Field Notes from Jess ~ Rewilding in 2021 | Week 43/52 | Fall
Oct 17, 2021
Field notes from Jess ~
Rewilding in 2021 | Week 43 of 52
Field to Freezer | Cut, Pack, Wrap, Sausage & Sinew
This is month 2 of an 8-month Hunting Mentorship with @pathofthehunterschool on IG, a program run through Earthwalk Northwest based out of Bellevue Wa. Our focus this last weekend was a hands-on experience with processing a whole lamb. I joined seven men, fellow students of the course, and together we learned about the different cuts of meat and how to preserve the harvest.
After removing the backstrap, we cut out the tenderloins which were immediately cooked up and shared, delicious! Using super secret recipes, we made Italian sausage, garlic sausage and breakfast sausage with the help of a meat grinder. Next we molded and wrapped the ground meat with seasonings in freezer paper for food storage and properly labeled each one pound package. I was introduced to the FoodSaver as we vacuum sealed lamb roast. This was such a satisfying experience! It was a lot of work but really incredible to store that much food and learn the skills to make this happen.
A highlight experience for me was cutting out a tendon, washing and drying it to make 'sinew’. This process creates tiny fibers for use as cordage or string for sewing! I have included a picture of the different stages of drying and what the fibers look like when prepared for sewing.
Becoming more self-reliant and understanding how to harvest food, process food and the traditional methods for daily practical applications is no doubt a process of rewilding. I look forward to using the sinew for an upcoming sewing project and the sausage stored in my freezer will be perfect to take to hunting camp in November!
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