Fish (guts) 'N Chips

Paul went fishing yesterday and brought home a nice sized catfish!

He doesn’t get on the lake or river very often, so it’s a treat when he comes home with supper in the cooler.

Catfish nuggets...

                                                 

                                                        And what's left of the chips (fries).

We’re fortunate to have the lake and river just a short drive (or even a walk) away, not only for cooling off in the summer heat, but for a source of fresh fish. The water is one of the reasons we moved here.

So, do you have any ponds, lakes or rivers near you that you can utilize as both recreation and a food source?  Don’t overlook your local park districts and state parks; just make sure that the water isn’t polluted to the point that you’d be putting icky fish on your dinner plates. 

Even if you’re not lucky enough to have real SEA-food (you know….shrimp, scallops, lobster, $$$) there are plenty of other delicious fresh water fish.  My two favorites are Walleye and Catfish, although I wouldn’t turn away a plate full of battered and fried panfish like Bluegill or Sunfish.

Now that I have your mouth watering, let’s talk fish guts!

If you’re even the most novice of novice, gardeners, I’m sure you’ve at least heard of fish emulsion.  So what better use of a container of fresh fish skin, bones and guts than to make some homemade fish emulsion for our garden?

I read somewhere online that it’s as simple as taking a 5-gallon bucket, filling it half-way with vegetable material, sawdust or leaves, 2 tablespoons of Epsom Salt and the fish guts.  Finish filling the bucket ¾ of the way with water & leave it out in the sun.  Stir once a day for two weeks and voilà – Fish Emulsion!

So now I’m off to find a suitable (i.e. not cracked) 5-gallon bucket (and a place where the cats, dogs, chickens, opossums, raccoons, etc. won't get to it) and start our homemade kick-butt fertilizer.