Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain hydrogen cyanide
(particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we decided to try one bottle
where we put the sloes into a blender, instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

Kath wrote:

Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain
hydrogen cyanide (particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we
decided to try one bottle where we put the sloes into a blender,
instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

almost
certainly......................................... ......................
..............................y...........n....... ........n...y.........n
..............

makes note to see if you post next year

--
Donnie
"**** the world, it's time to fight back"

Lambretta Series 2 186cc "The Shitter"
Lambretta LD 175cc "The Chopper" SOLD and all the cash went on a telly!
Honda CB500R "Look out, Donnie's about!"

On 25/09/2011 16:53, Donnie wrote:
Kath wrote:

Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain
hydrogen cyanide (particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we
decided to try one bottle where we put the sloes into a blender,
instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

almost
certainly......................................... ......................
.............................y...........n........ .......n...y.........n
.............

makes note to see if you post next year


I usually pick mine after the first frost. With this late burst of
weather they should be nice and sweet by then. It really does make a
difference IME
Must remember to get the gin and find some empty glass bottles from
somewhere. I hear vodka works well too.

On Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:16:33 +0100, stuart noble wrote:

On 25/09/2011 16:53, Donnie wrote:
Kath wrote:

Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain
hydrogen cyanide (particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we
decided to try one bottle where we put the sloes into a blender,
instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

almost
certainly......................................... ......................
.............................y...........n........ .......n...y.........n
.............

makes note to see if you post next year


I usually pick mine after the first frost. With this late burst of
weather they should be nice and sweet by then. It really does make a
difference IME
Must remember to get the gin and find some empty glass bottles from
somewhere. I hear vodka works well too.

It does and it is very good. White rum too. We buy which ever is the cheapest at the time
as you don't taste the nuances between a good gin and a cheap one.

Go for it!

On Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:51:22 +0100, Janet wrote:

In article ,
says...

Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain hydrogen cyanide
(particularly the seeds).

So do plum, cherry, peach and almond kernels and apple pips

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we decided to try one bottle
where we put the sloes into a blender, instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

No more deadly than cider, plum and peach brandy, amaretto and jam.

Janet.

Even if the seeds are damaged? I know that the above fruits have the same in their stones
but they are very hard and don't get damaged.

'The Stories of George the Hamster'
Translated by Lee H and Kathleen Smith
ISBN - 978-0-9546989-3-5
Available from www.arlev.co.uk/george.htm
and from both on line and High Street Bookshops

On 25/09/2011 18:23, Kath wrote:
On Sun, 25 Sep 2011 17:16:33 +0100, stuart wrote:

On 25/09/2011 16:53, Donnie wrote:
Kath wrote:

Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain
hydrogen cyanide (particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we
decided to try one bottle where we put the sloes into a blender,
instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

almost
certainly......................................... ......................
.............................y...........n........ .......n...y.........n
.............

makes note to see if you post next year


I usually pick mine after the first frost. With this late burst of
weather they should be nice and sweet by then. It really does make a
difference IME
Must remember to get the gin and find some empty glass bottles from
somewhere. I hear vodka works well too.

It does and it is very good. White rum too. We buy which ever is the cheapest at the time
as you don't taste the nuances between a good gin and a cheap one.

Go for it!

Oh I will! I just never seem to have enough screw top bottles

Sorry to hijack your thread Kath, but you reminded me....

When making sloe/damson gin, who pricks the fruit?
I tried it, but found the only difference it made was it made the liquid
cloudy.
N

"Neil Bush" wrote in message
o.uk...
Sorry to hijack your thread Kath, but you reminded me....

When making sloe/damson gin, who pricks the fruit?
I tried it, but found the only difference it made was it
made the liquid cloudy.
N


I always prick the fruit and have no problem with
cloudiness. I followed one stupid recipe that said to put
them in the freezer first, and then allow them to thaw and
add the gin & sugar. What a disaster. So cloudy I wouldn't
offer it to anyone (so I'll have to drink it all meself
then, he, he). Seriously, pricking works well for me, I get
a nice clear drink.

On 25/09/2011 16:07, Kath wrote:
Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain hydrogen cyanide
(particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we decided to try one bottle
where we put the sloes into a blender, instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?


Hi Kath,

I honestly don't know and, as you haven't had a positively reliable
answer, in your position I would go and chat up a friendly local chemist
who *ought* to know. Just a thought.

--
Spider
from high ground in SE London
gardening on clay

On 25/09/2011 18:16, stuart noble wrote:

I usually pick mine after the first frost. With this late burst of
weather they should be nice and sweet by then. It really does make a
difference IME
Must remember to get the gin and find some empty glass bottles from
somewhere. I hear vodka works well too.

I made mine last week, wanted to get them before the birds. Hardly got
any at all last year. Sloe gin and sloe rum. Tried vodka a couple of
years ago and it isn't as good as the other two in my opinion.
I just put the sloes into the freezer for a day or two to help break
down their pulp a little. Seems to work well. No need to prick them with
a needle as I've heard others suggest.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On 25/09/2011 23:02, someone wrote:
"Neil wrote in message
o.uk...
Sorry to hijack your thread Kath, but you reminded me....

When making sloe/damson gin, who pricks the fruit?
I tried it, but found the only difference it made was it
made the liquid cloudy.
N


I always prick the fruit and have no problem with
cloudiness. I followed one stupid recipe that said to put
them in the freezer first, and then allow them to thaw and
add the gin& sugar. What a disaster. So cloudy I wouldn't
offer it to anyone (so I'll have to drink it all meself
then, he, he). Seriously, pricking works well for me, I get
a nice clear drink.



Strange that. I always use the freezer method and mine is never cloudy.
I wonder what we do different? Mine is always a lovely clear red colour.

--
David in Normandy.
To e-mail you must include the password FROG on the
subject line, or it will be automatically deleted
by a filter and not reach my inbox.

On Sep 25, 4:07*pm, Kath wrote:
Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain hydrogen cyanide
(particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we decided to try one bottle
where we put the sloes into a blender, instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

Cyanide is also called bitter almond pison, guess why?
Many plants and seeds have poisonous parts to discourage eating.
Apple and pear seeds also contain cyanide.
Virtually every flower you grow in the garden is deadly.
Haulms of potatoes, tomatoes and rhubarb are also deadly. (Oxalic
acid)

We have all developed some resistance to these poisons. It's all part
of nature's continuing chemical warfare.
You have chemical receptors that detect most poisons. Called taste.

Let us know if you die.

In message
,
harry writes
On Sep 25, 4:07*pm, Kath wrote:
Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain
hydrogen cyanide
(particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we
decided to try one bottle
where we put the sloes into a blender, instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

Cyanide is also called bitter almond pison, guess why?
Many plants and seeds have poisonous parts to discourage eating.
Apple and pear seeds also contain cyanide.
Virtually every flower you grow in the garden is deadly.

The way I put it is that "to a first approximation 100% of plants are
poisonous". But deadly would be an exaggeration.

Haulms of potatoes, tomatoes and rhubarb are also deadly. (Oxalic
acid)

Potatoes and tomatoes have solanine and other alkaloids.

We have all developed some resistance to these poisons. It's all part
of nature's continuing chemical warfare.
You have chemical receptors that detect most poisons. Called taste.

Let us know if you die.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

My late mother used to put apricot kernels in her home-made apricot jam. They were the best bit. Though it is illegal to apricot kernels for human consumption.

Remember, you can kill yourself by drinking a whole bottle of gin in a hurry, also a few spoonsful of salt.

On Sep 26, 11:13*am, Stewart Robert Hinsley
wrote:
In message
,
harry writes

On Sep 25, 4:07*pm, Kath wrote:
Ihave just read on the Plants for a Future site that sloes contain
hydrogen cyanide
(particularly the seeds).

We have made sloe liqueur for several years now but this year we
decided to try one bottle
where we put the sloes into a blender, instead of pricking them.

Will the resultant liqueur be poisonous?

Cyanide is also called bitter almond pison, guess why?
Many plants and seeds have poisonous parts to discourage eating.
Apple and pear seeds also contain cyanide.
Virtually every flower you grow in the garden is deadly.

The way I put it is that "to a first approximation 100% of plants are
poisonous". But deadly would be an exaggeration.

Haulms of potatoes, tomatoes and rhubarb are also deadly. (Oxalic
acid)

Potatoes and tomatoes have solanine and other alkaloids.



We have all developed some resistance to these poisons. It's all part
of nature's continuing chemical warfare.
You have chemical receptors that detect most poisons. Called taste.

Let us know if you die.

--
Stewart Robert Hinsley

I suspect you would smell it if it was strong enough to do you any
harm.
You can try it and either You or your Next of Kin could let us know
what happens.