NIGHT

As a child, I was always told never, never to eat the seeds from the pods of lupins because although they look like pea-pods they are poisonous.

It came as a surprise, therefore to find that lupin flour was widely used in the continent. Lupin seeds are an excellent source of protein. Lupins don’t seem to be poisonous any more? Or were my parents wrong with their advice.

So, I’ve been looking into this. Apparently the seeds ARE toxic. They contain an alkaloid. They must be soaked thoroughly to get rid of this before making into flour. However lupins are now being bred that are low in alkaloids.

Lupins are the same family as peas and beans – other pod bearing plants – the leguminosae.

What is interesting is that they are also related to peanuts. Peanuts are not nuts at all, but legumes. Individuals who have peanut allergy may also have an allergic reaction if they eat products containing lupin flour because of cross reactivity. The reaction can be very severe and even fatal.

So my parents were correct, although they probably didn’t know the reason. Lupin seed ARE toxic AND can cause severe allergies.

But I still love to have lupins in the garden, and I adore their peppery scent.

ALL ABOUT LUPINS AS FOOD