Free Garden Catalogs - Is it safe to eat maple seeds? Do they contain any toxins I should worry about?

Is it safe to eat maple seeds? Do they contain any toxins I should worry about?

Are Maple seeds (the "fruits" inside the "helicopters") edible? I have parched some and they are delicious. (I ate 2 yesterday with no ill effects.) I would love to be able to grind these into a flour along with some other wild edibles that I am sure are safe. The raw ones are tasty as well, but again I am not sure if they are a safe trail nibble. There are so many wonderful healthy edibles in my pesticide free yard. It seems a shame to waste such a effortless garden. I'd bet my neighbors think I'm an odd sort. So be it, I have never been healthier. Any tips on Maple "helicopter" seed survival uses are welcome.

Public Comments

Squirrels love them and they seem to do well. I doubt that they're toxic.
keep on eatin them then your find out
Your question fascinates me, and started me looking for an answer. So far I have come up dry. The maple helicopter is called a fruit. Samara fruit to be exact. I can find nothing to indicate that they are poison, which is good, but nothing that they are not either. The recommended way to test berries, nuts. roots etc. for toxicity if you are in a survival situation is to eat a few or a small amount and wait to see if there are any ill effects before eating a substantial amount. It seems like you have already done this, so you may be able to answer this question better than anyone. I know that squirrels. birds, and other wildlife such as deer thrive on them. This is a good sign but no guarantee. Often wildlife can eat things that would be harmful to humans. I'm going to keep looking because I have 12 mature maples in my yard and can literally pick up the helicopters by the double hand fulls. If you come up with a good answer let me know, I may have a gold mine in my yard. The link below is a great source of information for alternative or survival foods. I didn't see anything on Samara fruit but they have a forum and the author will answer your questions. Good luck, I'll be watching to see your results.