Can bitter almonds(or other nuts containing amygdalin) be made edible?
I am interested because there seems to be information scattered here and there suggesting this, but offering no such instructions on just how it can be done. What I am curious of is not now to use amygdalin-containing nuts as a minor ingredient(such as to add flavor or scent), but if they can actually be eaten as food.
So far, I have read the following:
- Amygdalin, when exposed to water, releases hydrogen cyanide.
- Exposure to heat denatures either amygdalin or enzymes in the nut that allow it to hydrolyze.
If those things are true, wouldn't there be any information on making bitter almonds safe to eat? I can find nobody describing(better yet illustrating) a process to leach the almonds, yet it seems hypothetically possible.
Best Answer
I think it most likely that the methods you describe are theoretically possible, but risky and not particularly cost-effective. Whatever the mechanism that could be used to render the almonds safe for consumption, it seems difficult to confirm this in a home preparation, leaving you with some potential (even if small) that they'll still produce some cyanide upon consumption. This doesn't have to be acutely toxic; chronic consumption can also be harmful in ways that you might not even notice immediately.
So then the question becomes, why take this risk? Bitter almonds aren't likely to be a significant food source; in this way they differ from things like cassava which provide a staple crop (and thus more incentive to develop effective, reliable ways to detoxify them). Even if you did develop a method, if you can't be certain that someone will follow it to the letter and could get sick as a result, it seems irresponsible to share your steps. Far safer just to avoid consuming bitter almonds.
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Can bitter almonds be made safe to eat?
Bitter almonds are those that naturally contain a toxin that your body breaks down into cyanide \u2014 a compound that can cause poisoning and even death. For this reason, raw bitter almonds should not be eaten. Boiling, roasting, or microwaving bitter almonds may help reduce their toxin content and make them safer to eat.Can you extract cyanide from bitter almonds?
In addition, Olsen says, even if an edible plant part contains the poison, it is easy to get rid of by crushing the plant then washing the mash. Crushing releases the water-soluble cyanide, which is carried off in the water.What do you do with bitter almonds?
Bitter almonds are used to make marzipan and cookies in Europe and can be used to make a kind of sweet syrup in Greece. Bitter almonds can be processed to make almond extract and almond-flavored liqueurs. When boiled or baked, the prussic acid leeches out.Do raw almonds have amygdalin?
The bitterness and toxicity of wild almonds come from a compound called amygdalin. When ingested, this compound breaks down into several chemicals, including benzaldehyde, which tastes bitter, and cyanide, a deadly poison.Dr. Joe Schwarcz: The truth about almonds and cyanide
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