bitter almonds

Jean B. said:

I am still looking at old cookbooks online and see that many recipes
call for a mixture of regular and bitter almonds. Anyone know about the
safety of consuming bitter almonds? How much can one consume without
being poisoned? I gather the level must be fairly high, or our
predecessors might not have eaten them in such quantity....

It's probably a moot point since you won't be able to find any bitter
almonds for sale in the US. (Substitute peach, cherry, or apricot pits)

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob said:

Jean B. said:

I am still looking at old cookbooks online and see that many recipes
call for a mixture of regular and bitter almonds. Anyone know about
the safety of consuming bitter almonds? How much can one consume
without being poisoned? I gather the level must be fairly high, or
our predecessors might not have eaten them in such quantity....

It's probably a moot point since you won't be able to find any bitter
almonds for sale in the US. (Substitute peach, cherry, or apricot pits)
Best regards,
Bob

Well, that is true, and I gather folks used such things as
substitutes for bitter almonds even "way back then" because
folks are told told save them. My question actually is re
these substitutes and their safety. I should have been clearer.

--
Jean B.

Jean B. said:

zxcvbob said:

Jean B. said:

I am still looking at old cookbooks online and see that many recipes
call for a mixture of regular and bitter almonds. Anyone know about
the safety of consuming bitter almonds? How much can one consume
without being poisoned? I gather the level must be fairly high, or
our predecessors might not have eaten them in such quantity....

It's probably a moot point since you won't be able to find any bitter
almonds for sale in the US. (Substitute peach, cherry, or apricot
pits) Best regards,
Bob

Well, that is true, and I gather folks used such things as substitutes
for bitter almonds even "way back then" because folks are told told save
them. My question actually is re these substitutes and their safety. I
should have been clearer.

Your body has processes for dealing with small amounts of naturally
occuring cyanide. It's really only a problem when the system gets
overloaded (which it easily does.) Using bitter almonds or paech pits
as a flavoring shouldn't be a problem. Eating a big handful of them
might be.

Best regards,
Bob

zxcvbob said:

It's probably a moot point since you won't be able to find any bitter
almonds for sale in the US. (Substitute peach, cherry, or apricot pits)

My mom has an almond tree that produces small,
very bitter almonds -- so bitter you can't eat them
straight. I suppose these may be what is referred to?

Jean B. said:

I am still looking at old cookbooks online and see that many
recipes call for a mixture of regular and bitter almonds.
Anyone know about the safety of consuming bitter almonds? How
much can one consume without being poisoned? I gather the
level must be fairly high, or our predecessors might not have
eaten them in such quantity....

No idea but the idea of bitter almonds makes me think of cyanide. Guess
that wasn't it 😉

Jill

jmcquown said:

Jean B. said:

I am still looking at old cookbooks online and see that many
recipes call for a mixture of regular and bitter almonds.
Anyone know about the safety of consuming bitter almonds? How
much can one consume without being poisoned? I gather the
level must be fairly high, or our predecessors might not have
eaten them in such quantity....

No idea but the idea of bitter almonds makes me think of cyanide. Guess
that wasn't it 😉

Jill

The opening line of _Love in the Time of Cholera_ -
"It was inevitable: the scent of bitter almonds always reminded him
of the fate of unrequited love." What a wonderful book.

TammyM

On Thu 18 Aug 2005 09:14:16a, jmcquown wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Jean B. said:

I am still looking at old cookbooks online and see that many
recipes call for a mixture of regular and bitter almonds.
Anyone know about the safety of consuming bitter almonds? How
much can one consume without being poisoned? I gather the
level must be fairly high, or our predecessors might not have eaten
them in such quantity....

No idea but the idea of bitter almonds makes me think of cyanide. Guess
that wasn't it 😉

Jill

http://www.botanical-online.com/alcaloidesametllerangles.htm

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

Give me a smart idiot over a stupid genius any day.
Sam Goldwyn, 1882-1974

---
avast! Antivirus: Outbound message clean.
Virus Database (VPS): 0533-3, 08/17/2005
Tested on: 8/18/2005 10:47:54 AM
avast! - copyright (c) 1988-2005 ALWIL Software.
http://www.avast.com

Wayne Boatwright said:

http://www.botanical-online.com/alcaloidesametllerangles.htm

Thanks, Wayne et al. I've been occupied. I did find some
bitter almonds, in this case from apricot pits. I have not
used them yet though. Our forebears used them in great
quantity!!!!

--
Jean B.

Mark Thorson said:

My mom has an almond tree that produces small,
very bitter almonds -- so bitter you can't eat them
straight. I suppose these may be what is referred to?>

I wonder whether those are the real thing--with the apricot
and peach pits being mere approximations. I hope I run into
some discussion of this.

--
Jean B.

On Wed 31 Aug 2005 07:19:41p, Jean B. wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

http://www.botanical-online.com/alcaloidesametllerangles.htm

Thanks, Wayne et al. I've been occupied. I did find some
bitter almonds, in this case from apricot pits. I have not
used them yet though. Our forebears used them in great
quantity!!!!

Let us know how they work out. I've forgotten how you were going to use
them.

Cheer!

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

On Wed 31 Aug 2005 07:20:38p, Jean B. wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Mark Thorson said:

My mom has an almond tree that produces small, very bitter almonds --
so bitter you can't eat them straight. I suppose these may be what is
referred to?>

I wonder whether those are the real thing--with the apricot
and peach pits being mere approximations. I hope I run into
some discussion of this.

Jean, apparently the bitter almond is also a nut on its own. Although I
have always heard about the extract being derived from apricot pits.

Here's another interesting link...

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Prun_dul.html

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

"Jean B." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

http://www.botanical-online.com/alcaloidesametllerangles.htm

Thanks, Wayne et al. I've been occupied. I did find some bitter almonds,
in this case from apricot pits. I have not used them yet though. Our
forebears used them in great quantity!!!!

--
Jean B.

I have some apricot pits in my freezer that I've had there for 13 years, not
wanting to part with them, nor use them.
Here is another link
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_212.html
about the problem with seeds.

"All of this, by the way, applies only to fresh seeds. Roasting the seeds
will destroy the enzymes needed to produce the lethal reaction without
appreciably affecting the mineral content of your munchies. Note to shocked
almond freaks: regular old almonds contain far less amygdalin than the
bitter variety."

Dee Dee

Wayne Boatwright said:

Jean, apparently the bitter almond is also a nut on its own. Although I
have always heard about the extract being derived from apricot pits.

Here's another interesting link...

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Prun_dul.html

Should have known there'd be info there. Thanks! I wonder
whether the Chinese apricot and peach seeds (I think that is
what the packages say) have been heated/treated? It's lucky I
plan to cook with them and not eat them raw!

--
Jean B.

Dee Randall said:

"Jean B." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

http://www.botanical-online.com/alcaloidesametllerangles.htm

Thanks, Wayne et al. I've been occupied. I did find some bitter almonds,
in this case from apricot pits. I have not used them yet though. Our
forebears used them in great quantity!!!!

--
Jean B.

I have some apricot pits in my freezer that I've had there for 13 years, not
wanting to part with them, nor use them.
Here is another link
http://www.straightdope.com/classics/a1_212.html
about the problem with seeds.

"All of this, by the way, applies only to fresh seeds. Roasting the seeds
will destroy the enzymes needed to produce the lethal reaction without
appreciably affecting the mineral content of your munchies. Note to shocked
almond freaks: regular old almonds contain far less amygdalin than the
bitter variety."

Dee Dee

I hope those hoarded seeds don't just taste like a freezer!
(I've done such with hoarded treasures.) I did find the
apricot and peach seeds at a large Asian market, after looking
at two others, so I hope I don't follow your lead. :-)

--
Jean B.

"Jean B." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Jean, apparently the bitter almond is also a nut on its own. Although I
have always heard about the extract being derived from apricot pits.

Here's another interesting link...

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Prun_dul.html

Should have known there'd be info there. Thanks! I wonder whether the
Chinese apricot and peach seeds (I think that is what the packages say)
have been heated/treated? It's lucky I plan to cook with them and not eat
them raw!

--
Jean B.

Well --------- If we don't hear from you -----
Dee Dee

On Thu 01 Sep 2005 08:30:25p, Jean B. wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Jean, apparently the bitter almond is also a nut on its own. Although I
have always heard about the extract being derived from apricot pits.

Here's another interesting link...

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Prun_dul.html

Should have known there'd be info there. Thanks! I wonder
whether the Chinese apricot and peach seeds (I think that is
what the packages say) have been heated/treated? It's lucky I
plan to cook with them and not eat them raw!

If you'll be cooking them they should be alright. Do tell the results.

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.

On Thu 01 Sep 2005 08:36:54p, Dee Randall wrote in rec.food.cooking:

Quoted message said:

"Jean B." <[email hidden]> wrote in message
news:[email hidden]...

Quoted message said:

Wayne Boatwright said:

Jean, apparently the bitter almond is also a nut on its own. Although
I have always heard about the extract being derived from apricot pits.

Here's another interesting link...

http://www.uni-graz.at/~katzer/engl/generic_frame.html?Prun_dul.html

Should have known there'd be info there. Thanks! I wonder whether the
Chinese apricot and peach seeds (I think that is what the packages say)
have been heated/treated? It's lucky I plan to cook with them and not
eat them raw!

--
Jean B.

Well --------- If we don't hear from you -----
Dee Dee

Don't be maudlin! :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright *¿*
____________________________________________

My doctor told me to stop having intimate dinners for four,
unless there are three other people.