Talk:Sierra Leonean Cassava Leaves/@comment-74.129.82.69-20140118010645/@comment-27110032-20151023135614

Note: Before starting this recipe: fresh cassava leaves contain cyanide. Thus, a thorough soaking and rinsing process to leech out the cyanide is absolutely required before using fresh cassava leaves in any recipes. The cyanide is inside the leaves, so a simple outside rinse is not sufficient. It means that to use fresh cassava leaves safely, one needs to do soaking and multiple rinsings, with pressing or squeezing out the rinse water from the leaves  including with the last rinse with boiled water and discard all rinse water after every rinse. This adds at least an hour of pre-recipe preparation. Here in Africa this a daily routine and part of preparation of any recipe that uses fresh cassava leaves. Commercially prepared frozen cassava leaves or canned cassava leaves have had this important step done already.

Once this proper soak/rinsing is complete, then the rinsed cassava leaves are safe to be used as described in this recipe.