Is elder poisonous ???

[Jonny]

We are having a debate on BCUK at the mo, as to wether elder is poisonous or not, according to my books, the fruit and flowers are fine to eat, but not the leaves or anything else. But someone came on quoting MAFF, saying all parts are poisonous and this is backed up by the FSA. Any thoughts from you guys, me and my boy enjoy eating the fruit.......

[Boddie]

elderly people are

well, some anyway

[Tormentil]

I've drunk me fair share of Elderberry and Elder flower wine.

It does make one ill if a large enough dose is ingested, but not, I think, in the way you mean.

[cherrybee]

Originally Posted by Jonny

We are having a debate on BCUK at the mo, as to wether elder is poisonous or not, according to my books, the fruit and flowers are fine to eat, but not the leaves or anything else. But someone came on quoting MAFF, saying all parts are poisonous and this is backed up by the FSA. Any thoughts from you guys, me and my boy enjoy eating the fruit.......

Dont really know but people make elderberry wine and elderflower cordial so I would not of thought it was
Found this
"The berries are small, shiny, and black, with a sweet, almost sickly taste, resulting from small amounts of a poisonous alkaloid. Cooking destroys this substance and transforms the taste, so it is best not to eat them raw."

[Jonny]

Originally Posted by cherrybee

Dont really know but people make elderberry wine and elderflower cordial so I would not of thought it was
Found this
"The berries are small, shiny, and black, with a sweet, almost sickly taste, resulting from small amounts of a poisonous alkaloid. Cooking destroys this substance and transforms the taste, so it is best not to eat them raw."

Thats interesting, where did you get that from Cherry........

[cherrybee]

Originally Posted by Jonny

Thats interesting, where did you get that from Cherry........

Just asked a question in google about whether they were poisonous found this and several recipe pages lol

http://www.innvista.com/HEALTH/foods...s/elderber.htm

[Airehead]

Transforms the taste - ha! I made some elderberry sauce to a recipe in an otherwise reliable cookery book and it tasted revolting. On the other hand, some elderberry wine which I kept for 10 years could have passed for a cream sherry. Mind you, the reason I kept it for 10 years was because when I tasted it new it also was revolting.

Most plants - even some of those we eat regularly - are poisonous if you eat too much. Who is going to eat too much elder - particularly the green parts?

A couple of days ago there was a TV programme about a commercial grower of elder whose family had been producing infusions of the flowers for generations.

[Marvin Africa]

There is some useful info here. It states that the leaves and stems are poisonous.

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Sambucus+nigra

[Gill Catton]

well I always eat a few berries every year and I'm still here.....
what does it say about them affecting your sanity anything?!

[Marvin Africa]

what does it say about them affecting your sanity anything?

It says that when you cook them the toxicity is reduced. If you are eating them straight from the plant or adding them in with your cornflakes the madness has already set in.