Poppy seeds are a popular baking ingredient that serve different purposes and are processed differently depending on the region. Austrian poppy seed strudel, simple poppy seed rolls or Saxon poppy seed stollen are just a few examples. But which poppy seeds do you use in the kitchen?
When and how are poppies harvested?
Poppies are harvested about four to six weeks after flowering, when the seed pods are brown and the seeds inside rattle loosely. Harvesting can be done by hand or by machine, with mechanical harvesting being faster and widely used.
The poppy, also known as wild poppy or corn poppy, can certainly be used for cooking, but other varieties are used as a baking ingredient, such as blue poppy or gray poppy. The names indicate the color of the seeds. A well-known poppy growing area is Austria. Various types of poppies are grown there that have only a low morphine content.
When do you harvest poppies?
If you want to harvest poppies for sowing next year, it is best to do so on a dry day. The capsules should already be dry, then the seeds are ripe and can be removed from the capsules by shaking them gently. Store the seeds in a dry and cool place until sowing.
About four to six weeks after flowering, the seed capsules are mature and can be harvested. Industrially grown poppies are usually harvested in August or September. However, the exact harvest time is always determined by the degree of maturity of the capsules. This can be recognized by the brown color and the rattling sound of the loosened seeds when shaken.
How do you harvest poppy seeds?
If the poppies are to be harvested by hand, then this is a very time-consuming undertaking. The stems are cut individually and grouped into bundles. The bundles are then shaken upside down to loosen the seeds. These fall into a container where they are collected.
Mechanical harvesting is now widespread. The ripe capsules are harvested using converted combine harvesters and collected in a storage facility. Capsules that do not end up in the storage but in the field serve as fertilizer. Mechanical harvesting is much faster, as the combine harvesters can harvest about one hectare in three hours.
The most important harvest information:
- Main supplier of baked poppies: Austria
- Harvesting by hand is very time-consuming
- mostly mechanical harvesting
Tips & Tricks
If you want to bake or cook with poppy seeds, then use German or Austrian poppy seeds, whose cultivation is approved. Other poppy varieties may contain more morphine.
