The red poppy seeds can be eaten raw or cooked. They have pleasant nutty flavor and can be sprinkled on bread and cakes or added in soups and salads.
The seeds are rather small but relatively easy to harvest from the large seed pods. They are completely safe to eat because they do not contain the toxic alkaloids found in the green parts (leaves, stems, and stalks) of the plant.
The seeds can be pressed to produce an excellent oil which can be used as a substitute for olive oil in cooking or used as salad dressing.
The flower petals are often added to herbal teas and potpourris to give red color. The red dye in the petals has been used to add color to wine, and in the pharmaceutical industry to color pills.
People have tried to use the flowers to dye fabrics and clothes red but it seems that the color does not last very long.
Therapeutic Dosages
As a tea 1-2 teaspoons of the dried petals in a cup of boiling water and simmer for 10-15 minutes. The recommended dosage is one cup, three times a day.
As a tincture: 2-4 ml, three times daily.
For all commercial preparations containing red poppy, the manufacturer’s instructions should be followed.
Cough syrup recipe for children: Add 100 g of the dried petals in 1/3 of a liter of boiling water with the juice from a 1/2 lemon and then allow it to stand for eight hours.
Then add 2.5 kg of sugar and allow it to simmer for a while (10 to 5 minutes).
The cough syrup can be used for children up to 15 months using 5 ml (1 teaspoon) daily. For older children 10-30 ml (2-6 teaspoons) daily.
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