November 15, 1990 - Smoking (Eels) Out Behind the BarnNovember 15, 1990 • The Suffolk Times C1 i
Smoking (Eels) Out Behind the Barn
By Paul Stoutenburah
I thought the last of this year's eeling
would have been over by the end of Oc-
tober for it's then that the cold moves
into our bays and creeks. It was about
that time the crabs and eels should have
headed into the mud to spend the cold
winter months in hibernation. At that
time most would have built up a heavy
supply of fat. This energy supply would
be proportioned out to keep their body
functions barely going.
This slow rate of metabolism in their
winter's sleep allows them to make it
through 'til spring when the waters
once again warm up and their active life
starts anew. Nature has provided this
method of survival through the
evolution of time by trial and error.
Today we take these winter sleeps by
many animals for granted.
Youth outshines the old in many
ways (but not in everything) and so my
son and a friend had to make one last
eeling trip in hopes that the warm
weather had held off the eels' hiberna-
tion. The eels knew that the longer they
put off going into the mud, the better
their chances to acquire their winter's
supply of fat. So when my son and his
friend went out on Nov. 6, they found
those lingering eels and brought home
half a tubful. Now a few fried eels are
fine ' ,)ut half a tub requires additional
strategies.
The last time these two young men
put their heads together when they had a
surplus of eels was a disaster. I had
built a smokehouse where I'd smoked
eels, fish, venison, etc., for years. There
was a part of our back pasture put aside
for just that purpose. Last year these
two young enthusiasts had gone eeling
and gotten a good haul so thought
they'd smoke them. With some
elementary instructions and a lot of
"Yes, we know" and nodding heads,
they started hanging their eels and
building a fire that would produce the
smoke for their bountiful catch. I
particularly told them about a slow fire
and like with my other instructions
there were nodding heads and "Yes, we
understand."
Ready To Go
That night when they had everything
under control, they left the smokehouse
oozing with wonderful hickory smoke
and visions of golden brown eels the
following day. They asked if I would
check the eels in the morning for it was
a work day for them and, of course, I
said, "Yes." The next morning when I
Focus on
Nature
headed down to the smokehouse, I no-
ticed a whiff of smoke in the air and I
thought how wonderful the eels would
look after a night's smoking.
As I came around the corner, I
couldn't believe my eyes. There was ab-
solutely nothing there but a few twisted
grates where the smokehouse had been
and a pile of ashes still smoldering.
Their slow fire evidently had built up
during the night and the smokehouse
had burned to the ground.
The reason I'm telling this tale is that
we all learn and so when I built a new
smoker I redesigned it with a cast -iron
firebox from an old stove and a 52 -gal-
lon oil drum. We'd have no more
wooden smokehouses on this property.
The half tub of eels my son and his
friend had just gotten were destined for
the new smoker.
A special concoction of salt and all
sorts of ingredients were mixed up and
the clean eels were put to soak. I
believe they were to marinate overnight
but something came up and they stayed
in for two days. All went well at the
start. The eels were hung on the
supporting rods, a fire was started and
then the rains came and kept up all day.
This didn't slow down the two young
enthusiasts. They would stay 'til the
eels were done.
New Problems
A new problem arose for being in the
brine so long the skin that usually
holds the eels while being smoked
became weakened and some of the eels
started falling into the firebox. This was
corrected by lifting the 52- gallon drum
off and picking out the fallen eels and
placing them on racks where they could
be smoked from the heat below.
Of course, every once in a while, a
piece of eel would be broken off and
tasted. Everything from the first, practi-
cally raw piece to the last "They're
ready now" was tasted, along with an
occasional beer or two. I should have
taken a picture of that operation in the
rain. It was good to see these two
young men enjoying the experience of
an art of yesteryear. I'm afraid far too
many people today are not having the
chance to experience such activities that
once helped make our nation great.
Smoking meats and fish was an im-
portant part of our past heritage for it
ME1- LIN
THE BEST CHINESE FOOD ON THE NORTH FORK
Closing November 19th
(after dinner)
We would like to thank all our
loyal customers for their
patronage during the year.
Happy holidays...
see you in March 1991
Main Road, Southold • 765 -3555
SmVncnwu1C— vvooaen smoKenouses are fine if tended carefully.
This one is no longer around for the fire got too hot in the middle of the
night and it burned to the ground.
was a way that foods could be preserved.
Salting down was another. Both as a
steady diet today would be frowned on
as "hazardous to your health" but in
small amounts these savory morsels
tempt the tastebuds and renew memories
of how it once was.
I for one would not want to go back
to the days of smoked meats and salted
fish. Refrigerators and freezers are truly
great inventions of our time and I'm
reminded of it each time they're used.
Yet, to be a little involved in yester-
day's way of life gives me a greater ap-
preciation for the spoils of today. With-
out that comparison I'm sure these
young people would be like the vast
majority, taking everything for granted,
and would miss an important ingredient
of life.
OANTHONY9
Main Road, Southold
�N
� pePJs%
765 -5282
Open 7 days for dinner
from 4 p.m. - closing
and
Friday, Saturday and
Sunday for Lunch
1 1:30 until closing
Closed Thanksgiving Day
awe 'Birdwic6r's Corapanw-n
nfl tote rl3irder"
f ar
North Road, Southold, 765 -5872
Open Wednesday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday
Gifts • Binoculars • Books • Seed • Feeders • Houses
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