Poppy Seeds

[Toadflax]

Does anyone know if the seeds from garden poppies are edible - i.e. like the seeds you buy from the shops for bread or asian cooking? We have a large poppy plant in the garden but I don't know its exact species (had fairly pale purple flowers) and there were loads of seeds in its large (acorn sized) seed heads yesterday when I pulled it up.

I suppose I'm asking if all poppy seeds are edible, or whether the ones in the shops are a particular species.


Geoff

[xylaria]

I far as I know you can eat all poppy seeds, Well I have eaten poppy seeds from the big ornamental variety and the red corn poppy I am still here.

[xylaria]

If its from a papaver somniflerium these people (http://www.springerlink.com/content/6515v20541l1p26n/) say you should wash, dry and grind them. It is not likely that that plant will produce anything toxic in our climate so i wouldn't worry. My friend grows a hybred of somniflorium esspecially for the seed, it is called blue bread seed poppy. It does make very nice seed.

Have you ever noticed I talk some right wierdo plants/fungi with you Mr Calvert?;)

[Toadflax]

Have you ever noticed I talk some right wierdo plants/fungi with you Mr Calvert?;)

Indeed so, Lady Xylaria, and I bet that if I tell my wife and children that I've been chatting with a strange lady on the internet they'll never guess what it's about...

...then again, knowing me, they probably would guess. :rolleyes:

I even found a picture of you on Wikipedia.


Geoff

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/93/Xylaria_hypoxylon.jpg

[Toddy]

The poppy seeds are all edible, but some are better gently poached in salted water, drained and added to cooked rice for a savoury dish. Nutty, sort of.
They are also a good source of cooking oil.
Once the seeds have formed the capsule is no longer capable of making the narcotic latex.

cheers,
Toddy

[gregorach]

Just don't eat poppy seeds if you're going in for a drugs test - they contain enough residual opiates to register as a positive test! (Thanks, Mythbusters... :))

[EdS]

Just don't eat poppy seeds if you're going in for a drugs test - they contain enough residual opiates to register as a positive test! (Thanks, Mythbusters... :))

So do any over the counter pain killers that contain Codine. They do not detect heroin itself only the genreal signature of opiates - even at sub active levels.

[GreenmanBushcraft]

Just don't eat poppy seeds if you're going in for a drugs test - they contain enough residual opiates to register as a positive test! (Thanks, Mythbusters... :))

Lol, you have to love the mythbusters!

Kris

[xylaria]

I love mythbusters,
Hops contain a substance called resorcinol that tests positive for cannabis use. Beer doesn't contain enough hop to worry about, but common herbal remedies can, and if it is a hair test organics brand red hair die has it in it too.

Considering how prolific drug testing is for alot of jobs and you can lose your job as a result we should really be warned about these things.

The drugs test they did on egyptian mummies that found supposed traces of cocaine didn't test for cocaine it tested for ecgonine(a by-product of cocaine). Which is found in some sub-Saharan plants. So they didn't need to have space men doing their drug runs for them, but they would of been sacked if they work for british aerospace.

I know this because I find alkaloids very interesting, Why does a plant make compound like atropine as an metabolic end product?

[gregorach]

I love mythbusters,
Hops contain a substance called resorcinol that tests positive for cannabis use.

That's good to know! I frequently handle hops during brewing... ;)

[cariboo]

Poppies are amazing.

We've got 7 or 8 varieties in our gardens.
Not only are they beautiful they repell pesty bugs.

We bake with the seeds mostly, mix them in cereals and use the petals in salads.
The poppy, any variety, if you want is the ultimate home remedy pain killer. Steep a couple of seed pods into tea.
It will clear up headaches, aches and pains and put a positive spin to your day. It would be a small dose of opium.
Like any medicinal plant use with caution.