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Does anyone know if you can make wine from blackthorn blossom?
I have some bubbling away at the moment, but have been told it may be poisonous! I'm sure my nan used to make it, but when i asked her she said it was may blossom she used and not blackthorn. We do make may blossom too, and this is the first year of trying blackthorn. Any help on this much appreciated as dont fancy dropping down dead on first sample! There are no recipes for it on the internet, so maybe it is just not done!

http://www.cyrilssoapshed.co.uk

According to this

http://www.pfaf.org/database/plants.php?Prunus+spinosa

the flowers can be eaten, so I see no reason why you shouldn't make wine.

I think folklore would have it the blossom brought into the house can be a warning of death - not cause it.

But the leaves and seeds have cyanide!

It's OK as far as I know. But why would you want to pick the things which turn into sloes??????????

Mike

We have enough around here for sloes aswell!
I suppose some of the leaves did probably get in with the flowers, so not too sure if I will drink it now!
Not too sure on how much cyanide is in them, or indeed how much to kill you, so might not find out!

I don't know - but apple pips contain it too and I've eaten loads of those over the years!

Cyanide compounds are found in a whole heap of fruit pips and stones. Apricot, peach, apple and pear are all deadly. Or not.

Taking the insidious apple as an example, you'd have to eat at least 20 lbs of pips in one sitting to even have the faintest chance of an adverse reaction - about 50 lbs should make you really ill.

Of course, that's tantamount to ingesting about 500 gallons of water at one go - the fluoride or lead will be certain to get you.

Mike

Well have eaten enough pips etc over time and am still here, so will give it a go! I dont intend on drinking 500 gallons in one hit, so I might survive it! Of course the reason why it's not traditionally made is that it might taste absolutely revolting! Have enough oak leaf from last year to wash it down with if thats the case! will keep you posted.

Well, have tried the blackthorn flower wine now , and can safely say it is DISGUSTING! It also made our tongues go numb! When i say it is disgusting i found it to be so. My friend who tried it too quite liked the taste. very like honey. wont be doing it next year though.

Oh weeble, the joys of winemaking - wait a year only to discover it's gross

The numb tongue sounds a bit scary though Although fennel makes my tongue go numb and that's not harmful, just annoying

Well, now we know. But I'm fascinated 'cos I can't find anything in blackthorn which could produce a numbing effect. Was there anything else in your recipe?

Mike

EDIT: Don't know why I didn't do it in May - but now I've looked, I can't find a single recipe for blackthorn flower wine. Not one!! There may be a lesson in that.

There was nothing else added, only water, yeast and orange and lemon juice. I couln't find a recipe either, although i am positive my nan used to make it, but she says she only made mayflower (although she is 96, and may not be able to remember!!). The taste wasn't too bad, if you really like glugging down lots of honey. It is good to try these things, but may just stick to the ones i know.

Actually, that sounds like it may well be a recipe worth working on (apart from numb tongue!!). How many flowers did you use?

Mike

I cant remeber! Just followed a standard recipe for 1 gallon may flower wine, but used the blackthorn flowers. I cant understand the numb tounge thing. We both felt it and hubby did too when i force fed it to him!! There is nothing in the flowers to cause it i dont think. I could understand it better with mayflower as that has the same chemicals in as what the body produces after death, hence the smell, and it being unlucky to bring in to the house.

In an idle moment the other day I watched a rerun of a Ray Mears programme. He was picking and eating blackthorn flowers and commenting how they tasted of almond when his co-presenter reminded him that was the cyanide.

Not a huge amount obviously but worthy of note, I think.