Kids accidentally 'poisoned'...

[staceyflack]

Aibu to be really concerned that ex's GF fed children raw elderberries in a smoothie. Her child was sick (as was she)... mine has had tummy ache for 2 days. It was a mistake of course... but still.

Elderberries are bitter rather than poisonous (it's the leaves and branches that are the problem). But it's an odd one to choose to put in a smoothie. If they went in the blender I'd also be wondering at what else went in. I suspect the sickness was caused by the stomach reacting to the bitterness. No lasting damage.

The cordial is fantastic, drizzled over ice cream or diluted and drunk as a squash. It also makes a surprisingly good wine, elderberries contain most of the same substances as grapes just with far less sugar - which means you need to add the sugar yourself when making wine.

@kool4katz - the hedgerow recipe books I have suggests the cordial will keep in the fridge for a couple of weeks, but we've kept it through the winter with no problems. I just make sure I sterilise the bottles beforehand, make sure the cap seal is good (I use plop! bottles), and keep them cool and dark. I did once have a couple of bottles where the seal failed and there was a bit of mould - I skimmed it off, re-boiled the cordial and made a wine from it. Rather a good vintage I recall! I've seen some recipes that suggest adding a few cloves when making the cordial as they will act as a preservative, albeit with the taste of cloves which some people may not like.

I'm always amazed when people don't know the most common hedgerow plants around them - elder (as in elderflower and elderberry, they're the same plant) is reasonably common on waste ground and verges in towns as well as the country. Often found around rabbit burrows as the cyanide in the leaves and wood (but not the berries) discourages the rabbits from eating it.

I didn't know either. And I currently have 3 trees full of them.

Defo an honest mistake, especially as she ate them too.

@Topsyshair

I can't believe that people as children picked and ate random berries.

Not random berries! Elderberries! From the bush in our garden. I'm pretty sure I was shown them by adults, just as I was shown blackberries, sorrel, hawthorn leaves etc. I knew never ever ever to eat random berries or mushrooms.

I have two degrees (both in biological sciences) and an elderberry bush in my garden, but had no idea that the raw berries were poisonous - I think I ate one a couple of days ago thank you for this thread op!

Any other garden terrors to watch out for? I already know that rhubarb leaves are poisonous and will burn your hands (oxalic acid), plus that yew berries are poisonous. Any more common ones?

@diddl I don't remember being specifically told that elderberries are safe to eat raw just as I also don't remember being specifically told that blackberries are ok, or that yew and nightshade are poisonous. My own experience of not becoming poorly afterwards seemingly confirmed this "general knowledge" and it would appear that many others are the same hence that general knowledge being passed on. Glad I now know otherwise!

Foxgloves are poisonous

I also used to eat these raw as a kid, no ill effects!
Maybe the gf did op, that’s why she thought it was ok?

I didn't know you weren't supposed to eat them raw either. I think I've tried them a couple of times. Not in great quantity, just a couple. And let my kids do it too. We used to make elderberry wine. I might have a go at cordial, if I can find any berries round here.

For years I’ve been telling a school they have deadly nightshade on the premises. It comes through a fence just where parents wait with children in buggies.
FWIW it seems I may be wrong and it could be woody nightshade.

I had no idea about this and used to happily munch raw elderberries as a kid. Having read about it it sounds like they can be ok in small quantities but accidentally eating any stem but could make you sick. You live and learn! I thought I was quite knowledgeable about garden nasties.

@LaContessaDiPlump - the RHS have a list:
www.rhs.org.uk/Advice/Profile?PID=524#section-4

But be aware that it's rather a vague and catch-all list, for example it lists the entire genus Solanum as poisonous when that includes potato and tomato (which clearly aren't entirely so). You need to dig a bit deeper into which parts of each plant are poisonous. For some species it will be the whole plant, for others it will be more localised - e.g. only the fruit, or everything but the fruit.

I am sure she feels bad enough as it is. It's not like she laced the smoothie with arsenic. I am sure your anger is amplified by the fact that she is your ex's gf.

Who said anything about being angry? I just want my children (and hers) safe. She's nice... i'm not putting her down, i know it was a genuine mistake. I was just worried about it and wondered what other people thought.

FWIW it seems I may be wrong and it could be woody nightshade

That is much more likely. if it has purple and yellow flowers growing on thin twisty stems with bunches of oval green berries turning red as they ripen it's woody nightshade. It is very very common

Deadly nightshade is actually fairly rare ( except in my garden but then I did plant one on purpose. They are striking and decorative plants.

Not a good idea to eat the berries of either though.

And ... as i said... i dont imagine either of them feel 'bad' about it, which is more my concern, i realise.

I didn't know elderberries and laburnum were poisonous raw. I'm 52. I've never eaten them so it's not something that's come onto my radar. I don't think not knowing a food I've never eaten is poisonous makes me stupid though!

.... and yes, i'm angry about that. Of course.

I’m still confused about this. I, and many others on here and their children have eaten them raw with no ill effects. How many do you have to eat to be poisoned? There can’t have been many in the smoothie- or it would have tasted horrible, they are a very tannin-y taste.

I've always eaten elderberries, and never had any problem. I've done a bit of googling, and some results claim the cyanide is in the seeds.

Funny thing, I don't eat pips. Not apple pips (also contain cyanide) or cherry pits (contain cyanide) or elderberry pips.

I grew up in a semi rural area. As kids we were taught what we could eat off the bushes and trees and what not to. We always knew elderberries were poisonous raw.

The more reputable, detailed links I can find say raw elderberries are very sour, and will give some people tummyaches if they eat too many.

I refrigerate once they’re opened.

stacey it seems as though you already find them a bit weird and don't like their parenting style, so this seems like a much bigger deal to you than if it were just a stand alone event. I think you'll need to let it go, but I would be annoyed that you found out from your 10 year old.

I also had no idea they were not to be eaten raw! Certainly never harmed me as a child.
I don’t think I’m a particularly stupid person either, clearly it’s not well known.

So it's likely but not definite that they're fine, because they haven't died quite quickly or lapsed into a coma as would seem likely with cyanide build-up, but I am not an expert in how the relevant toxins behave/build up in a human.

Poisoning that made an adult sick and has kept up symptoms for two days seems like it may have involved some of the more poisonous parts of the plant being consumed and I would seek medical advice about it.