Pokeweed

I bet you know this weed. It grows in the country and in the city. You see it along the road, in vacant lots, and neglected gardens. Poke flourishes in disturbed soil that gets a fair amount of sun. You probably recognize it from the late summer, when it has its berries. Unfortunately, at this point it is poisonous.

The time to eat poke is mid-spring. Right now in my area. You want to eat the young shoots before they begin to flower; before they have that distinctive purple color. Even these shoots must be boiled in one change of water before eating. The roots, berries, and mature plants can be toxic.

So why bother with a plant that requires so much caution? Poke is one of the most popular and widely know wild foods. I've read that it is even cultivated and sold in stores in some places in the South.

It is good. The taste is something like asparagus with a little more bite. It is plentiful. As I said above, you can find it everywhere. Yesterday, in about an hour, Lydia (5) and I gathered a paper grocery bag full.

What to do with poke? You can eat it like other cooked greens with a little bacon or ham, some like a little vinegar, and serve with cornbread. A popular way to eat it is to boil, drain and rinse then mix it in with scrambled eggs. Though it is stronger than spinach, I've used it in recipes that call for cooked spinach.

I froze yesterday's harvest. We soaked the poke in water for awhile to remove the dirt and any little critters. Then chopped the leaves, discarded the stems, and covered with water in a kettle. Brought it to a boil. Drained and rinsed, then put it in freezer bags. You know how greens are; that bag full of greens cooked down to about two quarts.

I really enjoy poke. In fact, I am considering making a little poke garden by moving some plants or planting some seed in a nearby spot that already has several plants. Tim rolled his eyes at me when I told him this idea.

Foraging is a fun, healthy and economical hobby, but please do use caution before eating this plant or any other wild plant. I highly recommend investing in a field guide or other identification book, such as the one written by Wildman Steve Brill.


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