Heliculture covers the following sections:
Garden snails
Periwinkles
 Heliculture offers the suburban dweller, whose contribution to the house-hold menu is usually confined to growing fruits and vegetables, a unique opportunity to raise a speciality meat for the table. This is a meat which is high in protein, low in fat, with no cholesterol, some important minerals and useful levels of vitamins A and C. Heliculture is the 'farming' of the common garden snail (Helix aspersa Muller), most often classed as a pest, for table use. The hermaphroditic snail was prized in ancient Rome, where a variety larger than the familiar garden snail was fed on milk to achieve purity and succulence of flesh. Snails are still a traditional Christmas Eve dish in some parts of Italy, and even in French cuisine snails are often prepared with sauces and accompaniments of Italian or Spanish origin. In some countries the small, pearl like snail eggs are now being transformed into 'snail caviar', and command high prices as a gourmet delicacy.
In Australia, eating snails has most often been confined to restaurants, and even there it is not unusual to find a canned, imported version being used. Given the abundance of snails in any backyard, this seems an unfortunate waste of resources and, like any other food, snails lose some flavour and texture when processed and canned. Gathering and preparing snails for the table is a time consuming and not particularly pleasant business (see below), and some enterprising snail farmers have begun commercial helicultural ventures in Australia, providing fresh, natural Australian snails to restaurants and home cooks alike. These companies use the latest technology to produce the edible brown species eaten in Europe and the United States.
The Australian snail farming industry is still in its infancy, so research is needed to fine tune the breeding and fattening methods. Egg fertility is high, but losses from stress and overcrowding can significantly reduce stock levels. To raise a snail to table size can take up to two years, but present research indicates that intensive farming methods could see the snails fattened and ready for the table in much shorter times. One of Australia's pioneering heliculturalists is Irena Votavova, who has established a snail farm at Blackburn in Victoria. Irena's modern establishment is built on a similar basis to that used by the ancient Romans, who pioneered snail farming (as opposed to simply catching and eating wild snails). There are two types of snail farms: collecting and fattening stations (which hold the creatures for only part of their life cycle), and breeding farms (which keep them throughout the entire life cycle).
Collecting and breeding stations must have suitable natural conditions, the most important being sufficient space (a maximum of about 100 snails per square metre) and protection from direct sunshine and wind. Where natural shelter is not available, rockeries, walls and other artificial shelter must be constructed, as the sun is deadly for the snails. The holding area must be specially fenced to prevent the stock escaping and the soil should be light. Sometimes it is necessary to mulch the soil with a 7 to 8 cm layer of leaf material. Because there is a high population density among the adult snails, young bred in these conditions rarely survive, so the collecting and fattening stations must rely on a constant supply of outside stock. Breeding farms must supply an environment as close to the natural one as possible. It is vital that this type of farm be encouraged in Australia, to avoid the situation which has occurred in a number of Western European countries, where by over collecting they have literally eaten out their snails and must now import them from Eastern Europe and Taiwan. Breeding farms require medium to light soils of 3 to 4 per cent calcium content and relatively low acidity; they must also have the potential to expand in area, as each snail lays 50 to 80 eggs at a time. (Thus, 100 sexually mature snails will produce up to 5000 young within a year.) Predators such as beetles, slugs, rats and birds must be kept under control, and high quality food and access to water must be provided at all times. Irena Votavova keeps her biggest and best snails for breeding, and her attention to soil conditions, correct humidity and optimum levels of cleanliness ensure a product of the best possible quality.
For those adventurous budding heliculturalists who scorn the shop bought product, the first rule to remember is that snails collected from the garden must never be used for the table straight away. Snails may have ingested toxic plants and it is imperative that all precautions be taken and the creatures properly prepared and purged before they are eaten. If you have put down snail bait or other snail deterrents in your garden, do not even consider collecting snails for the table. Only collect them from areas free of sprays and chemicals.
Some people believe that snails which are in hibernation are safer to eat, but I cannot emphasise strongly enough the importance of taking no shortcuts and following all the steps outlined below. If you are serious about food you must be dedicated to the task at hand there are no safe compromises to be made here. As snails tend to come out on cold, wet nights, the prospective snail collector must be prepared to brave the weather, so warm, waterproof clothing, a torch or lantern, 'wellies' and, of course, a bucket to collect the harvest are all required. It's surprising under these conditions to see just how many snails can be lurking in the average garden bed.
Preparing snails for the table
The snails must be kept for a couple of weeks before being eaten. Store them in a sturdy container which allows air to circulate. A fine wire mesh makes a suitable lid, but it must be well weighted down as the snails tend to come to the top and can force their way clear if the lid is not securely fastened. Contrary to popular belief, snails can move quite quickly. I speak from bitter experience, having had to round up escapees from around furniture, on the walls and even on the ceiling.
While the snails are in captivity they should be fed for the first week on lettuce, oatmeal or bran - all ingredients which are pure and safe for humans. For the second week they are fasted to cleanse their systems completely. Wash the snails well under running water, then soak them for one hour in a large dish of water with a cup of vinegar and a handful of salt added. They must then be rinsed again and again to remove all their mucilaginous juices. This is an important and time consuming step, as it could take six to eight rinses before the water runs completely clear. After the soaking and rinsing the snails are put into a boiling court bouillon (see marrons) and cooked for 5 minutes. When they are removed from the court bouillon they can be removed from their shells. Trim off the tips from the head and tail ends, and the snails are ready to be incorporated in a dish.
As well as the traditional presentation in the shell with garlic, herbs and butter, snails are excellent in salads, baked in pastry, marinated and fried. A spicy but subtle sauce (for example the tomatillo sauce) goes well with snails, but very strong flavours will overwhelm the nutty flavour. Tossed in seasoned breadcrumbs and sauteed in butter, they add interesting texture and flavour to other dishes. Snails prepared in this way, served on a bed of leaves dressed with a hazelnut or walnut vinaigrette dressing, make a very good salad in themselves.
An interesting hors d'oeuvre can be made using yellow fleshed chat potatoes and snails. Simply bake or boil the potatoes in their skins and then scoop out the flesh and fill the skin with a snail and a little herbed butter. Top with raclette cheese and heat under the griller until the cheese melts. Serve hot.
- Recipe: Snail steaks with port sauce
36 prepared, cooked snails
6 slices eye fillet steak
SAUCE
juice 1 lemon
100ml port
200 ml creme fraiche
Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper to taste
With a sharp knife, make a cut in the side of each steak to form a pocket. Fill the cavity of each with 6 snails and secure the openings with toothpicks. Pan fry steaks in butter until cooked as liked. Remove from the pan and keep warm while the sauce is prepared.
To prepare sauce.
Using the lemon juice and port, deglaze the pan in which the steaks have been cooked. Flame to reduce the alcohol and mellow the flavour.
Stir in the creme fraiche and some Worcestershire sauce. Cook over a high heat until the sauce reduces enough to coat the back of a spoon. Season to taste.
Remove the toothpicks from the steaks and put them on individual serving plates. Spoon the sauce over the steaks and serve with seasonal vegetables.
Suggested Wine: 2003 Penny's Hill McLaren Vale Shiraz
Periwinkles (Littorina litjorea) are edible marine snails, handpicked and harvested in Tasmanian waters by divers at depths of up to 8 fathoms. They are often referred to as 'sea snails'.
Periwinkles are commercially distributed by Seafood Island, who cook and garnish them with a wad of garlic butter before freezing them. After heating through in the oven, they may be served in their shells, diners removing the meat with a fine pointed skewer, or the meat may be removed and served on hors d'oeuvres or incorporated into soups, casseroles or pasta dishes.
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