Hawthorn Blossom

[Biddlesby]

I haven't seen much mention of hawthorn [strike: whatever this is] blossom. I gave it a go. t's a tad bitter at first, but chew it a while and this wonderful almond flavour comes in.

Can anything tasty be done with it? Is it actually good to eat?!

 

[Butchd]

I hate to say this, but that doesn't look like hawthorn blossom to me, if the picture is what you were eating. Hawthorn produces leaves before flowers as does apple, blackthorn and cherry produce flowers and then leaves.

 

[Biddlesby]

Lol I thought somebody might say that. What is it then? Maybe it's blackthorn. I know if you get a scratch from one of those then they can go nasty. But then sloes are edible.

Lucky I only had a few .

[edit] Looks like this site thinks they are http://www.arkive.org/species/ARK/plants_and_algae/Prunus_spinosa/more_info.html#reference_6

 

[Steve R]

Its Blackthorn

piccy

The Almond flavour will be the cyanide.

Constituents:
The flowers contain traces of flavonoid and cyanogenic glycosides, such as kaempferol and amygdaline (although amygdaline is lost on drying), sugar, tannins and vitamin C (in fresh material).
The fruits contain tannins, organic acids, pectins, sugar, vitamin C and a gum.

source

 

[Philr]

Reading this thread cracked me up,
Ive eaten all sorts only to find out you shouldn't but im still here!!!
Dont want to be rude SteveR but your pic is that a floating turd?? LOL

 

[g4ghb]

dragging us back to hawthorn - i've eaten hawthorn leaf buds before and think they are quite nice (and this had nothing to do with there was nowt else to eat in the wood other than the odd nettle )

 

[Steve R]

Dont want to be rude SteveR but your pic is that a floating turd?? LOL

Dayum, you sussed me !!!

Its a sea otter.

I recognised the flowers and knew about the cyanide because I saw them on RM Wild Food, Ray ate some in a wild salad, so I guess a few is ok.

 

[Biddlesby]

Cyanide tastes nice!

I've heard the death cap is tasty too. Might see if I can find one of those.

 

[stuart f]

Cyanide tastes nice!

I've heard the death cap is tasty too. Might see if I can find one of those.

Hi Biddlesby,if you plan on eating death caps then i would say that it won't be Sloe flowers you'll have to worry about,it'll be the Daises that your pushing up.

 

[xylaria]

Death cap are tasteless. There is alot of seriously poisonious stuff out there that is completely tasteless, odourless, or sweet and juicy. And there is also alot of edible plants that taste or smell pretty disgusting.

Blackthorn flowers are prefectly edible. The website that was quoted by Steve R also as well as saying they have TRACE amounts cyangenic glycosides goes on tell you how to make tea out them later.

I far as I know no native member of the prunus group causes poisoning. The problem species are cherry laurel, chokecherry and american wild cherry. Most of the serious problems occur in ruminants not humans. We have a stong acid stomach and the liver of an omnivore and we are actualy really good at breaking down poisons. We are not sheep or cows, the acid in our stomachs pretty much stops the hydrogen-cyanide from coming out of the plant. Humans are evovled to eat plants that contian small amounts of amygdalin.

All I do is trust my liver, eat wild foods, smoke, drink beer, look up whether a plant has ever poisoned anyone ever, and remember that nutmeg is 2% benzene.

 

[jon r]

i picked some blackthorn flowers today and put them with some really yellow fluffy willow catkins as a flower arraingment along with a few other leaves. I might go and taist the floweres now!

 

[fred gordon]

Cyanide tastes nice!

I've heard the death cap is tasty too. Might see if I can find one of those.

If you are going to eat Death Caps can I suggest you post your gear up here first!!