Conch!
These Queen conch are fully mature by the example of their
well formed lip or curl. You can only harvest Conch that have a
fully formed lip or roll. Some books say it takes 5 to seven years
for the Queen conch to form. I think we have excellent conditions for
growth and formation.
You gather them in shallow water to water as deep as 40 to 50 feet.
You find them usually where there is a sand bar, on the edge, and
many times around objects on the bottom that gives them some
protections. Ferns are what we look for. You snorkel on the surface
with mask and fins. When you see the horns sticking up through the
sand you surface dive and pull them out of the sand. They are heavy
enough that only two can be carried to swim back to the boat. A good
boat driver will keep a safe distance of his divers and use a long
handle net for them to drop their conch into, saving a long swim back
to the boat with a load.
You must know what you are doing to remove them from the shell.
Count two rings on the nose end and cut a groove in the shell, insert
a knife and cut the muscle loose from the shell, grasp the operculum
and pull out the muscle. This must be skinned and all the
apenditures removed. The nice triangles of white tough muscle must
be cubed very small and put into conch salad with sour orange,
onions, peppers, celery. We pound them very thin with a meat hammer
and make sweat sour conch over rice with pineapple. I like to take
them and run them through my fine hand grinder into a mushy conch-
burger. I mix flour, spice, and tomato and drop them in a fry daddy
until they surface. I make a dip out of mayo and catsup. Dip and eat--
Wow. Thanks Larry for sharing with us!
