Ackee alert?

[nettics]

Hi,

I am wondering the following as I do not want to poison my wife or me. I and am married to a Jamaican. She loooooves ackee and saltfish. I have never tried it, but am eager to do so. As we live on Curacao ackee is only available in a can, but I noticed that in our street there is a tree that is now full of fruits. Last year that was also the case, but I was too late to pick ripe (open) ones. Prolly because someone beat me to it. I am now wondering, can I pick ones that are already reddish, but not open yet and let them ripe in a shoe box? Or is the chance of poisoning too big then? I know I cannot peal them when they aren't open, so just wondering if they will open if they are already from a tree.

Thanx in advance for any feedback

BTW, my wife knows how to clean them, but she isn't sure about the riping process.

[MsExced]

Hi , no let them open on the tree, hope you're lucky this time around to get some of the open ones

[j-kid]

Under no circumstances should you pick them before they are fully opened. The risk is too great. Nature know what it is doing much better than us humans. Don't rush the process!

I could be wrong, but except for pigs, I don't think even goats will fool wid (eat) the unopened ackee on the ground?

You could just set up ah tent under the tree for a few days, an stake yuh claim till dem open.

[nettics]

Under no circumstances should you pick them before they are fully opened. The risk is too great. Nature know what it is doing much better than us humans. Don't rush the process!

I could be wrong, but except for pigs, I don't think even goats will fool wid (eat) the unopened ackee on the ground?

You could just set up ah tent under the tree for a few days, an stake yuh claim till dem open.

LOL, that is too much :P

[missus_vegas]

i am not recommending you do this but from i was a child growing up i see ppl pick ackee and leave it in the sun to open, then they would eat it. for instance if they were picking the opened once and some unopened ones came off the tree, they left them out for the sun to open them.

I also recall trucks coming thru the neighborhood and buying up all the ackee on the trees weather open or not all of it was loaded. I was young but the story was that they were being bought by the canning factory.

you cant go wrong by letting them open on the tree though so better safe than sorry i guess.

[nettics]

Hi Missus, thanx for the info. How long ago it was when you were a child? Cuz I read that there was a time that canning companies cleaned unopen ackee and sold them and large doses of the poison was found in the cans. Then it was unbanned after that 27 year ban http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/Lead1.html. But it seems it's banned again: http://www.newsamericasnow.com/u-s-a...ins-in-effect/

That's prolly why my wife tells me that real Jamaicans will not eat canned ackee

[CeaBee]

how long ago she leave jamaica?


I eat tin ackee. but i leave Jamaica time and me doan really like ackee enough to be concerned about its authencity. (and If I didn't eat tin ackee i would probably never get to eat ackee)

[nettics]

"Most ackee products have been banned from import into the US for the past 30 years because of concerns about poisoning from unripe fruit. The US has just recently begun to allow the import of canned ripe ackee on a limited basis."

http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-817-ackee.aspx?activeingredientid=817&activeingredientname=ackee

[CeaBee]

yeah the stores used to have it. ...just not on the shelves.

[missus_vegas]

Hi Missus, thanx for the info. How long ago it was when you were a child? Cuz I read that there was a time that canning companies cleaned unopen ackee and sold them and large doses of the poison was found in the cans. Then it was unbanned after that 27 year ban http://jamaica-gleaner.com/gleaner/2...ead/Lead1.html. But it seems it's banned again: http://www.newsamericasnow.com/u-s-a...ins-in-effect/

That's prolly why my wife tells me that real Jamaicans will not eat canned ackee

I am an 80s child.

[Peasie]

I am an 80s child.

Maybe chronologically but your soul is as old as mi granny.

[missus_vegas]

Maybe chronologically but your soul is as old as mi granny.

Lol hence y i stick around with u old folgies all these yrs.