Got some fresh green Papavar giganteum pods with stalk, would it be possible to keep them alive in a jug of water for them to carry out their natural Opium forming routine or will they die a death on me. Thanks Fudge
Papaver somniferum is your opium poppy... I doubt that you will get what you want from the pods that you have. Wrong species. ;-)
Question: Isn't it illegal to cultivate P. somniferum anywhere in the United States? So why do they sell the seeds at the seed stores?? :-o
K.
I've wondered that for years. I read an article in a garden magazine that told about growing them. It said it was for people in Europe because in the US they were not legal to grow. Right after that, I saw them for sale in a Thompson & Morgan catalog. I ordered some and grew them for about 2 years. I grew them in a flower bed right near the street too. They were pretty. I got compliments.
Steve
But you did not try to "milk" the pods did you? ;-)
I've thought about calling the local extension office and checking it out. There seems to be a lot of controvery about growing them. I have some seeds, but have never tried to plant them. I'd _love_ to grow them just for the beauty and the seeds... These are a mixed color variety.
K.
I've read a few times that it's okay to grow them as long as you don't do the slitting-the-pods thing to get opium. We have some that volunteer every year in our vegetable garden. I've tried growing them other places, and they never do as well.
--Rebecca
I have never heard that either P. Somniferum or Giganteum is edible by humans. Neither is usually regarded as a table vegetable, pot herb, or flavoring agent. What, then, is the justification for discussing them in rec.gardens.EDIBLE, seeing that there are other newsgroups in which they would be actually on-topic?
No, I didn't. I suppose I should have cut one or two just enough to see if the sap really would come out. I did harvest some of the seeds. For those who don't know, the seeds used in baking (for poppy seed rolls etc.) are seeds from the opium poppy. You can buy those in the store near the spices usually. I don't know if they have been heated to kill them or not. That jogs my memory... That article that I said I read many years ago... I remember it was written by a woman who grew up in Europe (Germany?) and she told how she and her sister would go out an play in the poppy fields. Their mother would warn them not to eat too many poppy seeds. They liked those seeds though and would pour out the seeds from several pods and eat them. She said they would then go home and sleep the rest of the afternoon.
Steve
Well, it's a stretch but the original poster did seem to want to consume the product, in some way or other. As for P. somniferum, we did manage to swing that around to harvesting poppy seeds.
Steve
T & M bowed to U.S. pressure, and two years ago quit selling their "Hens and Chicks" P. Somniferum. I wonder how much good that really did, other than making some bureaucrats look like crusaders. Just another example of our effective govenment.
You can grow poppies, just don't harvest the opium, as I understand it.
I find it interesting that he said that the poppies were not edible. ;-) What do they use for poppy seed rolls? Growing them for seeds is indeed on topic.
K.
I've noticed a white seeded poppy, the packet says it's used for halva. Is that P. somniferum as well?
So does this site, and it specifically states that the seeds and pods sold by them within the US are for decorative purposes only as opium poppies are currently illegal to grow within the US.
K.
Did they supply a recipe? I actually do see a recipe that says it is Halva and uses poppy seed for garnish
The traditional Halva[h] that I've eaten is mostly sesame seeds. [and egg albumen if memory serves].
I'm sure it's made differently around the world-- but here's a recipe that looks like what I've eaten [though without the egg-- I'll check the label next time I'm shopping];
2 cups brown sugar 2/3 cup sesame tahini 2/3 cup milk 1 tsp vanillacook the sugar and milk in sauce pan over medium heat to just under soft ball stage, to 230F. Remove from fire and add tahini and vanilla. Do not mix immediately. Let cool for 2 minutes. Beat with paddle or spoon for a few seconds and pour quickly into a buttered pan. xxxxxxxxxxx
Jim
The weirdest thing is paying $375 for seeds!
Thanks for the replies, I#m no nearer but, grocery store Poppy seeds will not germinate, they are dried to death, and are sterile, otherwise, if the sat on the shelf for too long and got damp they would begin to germinate, Papavar Giganteum, and Sominferum both have high yealds of Opium, which is the stuff Iam after, and as far as I'm aware although they say on the seed packet all parts are poisenes, all parts of the Opium Poppy are quite edible, althogh not tried grinding up the Pod and Stalk to make Poppy tea, as as I've heard they will give you a Jip stomack. Cheers Fudge
Mmmmm! No there was no recipe. I think I'll grow some and see how they turn out.
Suggestion: Now that it's clear what you are after, I suggest that you join alt.drugs.opium
You will get more informed answers, and it won't be off topic. ;-) Another appropriate group might be alt.drugs.hard
Good luck!
K.
i totally disagree!!! not only with grocery store poppy seeds germinate...they will germinate even after TWENTY YEARS!!!!!! i've tried it and not just once. the first time was simply by mistake...i had about 10 lbs. of poppy seeds which i thought were too old to use in cooking(at that point, they were about 15 yrs. old), so i threw about 5 lbs. of them out the back door. 3 weeks later, every single one of them must have germinated cuz i had hills and hills (i lived on a hill with a terraced garden) of white poppies!! when i moved, the seeds came along with me with the rest of my gardening paraphernalia. then i did it again this past spring, except this time, all the poppies were a magenta-pink. and then it struck me!! EUREKA! when i lived on a hill in sl,ut, the soil was very alkaline, and here, it is VERY VERY acidic...white for alkali and pink for acid? who knows if that's right or wrong (except mebbe a botanist).
i believe the reason it's ok to grow Papaver somniferum in the everyday garden is cuz it takes about 2 acres of poppies to produce ONE TEASPOON of opium!! because, like maple sap, it must be boiled and boiled and boiled yet again, until it becomes a sticky, black gum-like substance.
that's my 2¢
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