Hasenfeffer (Sour Rabbit Stew) SUBMITTED BY: NXNER "Original German rabbit stew recipe passed down from my great-grandmother who immigrated to US in 1889. This is a lot of work to make but well worth it. It is an acquired taste dish; once hooked, you can't get enough. Serve with fresh mashed potatoes and celery sticks. Use the stock as gravy for mashed potatoes. Always tastes better as leftovers. Hope you enjoy!" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- PREP TIME 1 Hr COOK TIME 1 Hr 15 Min READY IN 10 Hrs 15 Min INGREDIENTS 2 3/4 cups red wine vinegar 3 cups water 1 1/2 tablespoons white sugar 8 whole cloves 1 medium onion, thinly sliced 5 stalks celery, chopped 1 lemon, thinly sliced 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 tablespoon salt 1 teaspoon pickling spice 1 teaspoon ground black pepper 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 (2 1/2 pound) rabbit, cleaned and cut into pieces 3 tablespoons vegetable oil DIRECTIONS In a large pot, combine the water, white sugar, whole cloves, onion, celery, lemon, cinnamon, ground cloves, salt, pickling spice and black pepper. Bring to a boil, then turn off and allow to cool. Place the rabbit pieces into the mixture to marinate. Cover and refrigerate overnight. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Spread flour out onto a parchment or aluminum foil lined baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the flour is a light brown color. Remove the rabbit from the marinade and pat dry. Strain the marinade, and discard the solids. Reserve the liquid for later. Heat the oil in a deep skillet or Dutch oven over medium heat. Coat the chicken with the toasted flour. Place into the hot oil, and cook until browned on both sides. Remove from the pan, and set aside. If there is oil left in the pan, sprinkle enough of the toasted flour over it to absorb the liquid. In a jar with a lid, mix 1/2 cup of the marinade with 1/4 cup of the remaining toasted flour. Close the lid, and shake vigorously until well blended with no lumps. Heat the pan with the rabbit drippings over low heat. Gradually stir in the marinade mixture, stirring constantly until slightly thickened. Return the rabbit pieces to the pan. Cover and simmer over low heat for 1 hour, or until the meat is falling off of the bones. You may remove the bones prior to serving if desired.

Milorganite keeps the rabbits at bay. Each to their own here, I’m using what has worked for me after trying those nasty, expensive sprays. I knew where milorganite came from, not much different than some of the treated manure that goes on some gardens. I suggest anyone who is interested in using Milorganite to do a search on the internet about its use as a repellent. Sherry

I know there are a lot on the market. I’ve tried most of them, but not done what I would call a really scientific comparison. Perhaps there is a site that has one? I don’t have deer. I see both rabbits and squirrels. A LOTof squirrels due to *%$!* non-gardening neighbors that feed them. Emerging lilies are the chief thing I want to protect. I have a lot invested in lilies. Tulips too, at this time of year. Just off the top of my head, without going into the garage to pull out the giant chemicals bin, I’ve used Repels-all and powdered dried blood for solids, several Liquid Fence formulas for liquids. The labels for Repels-all says it's something like 99%+ inactive ingredients. Not impressed with that! A couple of people have recommended Plantskyyd GRANULES to me. I bought the liquid after a garden center lecture last year. But don’t recall whether it worked. The Plantskyyd is very pricey and before I try yet another repellent, I’d like to know if it works. Please don’t say “get a cat”. I have one, indoor only. After the previous cat inhaled a parasite and ended up having a stroke, I will never let a beloved pet go outdoors again, no matter how much I want the yard patrolled. I welcome the neighbor’s cats, but they have a lot of work to do and I can’t count on their being around for a full shift. Thanks for your input.

I happen to have the same problem. Sea lavender, zonal pelargonium and reblooming irises were all eaten, the irises literally to the ground, sea lavender some with leaves eaten and others only the blooms. My roses were eaten as far up as the rabbits could reach, but I notice that lately their reach is getting longer. I've gardened here for 12 years and this is the first year they have done this, which shows me that the pressure from drought and global warming has reached critical mass for the wildlife. The only plant the rabbits and/or squirrels have not touched is a purple-flowered penstemon. Needless to say, I've ordered more penstemons. I put in a plant which was supposed to be toxic and they ate that to the ground too (cannot recall the name, sorry). I have now planted the aforementioned penstemons and some lavenders and sages. I have them in wire cages until they get taller and more vigorous, but I have no idea what they will or won't eat. It's going to be a matter of trying things out and seeing what survives. They've also eaten almost all of my day lilies, by the way. I'm also trying lupines. I'm concentrating on any plants from Annie's Annuals that are listed as deer- and gopher-resistan and also heat- and drought-tolerant.. They don't seem to have a category for rabbit-resistant plants, unfortunately.