On 21/9/05 9:42 am, in article , "Nick
Maclaren" wrote:

In article ,
Grumach Macabre of Auchterloonie wrote:
The message
from (Nick Maclaren) contains these words:

Half a cup sounds plausible - 40 pips doesn't. I think that you could
probably kill yourself by adding plum kernels to muesli, but it would
make it very bitter.

When I make plum, damson or apricot jam I always add the kernels to it -
but then, HCN is thermolabile.

Yes. I have never worked out exactly what happens to the cyanide,
and what forms it comes in (before and after), but I believe that
cooking is pretty effective at reducing its toxicity.

I was away from school the week we did chemistry but presumably this is akin
to what happens to red kidney beans - very dangerous if not cooked for long
enough, minimum of 20 mins. boiling etc. NB, I said akin, not the same as!
--
Sacha
www.hillhousenursery.co.uk
South Devon
(remove the weeds to email me)