Are Possums Good Eating?

[Airnip]

Probably worst sounding recipe seen in a quick search was "possum pecker pie".           Here is the wiki:
"[edit] As food
The opossum was once a favorite game animal in the United States, and in particular the southern regions which have a large body of recipes and folklore relating to the opossum. Opossum was once widely consumed in the United States where available as evidenced by recipes available online[12] and in books such as older editions of The Joy of Cooking. A traditional method of preparation is baking, sometimes in a pie or pasty[1], though at present "possum pie" most often refers to a sweet confection containing no meat of any kind. In Dominica and Trinidad opossum or "manicou" is popular and can only be hunted during certain times of the year due to over-hunting; the meat is traditionally prepared by smoking then stewing. The meat is light and fine grained, but the musk glands must be removed as part of preparation. The meat can be used in place of rabbit and chicken in recipes. The cousin of the opossum, the possum, found in Australia (and introduced to New Zealand) is consumed in a similar manner. [13]

Historically, hunters in the Caribbean would place a barrel with fresh or rotten fruit to attract opossums who would feed on the fruit or insects. Cubans growing up in the mid-twentieth century tell of brushing the maggots out of the mouths of "manicou" caught in this manner to prepare them for consumption. It is said also that the gaminess of the meat causes gas.[citation needed]

In Mexico, opossums are known as "tlacuache" or "tlaquatzin". Their tails are eaten as a folk remedy to improve fertility.

Opossum oil (Possum grease) is high in essential fatty acids and has been used as a chest rub and a carrier for arthritis remedies given as topical salves."

Evidently one of the first things is to cut off the legs and toss in order to remove the musk glands. Read up on them while back. After live trapping some in my urban back yard. Most interesting opposum fact was that they actively hunt kill and eat norway rats. They die of old age in only about two years. 

There was a rabbit breed to fake their fur. Opossum rex. Extinct now. Never bothered to skin a opossum out for lunch. Apparently once they were considered a fur bearing good eating game animal here in the United States.

[shoot-em-dead]

That's just gross.

[FrankDown]

Ive eaten opposum before.  I wouldnt eat any of the dumpster divers inthe city.  In the marsh along the coast they eat a lot of crabs, mussles, and things like that.  Clean them and remove anything under the legs or arms like you would a squirrel.  I used a slow cooker with potatoes, carrots, onion, and spices.  Racoons, groundhogs, squirrels, rabbits, and probably more can be cooked the same way.  It is a bit greasy though, it is a bit like dark turkey meat.  Once it all cooks off the bone in the slow cooker you cant tell what it is anyway.  I never noticed any more gas than normal after I ate it.

[wrangler]