Escargot
Fresh escargot, raised on the farm
Most escargot in the U.S. comes out of a can. Ours will come out of a snail house a few steps from the koi pools.
In development. Our snail house and food-safety licensing are in progress. Chefs can join the list below for first harvest.
Why Gros Gris
The Burgundy snail (Helix pomatia) is the famous one, but it takes years to mature and is mostly wild-collected in Europe. Gros Gris (Cornu aspersum maxima) is the farmer's snail: it reaches harvest size in one season, breeds reliably indoors, and rewards a careful diet with clean, tender meat.
How they're raised
- Sealed snail house. Screened, double-door building with a barrier perimeter. Nothing gets in and nothing gets out.
- Fed from the filter. Willow moss trimmings and bog greens, washed in potable water, plus a calcium-rich finishing feed for strong shells.
- Purged and processed properly. Snails are fasted before harvest and processed under a written food-safety plan.
Questions
What kind of escargot do you raise?
Cornu aspersum maxima, known in France as Gros Gris. It is the snail most European farms raise because it grows to market size in months rather than years, and it has a tender texture and mild, earthy flavour.
Do the snails live in the koi ponds?
No. Escargot are land snails and would drown in a pond. They live in a separate, sealed snail house. The connection to the koi pools is food: trimmed moss and greens grown in the filter are washed and fed to them.
Can I buy live snails?
Edible land snails are regulated as plant pests in the United States, so we expect to sell fresh-processed escargot to restaurants rather than live snails. Details will be published once our licences are in place.