[Sca-cooks] Paging Countess Brekke... was, Re: homemade bitter almond extract

[Carol Smith]

Dear All:

As I recall, "Almond Extract" is made from apricot kernels, not the whole pit.  DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME!  The "Natural Almond Oil" we purchased was "FFPA", translated as "free 
from Prussic Acid", otherwise called hydrogen cyanide, which occurs naturally in 
almonds, apricots, cherries, etc.  It is cleared for use under 21CFR182.20,and 21CFR182.40, which is "generally recognized as safe", or GRAS.

The flavoring is primarily benzaldehyde.  You can buy almond oil, apricot oil, etc. for cooking, but the flavor level is minimal in the culinary oils and it's expensive to use.  You can't buy the flavor oils for home use, so far as I know, since benzaldehyde is a restricted item since it's a precursor for several illegal drugs.

If you know of a safe way to make the extract using distilled spirits and the apricot kernels, I'd appreciate a post of the procedure.  It's nothing I would be willing to try without a lot of further information.

Regards,
Brekke

> From: adamantius1 at verizon.net
> Date: Fri, 18 Jun 2010 10:06:41 -0400
> To: sca-cooks at lists.ansteorra.org
> Subject: [Sca-cooks] Paging Countess Brekke... was, Re:  homemade bitter almond extract
> 
> Would Countess Brekke come to the white courtesy phone? [She's a chemist with a company that makes extracts; from my recollection of discussions with her on this subject, it is not that difficult to make yourself ill messing with peach pits, bitter almonds, etc...]
> 
> Adamantius
> 
> 
> On Jun 18, 2010, at 3:51 AM, otsisto wrote:
> 
> > People have made the extract from peach pits and nectarine pits because it
> > is similar in taste to the bitter almonds.
> > I just don't know if I would make it. How is the cyanide content resolved?
> > 
> > De
> > 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > 
> > OK.  I may be totally insane, but I thought I read once that you can
> > make your own bitter almond extract from the centers of peach pits
> > (and other stone fruits?).
> > 
> > If any of you know this to be true (or untrue) please let me know.
> > 
> > I thought I read this in the "Chez Panisse Fruit" book, but I can't
> > locate it at the moment...
> > 
> > Looking forward to the responses that may come from this!
> > 
> > 
> > -Kitta
> > 
> > 
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