I'm pretty sure that poppy seeds used in cooking come from Papaver somniferum, opium poppies. I don't know if California poppy seeds are edible.

Here's some information on the California poppy:

Here is a link that might be useful: Ethnosupply.com

California poppies are a completely different plant -- not only a different species, but a different genus, Escholtzia.
Don't eat them unless you know they're edible! (I don't know if they are, but I've never heard of them as food.)
And in any case, they won't have the taste of regular (Papaver) poppy seeds.

I've only grown the opium poppies, which are sometimes called Oriental Poppies here, and they make very beautiful, huge red or purple flowers. I've seen them growing in people's front yards, and I've never heard of anyone being arrested for growing them. A friend of mine got the seeds when he was in Paris, and so I don't know how easy they are to find. I always collected seed pods from these poppies and used them for cooking or else for planting, although I haven't grown any lately, since they require a lot of water. You have to plant the seeds in the ground because they are not transplantable. They grow better in San Francisco because the winters there are wetter.

Lars

I grow the Oriental Poppies, and give the seeds away to a soaper friend. She uses them for "friction" in her soaps..but she also puts some in her baking.
My poppies are pink and lavender, single and double (think peony like blossoms).

I agree California poppies are not the right kind.

Lars, I NEVER intentionally water my poppies. :o) They are insane this year..

Just came across this..

Here is a link that might be useful: Bread Poppies

Thanks for all the input! I'll be saving the seeds I'm gathering for next year's garden!

Smiles,
Sooz

Terri, that was a good article. I wish the article had included a picture of the poppies, though.

I got some seed marked "Gray-Seeded Poppy" in a bunch of seeds mailed to me as bonus in a seed trade. I have seen posts by people who say it is illegal to grow them so I'm glad to see in the article you provided the link to about "intent". I am one of those gray-haired grandmothers.

Here is a picture of the poppies that grew from the seed I was sent:

I thought the flowers were quite attractive. The center of the flower reminds me of a little spaceship. When the flower is done, it leaves a pod that looks to me like a little salt shaker on a stem. When the seeds have matured enough, the pod dries and shrinks back from a little scalloped "hat" to reveal holes. If you turn the pod upside down and give it a little shake, the seeds will come out like salt out of a salt shaker. They are, indeed, gray.

Like the article said, I would think you could plant poppy seed from your spice rack.

In the case of something like marijuana, you can get in trouble for having either the plant or the seed. So since we can buy poppy seed in any store, and I've never heard of anyone raiding somebody's spice rack, I find it a little odd that anybody's raiding someone's flower garden. Again, I suppose it would make a difference if you had an entire FIELD of them, as the article said. --Ilene

Ilene, I have those too..Almost all of mine have flowered. There might be a few that aren't done yet.
There are poppies growing wild around here..(wild that in they've travelled from one location to the next) are in areas that are not tended.
Oh and mine travelled next door..lol They had two or three prolific plants show up, just on the other side of the fence. LOL

However, it's nearly the end of the season.
In August I will be harvesting the dried heads. Shaking the seeds loose, sharing them with friends and giving the seed head/stems away to crafters. One year I sold two big boxes full on Ebay. LOL
Thumbnail size, click to enlarge. First one is a lavendar single, second is a "freak" cross breed hot pink with dark purple center. And last is the dying(petals were falling as I took the shot today) Double Pink.
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Terri, those are good pictures. That top one is just like mine, and shows a good view of what the pods look like.

I'm in Oklahoma, so mine are done now. But they put on a good show while it lasted. Aren't you clever, selling your dried poppy heads to crafters on e-Bay.

I have read that there is a specific procedure you have to follow in order to get opium from these poppies (and I won't repeat it in a forum, but somebody probably has a website somewhere that tells how). Anyway, by the time your poppies have gone to seed, the opportunity to make opium has passed, so I would think you would not be in any violation of law selling the dried pods. I think they are quite pretty and I used to use poppy-seed heads in dried flower arrangements, along with dried yarrow and tansy. --Ilene

Yes, It's the sap the has to be milked..and only in green pods..LOL

I wasn't the only one at the time selling them.

I really think that it's like someone above said..if you've got acres of them planted and you are milking the green pods..you've got a problem..

the rest of the uses..no biggie..

I've plenty of seeds to share..no guarantees what color you'll get..I don't keep them seperate or label them. LOL

Anyone that wants some bread seeds. snarf...send me an email through GW..and I'll send you out some in late August when the pods are dry and release their little dark blue glory.