Choke cherries

[Stephen Borud]

We got to pick our first choke cherries since I planted it four years ago. The birds usually clean them off before we get to them.

The boys were excited.

Stephen

[Kurt]

Choke Cherries are really sweet this year here. They sure make a good Jam.
Don't let your Son crack the seed open and eat the nut inside.

Kurt


Toxicity: Most parts of chokecherry are toxic to humans and livestock. Digestion of chokecherry seeds, leaves, twigs and bark by enzymes in the stomach releases cyanide (also called hydrocyanic or prussic acid). Cyanide poisoning can occur with fresh, bruised, wilted or dried foliage. It is possible for a person or animal to die of cyanide poisoning if not treated within minutes of ingestion. Cases of poisoning in livestock have been reported. However, it is not usual for such poisonings to occur at times when other, more palatable forage is available. Cases of poisoning have been reported for children who chewed on twigs, or ate the cherries without discarding the pits. The fleshy portion of the chokecherry fruit is not poisonous and can be safely eaten, although it is extremely tart.

[Stephen Borud]

Choke Cherries are really sweet this year here. They sure make a good Jam.
Don't let your Son crack the seed open and eat the nut inside.

Kurt


Toxicity: Most parts of chokecherry are toxic to humans and livestock. Digestion of chokecherry seeds, leaves, twigs and bark by enzymes in the stomach releases cyanide (also called hydrocyanic or prussic acid). Cyanide poisoning can occur with fresh, bruised, wilted or dried foliage. It is possible for a person or animal to die of cyanide poisoning if not treated within minutes of ingestion. Cases of poisoning in livestock have been reported. However, it is not usual for such poisonings to occur at times when other, more palatable forage is available. Cases of poisoning have been reported for children who chewed on twigs, or ate the cherries without discarding the pits. The fleshy portion of the chokecherry fruit is not poisonous and can be safely eaten, although it is extremely tart.

Thanks Kurt for that info, I didn't know that. I just talked to all four of my boys and told them. Will tell my wife too.

[Don McDowell]

Something took the chokecherries off of our tree before they even started to turn color. I did get a small handful to munch on. The pie cherries were pretty good, but the dang flies got into a bunch of them and wrecked those.
Then the elm tree broke and cleaned off about half our apple tree that has finally got to where it could produce.... Not been a particularly good year around here for the fruit trees.

[Stephen Borud]

That's a lot of bad luck Don.

[Don McDowell]

Heck Stephen , for me, that's pretty dang good luck.[/u]

[Rowdy Rick]

Man, that's tough Don. Late freezes here in northern Nebraska get our fruit more often than not every spring. Drove a couple of hours to my sisters to get some chokecherries for jelly and wine this year. Kurt is correct about the hydrocyanic poisoning.......even for cattle. One interesting note however is that the hydrocyanic poison in chokecherry pits apparently "dissipates" when they are pounded and sun dried. Chokecherries were one of the favorite berries used by native americans on the plains to make pemmican. The berries were pounded pits and all and then sun dried into patties in the sun for preservation. The birds start eating ours when still green here and usually don't leave much either.

[Rowdy Rick]

Forgot to add almost all fruit pits contain the hydrocyanide, even apple seeds. Some have higher amounts however.

[Kurt]

When you chew the nuts in the pits of a choke cherry, sweet cherry, peach or apple seeds they all pretty much taste the same, very bitter, most Kids will spit them out.
When I eat an apple I usually eat the seeds also. I read that the apple seeds contain Laetrile that is a cancer fighter. A apple has about 6 seeds in it and so far the cancer I had on my vocal cords or the apple seeds haven't put me under yet. Maybe they are a good thing if you don't over do it

[Don McDowell]

I like the nuts in side a peach seed.
Rick, wind stripped the blossoms off of the red plum tree, the purple plum bloomed just a touch later so it's got some fruit on it this year, which will be a first.
Last year that red plum produced a ton of fruit. I took a couple of gallons with me to Raton, and there were lots of folks that enjoyed munching on fresh picked ranch raised plumbs during the bptr matches.