North American Fruit Explorers mailing list at ibiblio

["Hector Black" <hblack1925@fastmail.fm>]

I read about digging up a root of poke, keeping it in the cellar and harvesting the shoots like asparagus.  Delicious this past spring when before the greens came in.  Used poke many a time as a vegetable, especially good with scrambled eggs.  Seems to me I read that it is the seeds in the berries that have a toxin.  A child in our family ate some berries once, but evidently not enough or she didn't chew up the seeds.   Hector Black zone 6 middle TN

----- Original Message -----

From: Jwlehman@aol.com

To: nafex@lists.ibiblio.org

Sent: Friday, May 23, 2008 5:40 PM

Subject: Re: [NAFEX] Poke Weed

In a message dated 5/23/2008 3:32:28 PM Eastern Daylight Time, mauch1@aol.com writes:

When I took a weed identification class a few years ago in renewing my pesticide license, the 'expert' teaching the class was uncomfortable with people eating pokeweed.  She also recommended handling it with gloves as she stated there was evidence that Poke Weed suppressed the immune system.

I suspect the recommendation of handling it with gloves is over reacting and based on fear. Today I dug and pulled out at least 6 plants with large roots. I feel just fine, no rash, no nothing. Done it many times through the years. At one time I had apartments in town. Often renters cultivated poke in the back yard. They harvested and ate the new leaves which left tall stalks with leaves only at the top and tips of side branches. Never lost a tenant to poisoning. Although I've never tried it I've always been told not to eat older leaves and absolutely do not eat the red berries which was used as a red dye in the past.  

Jerry  (In poke country) 


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