diseases than chickens and seldom suffer disease when kept in small flocks. (However, when waterfowl are raised in very large numbers in a small area, they, like all animals under those conditions, are more likely to be affected by disease.)” Geese are generally raised for their meat, but will also lay eggs for an amazing number of years. (Carla Emery also suggests that this could be an example to us on the benefits of plain living and moderation.)
They can moonlight as watchdogs
Geese often form strong attachments to their owners and can manifest this connection in useful ways, like sounding the alarm when a predator or unfamiliar visitor enters the scene.
“Sylvia Nelson, Hillsdale, WY, wrote me, ‘Our first batch of geese, gray Toulouse, imprinted on me and just worship me. We also have a few white Embdens and 2 crossbreeds, hatched out last season, our first successful hatching. Toulouse and Embdens are supposed to be gentle, but a couple of years ago we learned how fierce they can be. My husband woke up one night, with a terrible ruckus going on in the duck and goose yard. He looked out, and saw a fox in the yard. We had seven geese at the time, and each one had a mouthful of fox, and were each pulling in a different direction. The next morning we found a couple of scratches on the geese, no missing geese or ducks, and chunks of fox fur all over the yard, plus a 1-inch-square piece of hide. The fox never returned!’”
Geese are classier animals than you might think.
Carla Emery points out that certain goose breeds carry themselves with a certain amount of grace, and that they look nearly as lovely on the water as swans. Additionally, geese tend to act fairly conservatively in regards to mating.
“Geese generally choose partners in the fall. Once the groupings are established, it is difficult to add more geese. Geese do not mate on first encounter like so many other animals. If your proposed partners are new to each other, you’ll have to allow them time to get acquainted. Many ganders do not change partners easily. Previous companions have to be completely absent for as long as a month before such a gander will accept one or more new ones.”
Since geese are such low-maintenance, useful livestock, I am forced to reconsider my aversion to their size and droppings and admit that their desirable qualities make them entirely worthwhile to keep. Geese can make a fine roast for a holiday dinner, and their eggs can be prepared just as you would use one from a chicken (though they are considerably larger, so you use fewer). Goose feathers can be plucked from a live or butchered bird and used to make pillows, quilts, beds, clothing, and even quill pens!
If you’re still not convinced, just wait until your mouth starts watering over one of Carla Emery’s favorite goose recipes!
Braised gosling
This is a delicious way to prepare a bird that has just reached roasting size. Use a roaster with a rack at the bottom of it. Put a chunked carrot, an onion, a turnip, a pared and cored apple, and a stalk of celery on the grating. Lay the bird on that. Rub salt, pepper, and a little sage on it. Pour some boiling water in the side. Cover and roast at 350 ̊F, 15 minutes to the pound. Baste with butter.
To make the gravy, remove the gosling when done, and mash the vegetables by pouring them and the cooking liquid through a sieve into a bowl. Skim away as much of the grease as possible after it has set a moment. Chop the cooked giblets (except the liver, which you discard), and add them to the broth. Put about 3 T. of the goose grease into a frying pan. Thicken with flour, then add the broth gradually, stirring the lumps out before adding more liquid, until it has all been added. Season your gravy to taste. Serve the bird on a platter, the gravy in a bowl. Have mashed potatoes ready to pour the gravy over. Applesauce, and green peas or lima beans will complete a wonderful meal.
I am not terribly concerned about vampire attacks for one simple reason: I love garlic. I put garlic in almost any savory dish from scalloped potatoes to homemade hummus to scrambled eggs. And I’m not talking about a single clove here or there—I go through probably one or two heads of garlic per week. One way to demonstrate the potent and enduring nature of my love for garlic is this: when my dad and I make garlic bread together, we plan ahead and make one loaf bursting with garlicky goodness for ourselves and another designed for normal human beings who prefer the taste of bread with a hint of garlic. Personally, I just can’t get enough of it.
Carla Emery might not be as overly enthusiastic as I am about garlic, but she has some good information about the nature of garlic and its multitude of uses.
“Garlic is a hardy perennial (though usually grown like an annual), the strongest member of the onion family in its sulfide of allyl content — that good stuff that acts as wormer, disinfectant, etc. Shallots, its closest relative, are basically a mild-flavored garlic variety. Like shallots, garlic blooms (pink flowers), but it may or may not make seed depending on the variety and circumstances. Instead garlic is usually propagated by garlic bulbs or “heads” that grow underground (roots go as deep as 2 feet). Each head is made up of a cluster of smaller ones, each called a “clove.” Garlic is a type of onion, a semihardy perennial that, since it’s not damaged by frost or light freezing, can be left in the garden over winter in the Pacific climate — or can be dug up and stored like onions. It’s grown both for the kitchen garden and for commercial sale (it yields a good profit from a very small acreage). Store-bought garlic is usually too dry to plant. Buy a cluster of garlic cloves from a plant nursery or mail-order source.”
A few interesting facts about garlic:
If your garlic tastes bitter when cooked, it means you cooked it over too high a heat. Many cooks throw onions and garlic in the pan together, but garlic takes less time to cook than onion, so make sure to give the onions a few minutes before adding garlic.
There is a cure to garlic breath! Carla Emery suggests chewing on raw parsley or celery leaves.
Garlic can be used as an insect repellent. Carla Emery says, “to fight insects and plant blights, blend several garlic cloves with some water and 1 T. cooking oil or soap emulsion. Strain. Dilute to 1 qt. and spray on. It works very well but must be done very often if you’re in a serious battle situation.”
Garlic is good for you. And that goes beyond adding it to everything you cook (like I do).
“Garlic has genuine antibiotic properties. Garlic juice, lemon juice, and some sweetening mixed in a cup of warm water are good for a sore throat. Garlic juice applied to ant bites helps make the pain go away. For a patient with a chest cold, mix garlic juice and a vapor rub ointment. Smooth that on a square of cloth, cover with another cloth, and place on chest. Garlic is also a diuretic that thins blood and lowers blood pressure. To prevent travelers’ dysentery, eat a clove per day. It has been used to treat patients (humans and animals) who need worming and has no toxic side effects. To worm a large cat, give one crushed clove each month. So whether you use it for medical or culinary reasons, have at it!”
If you’re a fan or garlic or just looking for a tasty power food, try an easy recipe at home!
Quick Garlic Soup
Heat 12 cloves crushed garlic for about 8 minutes in 3 c. rich milk.
Roast Garlic Spread
Cut the tips off a whole head of garlic (don’t peel or separate cloves). Wrap the head in foil; bake at 350 ̊F until cloves get soft and pulpy. Squeeze the mush onto crackers, toast, or good fresh bread. From The Good Food Guide, edited by Lane Morgan (Sasquatch Books, 1992).
