North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["David Consolvo" <fruitopia@firstva.com>]

I find that kernels of the apricot "Harcot" are delicious, very almond-like.  
I limit 
myself to five at a time, though, since apricot kernels have cyanide.  

Wikipedia says that despite being used/eaten in central Asia and around the 
Mediterranian:

"In 1993, the New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets tested the 
cyanide content of two 220 gram (8oz) packages of apricot kernels that were 
imported from Pakistan which were being sold in health-food stores as a 
snack. 
The results showed that each package, if consumed entirely, contained at 
least 
double the minimum lethal dosage of cyanide for an adult human. The apricot 
pits 
were recalled and removed from stores.[3] In spite of this, there were no USA 
deaths and only one serious toxicity from apricot kernels reported from 1979 
to 
1998.[4] On average, an apricot kernel contains about 0.5 mg of cyanide."

~David Consolvo
Hungrytown, Virginia
 




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