When to cut dried poppy pods?

[Inkmanr6]

SWIM was wondering if you can cut the pods off of the stem as soon as the pedals drop?....or do you have to wait until they dry out naturally?. This is for tea. Thx!

[bogumil]

Wait till they start to dray naturally or at least until the pod starts hardening out. If you cut them too early they will shring to penny size. Here a good way:


Wait about 2 weeks after the petals fell off. Take them out with the root. Hang them upside down and pinch the outside of each pod with a little needle many times (dont go too deep). Put something under them you can collect opie that drips down in.


When they are totally dried, sratch off the dried latex and collect: thats real opium. You cann cook it to purify, but not really nessesary. The dried pods you can process like usual.