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Old 27-09-2011, 07:46 PM posted to uk.rec.gardening
Mike Lyle[_1_] Mike Lyle[_1_] is offline
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First recorded activity by GardenBanter: Oct 2005
Posts: 544
Default Deadly Sloes? Help!

On Mon, 26 Sep 2011 22:12:04 -0700 (PDT), NT
wrote:

On Sep 25, 8:43*pm, Chris Hogg wrote:

[...]

I would be very cautious. I have it in my mind that about a cup-full
of say peach or apricot kernels contain enough cyanide (actually
amygdalin, a compound containing cyanide) to be fatal. If your sloe
stones were broken open and the kernels exposed and chopped up, then
the cyanide they contain will be leached out into the gin (amygdalin
is extracted from ground almond or apricot kernels using ethanol).
Whether there would be enough to kill you in a single tot, I've no
idea, but it would be tragic if you found out the hard way.


There are people that eat kernels for medicinal purposes. They survive
just fine

As Chris says, in small quantities. Whether, on the other hand, they
survive the illness for which the kernels were suggested is another
matter.

I'm sure you mean no harm; but when in doubt, I'd seek real medical
advice, not the opinions of anonymous strangers on the Internet.

--
Mike.