I have had more than one heated debate on the edibility of this plant.
I'm not going to attempt to persuade anyone one way or the other, but for myself I hold this wild edible in high esteem.
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I have many fond memories of afternoons spent with my grandmother hunting this jewel of the wild down,
both of us with shopping bags in hand, followed closely by her dogs. She not only taught me how to identify and gather it, but to cook it as well.
When I go to cook me up a mess of poke weed, I go for young shoots or small leaves with shoots being my favorite. Both are well worth any amount of effort.
To date, poke-weed is my most beloved wild green, not only for its kingly flavor, but because of the easy identification for beginners and also ease of harvest, not needing to bend down for it like dandelions.
Many people enjoy it with eggs, whether scrambled or in an omelet. It is more than capable though as a stand alone side. As with most wild edibles, a little on your plate goes a long way, though you will be surprised how much raw leaf is needed.
A shopping bag is the minimum amount in my mind.
Now the debate stems from the fact that it contains tropane, being in the nightshade family, which is poisonous in large quantities, but people seem to ignore that potatoes and tomatoes are also in this family. This is a risk that you will have to decide whether to take for yourself..
The cooking method I was taught to use is said to neutralize this risk.
First, as with all produce bought in a store or picked in the wild, it needs to be rinsed well.
Then bring it to a boil in salt water three times, straining in between. Then use as you wish!
For us, if it's to be a stand alone side, we saute it up in a little bit of oil and serve.
I have eaten this many, many times, from childhood to now. It's one of my favorite foods, especially in early spring after a long winter.
Have fun and enjoy!
-'The Digger'
I'll eat it if someone else cooks it, but I don't prepare it myself on account of not wanting to be responsible for poisoning someone else. Same with wild-foraged mushrooms, even when I'm certain I've identified them correctly. I'm a big fan of most wild-foraged things in general though...fiddleheads, young greenbrier, and mulberries are my fave forest bounties.
There are only a few mushrooms i trust enough to date to pick and eat, morel, puffball, tree ear, and chicken of the woods. though we have recently gotten into growing our own shiitake and chicken of the woods. I have cooked for a few people, but there few and far between.
I just love discovering these wild plants! Never heard of it before and we also don't have it here!
Cheers
@progressivechef
@clarkfarmstead
I salute you for your courage to explore the food boundaries. I can only push myself so far before I turn around. I've seen those things in the wild before and never even thought of consuming them. I guess when prepared right, anything can become eddiable.
Your probably right!
Hi @clarkfarmstead, I've never heard of Poke Weed, but I'm in the UK. Checked on wikipedia and it doesn't appear to be here :
it might not be but we share many similar common edibles like plantain (used to be called white mans foot by native american Indians because the early settlers brought it over from Europe and planted it everywhere they went, though this was due to its medicinal properties rather then its edibility) I would encourage you to try to find a book of plants in your area! thank you for following, up-voting and commenting!
Hi @clarkfarmstead. I know plantain as a healing plant. I didn't realise it was edible.
I am from Kentucky and this plant is plentiful My grand mother used to make a wilted salad with it, she would chop up the greens with onions and pour hot bacon grease of it. This also may be why I have high blood pressure but it was always a spring time treat.
Mine told me when you did not have time or means to boil it up that cooking it in fat would kill the poison as well.
Pokeweed is one of the great wild greens. It's a shame that so many people are afraid of it. Raw chicken and raw pork carry risks, but that doesn't stop people from enjoying chicken or pork when it's been prepared properly. I think of pokeweed in the same way -- just parboil it in a couple changes of water and then cook it how you enjoy it. My dad had us kids picking it, filling grocery sacks with it, even when we were 7 years old. Pokeweed is real food for regular people - and has fed so many people through the generations!
Thank you so much for the comment! I see were of one mind! Sorry for the late reply only just now noticed it!
Pokeweed is such a classic wild green of eastern North America! It has fed so many people. Enjoy your springtime pokeweed!
We do! Poke in the spring and squirrels in the fall.
I love it with eggs and bacon