[Hippie3]

tip from Mikul

I found that if one just cuts the stem of the poppy and then makes the cuts, holding the stem upside down over a liter or so of H2O or even allowing the heads of the poppy to rest just below the surface of the water, one can cut the hard part out completely. The latex mixes well with water and one can go from plant to cooked opium with out the painful task of the harvest. I know you can't harvest as much from one plant as you would if you did give it a couple of days, but if you have plenty of the flowers and was not trying to open your own drug store then this would work just fine. It has worked for me and I learned this in Laos. My mother is Hmong, and although it says most Hmong do not prefer it cooked some do. Just a little tip I picked up in my travels. Plus if you hang them over the water and add a little heat to the water to cause it to steam then the latex will drip into the water and begin the cooking process sooner.

tip from flowstone

When making tea from the stems, use only the top 5 inches of the stem. THe bottom portion of the stem contains aprox 30% alkaloids that the top 5 inches hold, or roughly only 10% that the pods would hold.

Also, always wipe your pods down to remove dust and anything on the outside. use a damp cloth and possible add a small amount of vinegar to the dampness.