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Pokeberry dye is made from the berries of the pokeweed plant. Pokeweed is considered a perennial herb plant. The stalk is thick and often droops over under it’s own weight and the weight of the berries.Pokeberries can be used to make ink as well as dye, but I have only tried my hand at the ink so far. Pokeberry ink can be used for writing with a calligraphy pen, as watercolors for painting, or to stain wood. If you use the ink to stain wood, it is wise to seal it to ensure that the color stays.
- Begin with approximately one cup of pokeberries. …
- Into the bowl, add ½ teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon vinegar, and stir.
- Collect this mixture in a glass storage jar with a screwcap (baby food jars work great, as well as jelly jars). …
- Store in a cool, dry place.
- Remove pokeweed leaves from plant.
- Rinse pokeweed leaves in cool water.
- Bring leaves to rolling boil in large pot for 20 minutes.
- Pour leaves into sieve and rinse in cool water.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 two more times.
- Panfry pokeweed leaves for a couple of minutes in bacon grease.
Contents
Can you use pokeweed as a dye?
Pokeberry dye is made from the berries of the pokeweed plant. Pokeweed is considered a perennial herb plant. The stalk is thick and often droops over under it’s own weight and the weight of the berries.
What can you make with Pokeberries?
Pokeberries can be used to make ink as well as dye, but I have only tried my hand at the ink so far. Pokeberry ink can be used for writing with a calligraphy pen, as watercolors for painting, or to stain wood. If you use the ink to stain wood, it is wise to seal it to ensure that the color stays.
How do you process pokeweed?
- Remove pokeweed leaves from plant.
- Rinse pokeweed leaves in cool water.
- Bring leaves to rolling boil in large pot for 20 minutes.
- Pour leaves into sieve and rinse in cool water.
- Repeat steps 3 and 4 two more times.
- Panfry pokeweed leaves for a couple of minutes in bacon grease.
How do you make berry dye?
- Pour the berries into your dye pot and cover with cold water. …
- With the lid on, heat until the water simmers. …
- When you’ve mashed as many berries as possible to squeeze out the colour, take a bowl and strain the berries through a sieve lined with a muslin cloth.
What is Poke Sallet good for?
Most of our ancestors from the Depression backward were full of worms.” So then, poke sallet acted as a vermifuge, a worm purger. Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center cites research showing that raw pokeweed has medicinal properties that can help cure herpes and HIV.
How do you make poke oil?
- Grate a tablespoon of beeswax for each ounce of infused oil.
- Warm the oil on low heat, add the grated beeswax, and stir until melted.
- Pour liquid into jar and allow to cool and solidify.
Is pokeweed a narcotic?
Although pokeweed can cause severe poisoning in humans, Native Americans once used this plant as a heart stimulant and as a narcotic. The plant also contains a protein that has been shown to have a positive impact on HIV, a precursor to the AIDS virus.
Is poke root poisonous?
All parts of the pokeweed plant, especially the root, are poisonous. Severe poisoning has been reported from drinking tea brewed from pokeweed root and pokeweed leaves. Poisoning also has resulted from drinking pokeberry wine and eating pokeberry pancakes. Eating just 10 berries can be toxic to an adult.
Can you eat pokeberry leaves?
The entire plant is poisonous causing a variety of symptoms, including death in rare cases. The berries are especially poisonous. Young leaves and stems when properly cooked are edible and provide a good source of protein, fat and carbohydrate.
Why is poke salad poisonous?
The boiling step in poke preparation is no joke—you are not only leaching out the aforementioned actively poisonous compounds, but also removing oxalic acid. This is another fun chemical that is in many leafy greens, including spinach, but in pokeweed oxalic acid occurs in toxically high levels.
Is pokeweed poisonous to touch?
Is pokeweed poisonous to touch? Yes. Pokeweed, also known as nightshade, has been long documented as one of the most dangerous plants to humans, pets, and livestock in the natural world.
Is pokeweed a nightshade?
The branches bear clusters of flowers and dark red fruits. The fruits resemble the berries of nightshade and thus pokeweed is sometimes called American nightshade.
Is pokeweed poisonous to touch?
Is pokeweed poisonous to touch? Yes. Pokeweed, also known as nightshade, has been long documented as one of the most dangerous plants to humans, pets, and livestock in the natural world.
Is it safe to burn pokeweed?
To remain safe, you should never burn pokeweed to dispose of it. The pokeweed plant contains poisonous sap that causes a skin rash. If you burn pokeweed, the smoke from the fire will contain these toxins. Breathing in even a small amount of this smoke will bring the toxins into your lungs and airways.
Is pokeweed poisonous to humans?
Although all parts of the pokeweed – berries, roots, leaves and stems – are poisonous to humans, some folks take the risk of eating poke salad each spring.
What is the poison in pokeweed?
Pokeweed contains phytolaccine, a powerful irritant that can cause severe gastrointestinal symptoms in humans and mammals. (Birds are largely unaffected, hence the moniker “pigeon berries.”) Every part of the pokeweed plant is poisonous, including the root, stems, leaves, and berries.
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Pokeberry Dye for Wool and Yarns – Timber Creek Farm
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- Table of Contents:
Natural Dye From Plants
The Recipe for Pokeberry Dye Inspired by Carol Leigh’s Recipe
Preparing the Yarn Fiber or Fabric for the Dye
Dyeing with Pokeberry Dye
After the Dye Process
Using the Exhaust Bath of the Pokeberry Dye
Future Care of the Pokeberry Dye Fiber and Yarn
Making the poke berry tincture! The epic natural arthritis medicine! – YouTube
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- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Making the poke berry tincture! The epic natural arthritis medicine! – YouTube Updating In this simple easy video I show the process of making a tincture for treating arthritis!video, chia sẻ, điện thoại có máy ảnh, điện thoại quay video, miễn phí, tải lên
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DIY Pokeberry Ink • Insteading
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- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for DIY Pokeberry Ink • Insteading Updating Pokeberry ink is relatively easy to make and creates a gorgeous pink-purple color that’s ideal for dyeing fabric, painting, and practicing calligraphy.
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What Can You Use Pokeberry Ink for
Pokeberry Ink Recipe
A Word Of Caution
Pokeberry Ink & Dye Ideas
Fun Facts About Pokeberries
More About The Pokeberry Plant
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How to Identify, Harvest, and Prepare Pokeweed and Poke Sallet – Delishably
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- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for How to Identify, Harvest, and Prepare Pokeweed and Poke Sallet – Delishably Updating Ever wanted to try the popular Southern dish poke sallet, often called “poke salad”? I’m a native of the rural United States and am here to show you how to detoxify and prepare this delicious dish.recipe,Foraging & Wild Eating,Premium
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Pokeweed A Southern Delicacy
Is Pokeweed Poisonous
Photo Guide Using the Berries to Tell If Pokeweed Is Harvestable
Which Part Is Poisonous
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DIY Pokeberry Ink • Insteading
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- Summary of article content: Articles about DIY Pokeberry Ink • Insteading Pokeberry Ink Recipe. pokeberry ink Elaina Garcia / Insteading. Ingredients. 2 cups ripe pokeweed berries; 1 teaspoon … …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for DIY Pokeberry Ink • Insteading Pokeberry Ink Recipe. pokeberry ink Elaina Garcia / Insteading. Ingredients. 2 cups ripe pokeweed berries; 1 teaspoon … Pokeberry ink is relatively easy to make and creates a gorgeous pink-purple color that’s ideal for dyeing fabric, painting, and practicing calligraphy.
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Additional menu
What Can You Use Pokeberry Ink for
Pokeberry Ink Recipe
A Word Of Caution
Pokeberry Ink & Dye Ideas
Fun Facts About Pokeberries
More About The Pokeberry Plant
Join The Free Insteading Community
Reader Interactions
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Make Pokeberry Ink for Spells and Rituals
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Make Pokeberry Ink for Spells and Rituals Making the Ink · 2 Cups pokeweed berries · 1 tsp vinegar · A glass jar or bottle. …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Make Pokeberry Ink for Spells and Rituals Making the Ink · 2 Cups pokeweed berries · 1 tsp vinegar · A glass jar or bottle. Want to make your own ink to use in magical workings? Try the toxic but lovely pokeberry, which blooms around Mabon each year!
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What is a Pokeberry
Making the Ink
Finishing it Off
Use Your Ink in Spellwork
Book of Spells
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Making Fermented Pokeberry Ink – Inky Thoughts – The Fountain Pen Network
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- Summary of article content: Articles about Making Fermented Pokeberry Ink – Inky Thoughts – The Fountain Pen Network mnpd · 1. Wash the Pokeberries in water to remove any dirt, bugs and sper web silk. · 2. Add an entire packet of yeast to the bottle. · 3. Leave … …
- Most searched keywords: Whether you are looking for Making Fermented Pokeberry Ink – Inky Thoughts – The Fountain Pen Network mnpd · 1. Wash the Pokeberries in water to remove any dirt, bugs and sper web silk. · 2. Add an entire packet of yeast to the bottle. · 3. Leave … Fermented Pokeberry Ink Manufacture The Declaration of Independence was reportedly written in fermented Pokeberry Ink. Freshly made Pokeberry ink has the loud purple color of the raw crushed berry juice, but fades to a non-descript brown with age. The fermentation process seems necessary to prese…
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Magickal Herbalism: Making Magickal Pokeberry Ink – Witchcraft & Pagan Lifestyle Blog, The Magick Kitchen
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pokeberry ink – The Druids Garden
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- Summary of article content: Articles about pokeberry ink – The Druids Garden Making Berry Inks (Huckleberry, Raspberry, Blackberry, Pokeberry, etc.) … Inkmaking is a wonderful way to use up some of the fabulous berries … …
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Making Berry Inks (Huckleberry Raspberry Blackberry Pokeberry etc)
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A Southern Recipe for Natural Ink
In this series, the photographer Rinne Allen documents harvests across the South, exploring the many uses of nature’s seasonal yield.
At the height of spring six years ago, the artist Hope Hilton finished grad school in New York and moved into an old farmhouse in rural Winterville, Ga. Come fall, the fields around her new home sprouted vibrant wild pokeberries, which she noticed look similar in size and color to blueberries — but are poisonous. To a regular forager, the toxic plant would be a useless, inedible growth. But to Hilton, who regularly sources natural pigments from nature for her work, they were a fortuitous find: She noticed that they turn “the most magnificent pink” when crushed — and so smashed them into ink for paintings.
Pokeberry Dye for Wool and Yarns
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Pokeberry dye is made from the berries of the pokeweed plant. Pokeweed is considered a perennial herb plant. The stalk is thick and often droops over under it’s own weight and the weight of the berries. The pokeberries grow on stems similar to a bunch of grapes. Don’t mistake them for edible grapes, however. The pokeweed plant has varying levels of toxicity depending on the part of the plant used. Although the pokeweed is toxic to humans, people have enjoyed eating pokeweed salit for many generations. The dish is made using the young leaves of the plant.The leaves are boiled numerous times to remove the toxins before being eaten.
Animals and birds can and do eat the pokeberries and the leaves and it is a valuable source of food for many species. Rodents, birds, and deer all rely on this source of nutrients as fall turns to winter. Pokeweed has been spread near and far by birds ingesting the berries and passing the seeds through their digestive tract.
Natural Dye From Plants
The rich, vibrant color of the berries juices easily and makes a dye that can be used to permanently color fabric, wool, and yarns. We have a lot of pokeweed growing on our farm and I had been looking forward to trying to make the pokeberry dye and use it to color our natural yarn. I read quite a few different approaches to the idea before feeling comfortable about dyeing our yarn. The berries have such a rich deep magenta color. Protect your clothes, hands and work surface before beginning to make pokeberry dye.
As with almost anything where natural substances are being used, things may not turn out as planned. It took many tries for me to receive a green color from Spinach Dye. Boiling the berry dye bath can result in a brown dye instead of a dark red or pink. Using a mordant to change the pH and the resulting color from the dye bath is just the beginning of what you can do while using pokeberry dye. I will write more on mordants later in this post.
These are the steps I took to develop my version of Pokeberry Dye. I referred to quite a few other herbalists and fiber artists information in coming up with my own plan. Most notable was the recipe by Carol Leigh. It is available as a reprint in many publications. Carol Leigh seems to have found the best method of getting the purple and red color from the berries to stick to the yarn. In order to achieve the purple, deep red, or fuchsia you may need to leave some of the regular rules for using natural dyes behind and take a leap of faith.
The Recipe for Pokeberry Dye Inspired by Carol Leigh’s Recipe
Pokeberry dye is very easy to make as the berries break easily and the rich color seeps out immediately. Even the semi dried berries hold their color and when added to the water, re-hydrate easily.
I did not remove the berries from the stems as most recipes instruct you to do. Leaves and debris were removed and the stems were separated into individual stems and berry clusters. The bucket I used to gather the berries is a two gallon bucket and I almost filled it with pokeberry stems and berries. I know a lot of recipes call for a much larger supply and my only guess is that they are planning to dye a much bigger stash of yarn.
Place the stems and berries into a large stock pot that will not be used for food preparation. Pokeweed and some other dye stuffs are toxic. It is best to keep a separate set of tools for your dyeing work, just to be safe. The pan you use to mordant the fiber can be from the kitchen as usually nothing toxic will go into that pan.
Do Not Boil!
Start by covering the plant material with tap water, add one cup of vinegar. Bring the mixture almost to a boil but DO NOT boil the mixture. Immediately turn the heat down to a simmer and allow the berries and stems to release the color. Use an old potato masher to further squish the berries.
After cooking for two hours, I turned off the heat and let the mixture sit overnight.
The next day, strain the dye, reserving the dye in a temporary pan or container while you toss the spent berries and stems in the garbage. Don’t add pokeweed parts to your compost as they have a lot of seeds. The compost bin will quickly turn into a pokeweed garden.
Carefully pour the dye into the dye pot again.
A Note About Cooking Utensils for Dye Work
You might be wondering what to use for this activity if I am suggesting that you don’t use your kitchen pots and pans. I sure don’t think it’s necessary to go buy new pans for this. One idea is to shop flea markets and Goodwill type shops for used cookware. Try to find stainless steel or enamel coated pans. My stock pot for dye is an old granite steel stock pot that we had for years. I also have a wooden spoon that stays with my dye pot, and a fine mesh strainer for separating the plant material from the dye water. I use an old wash basin as an extra pan for discarding plant material to the garbage or for anything I need while working with the dyes. A pair of regular metal cooking tongs are helpful when retrieving the fiber or yarn from the hot dye bath.
Preparing the Yarn, Fiber or Fabric for the Dye
The first step when preparing to dye any yarn or fabric is to prepare it to receive the dye. This process is called the mordant. There are a few common methods to mordant the yarn or fabric. Salt, vinegar, alum and rust are a few easily obtained substances. Keep in mind that each one will cause a different reaction when your fiber is added to the dye bath. The metals in your tap water will also play a part. For this dye experiment, I used vinegar as the soaking mordant with a small amount of alum added.
2 skeins of natural colored 100% wool yarn (400 yards total or 200 grams)
2 quarts of water
1 cup vinegar
water to vinegar ratio of 1 to 8
1 tsp alum
Ease the yarn into the mixture of water, vinegar and alum in a non- aluminum pot. Always use care when working with wool and hot water. Do not agitate the fiber or cause friction from too much handling. Felting occurs in the presence of hot water and movement. Next, you ease the fiber into the water and gently push it down to get it thoroughly wet.
Bring water, vinegar and alum to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for at least one hour.
Dyeing with Pokeberry Dye
Ok ready to get to the fun part?
Remove the yarn from the mordant water and without squeezing the water out, transfer it over to the dye bath.
Gently push the yarn into the dye bath, until it is completely covered. Since the yarn is wet, it should sink readily into the dye bath.
Now, add half of the mordant liquid to the dye bath.
Discard the remaining mordant water.
Begin heating the dye bath. Bring close to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer the dye bath and fiber for two hours. Turn off the heat and allow the yarn or fiber to sit in the dye bath overnight.
It is important to note that boiling pokeberry dye can cause it to lose it’s red color and become brown.
After the Dye Process
While wearing gloves, pull the dyed yarn from the dye squeezing out as much excess dye water as possible without wringing the yarn. Squeeze gently and place on a screen to oxidize for at least two hours. DO NOT Rinse the yarn yet!
After at least two hours, rinse the yarn in cool water, changing the water until it runs clear. For Pokeberry, at this point, using soap may change the pH and cause the color to change. Rinse completely and place over the screens again to complete the drying. You need to make sure the yarn is not laid out in the sun, as this will also cause the color to change or fade. From my readings, pokeberry is color fast for gentle washing but is not light fast. Do not leave the yarns you dye with natural colors to sit out in the sunlight.
Using the Exhaust Bath of the Pokeberry Dye
If you still see rich levels of color in the dye bath, it is possible to attempt subsequent dye lots from the dye you used. I was curious, since my dye seemed to be very dark after dyeing the two skeins of yarn. So, I grabbed a 2 ounce sample of wool roving and threw it in the mordant bath.
I removed the roving to a plastic bag so I could start the dye again for the last two skeins.
After mordanting the roving, I tossed it into the dye bath. Lots of color immediately reached into the roving. So, I grabbed two more skeins of wool yarn. I was on an adventure after all. After properly mordanting the skeins, they entered the dye bath with the roving.
After bringing the dye bath up to simmer, I heated the fiber, yarn and dye for a couple of hours. Turned off the heat and left it all to sit over night. In the morning I repeated the steps for oxidizing and then rinsing the fiber and yarn. While there was still considerable color left in the dye bath, I decided not to process any more from this batch. I noticed that some shading on the exhaust bath yarn was visible, so the dye was weakening.
Note– I did not use a modifier to create the deep fuchsia color. Only the vinegar and Alum from the mordant phase were used.
Future Care of the Pokeberry Dye Fiber and Yarn
From what I have read, when using a natural plant based soap to clean anything made from the yarn, it will help the color last. Most reports of color fading from exposure to light were not found to be true when using Carol Leigh’s recipe and instructions. I would use caution about leaving the fiber or garment exposed to direct sunlight. Using alkaline soaps for laundering, does show an effect on the color.
Remember that using colors from nature to dye fibers is a variable pursuit. Have fun with it and test small skeins to be sure you will get the color you are looking for. Modifiers can change the color of a dyed product.
Adding certain metallic substances, such as iron, copper, or washing soda, and salt can affect the color. It’s a lot of fun to experiment with the colors freely given in nature.
Read more about various dye plants used at a dyeing party on Homestead Honey.
Looking for various shades of yellow from natural dyes? Check out this post from Joybilee Farm
For more information, I am sharing the titles in my home library as suggested reading.
DIY Pokeberry Ink • Insteading
I love experimenting and creating things! The very first time I made pokeberry ink I was just playing around and had no real instructions. I suppose you could say I was just going with the flow. I had so many poke plants in my yard, and I didn’t want to see them just shrivel up and go to waste, so … I created something!
What Can You Use Pokeberry Ink for?
Pokeberries can be used to make ink as well as dye, but I have only tried my hand at the ink so far. Pokeberry ink can be used for writing with a calligraphy pen, as watercolors for painting, or to stain wood. If you use the ink to stain wood, it is wise to seal it to ensure that the color stays.
Pokeberries are not edible, I repeat, they are inedible. However, the young green shoots are edible, but we’ll get back to that. The berries stain your skin and basically anything the juice touches, so be prepared! I am about to share this very simple recipe with you so you can create your own ink, too. It doesn’t take much time or effort at all, and if you have the few supplies needed, it’s free. Let’s get started!
Pokeberry Ink Recipe
Elaina Garcia / Insteading
Ingredients
2 cups ripe pokeweed berries
1 teaspoon white vinegar or isopropyl alcohol
Supplies / Equipment
pestle & mortar
wire mesh strainer
cheesecloth
latex gloves
2 wide-mouth jars
Directions
Harvest at least 2 cups of ripe dark berries. I suggest wearing your latex gloves while harvesting because it will leave your skin a purplish pink color. Rinse the berries in cool water and allow them to air dry. A small fan helps to speed up the drying process. Juice the berries by placing them in the mortar and crushing them with the pestle.* Place your mesh strainer onto the wide-mouth jar and place your poke mash into it, allowing the poke juice to separate from the seeds and skin. Add the vinegar or alcohol to your ink and stir. Bottle the ink, let it settle, and enjoy. Store in a cool, dry place when not using.
*Side note: If you slightly tilt your mortar as you crush the berries, it will help separate the juice from the pulp and seeds.
A Word Of Caution
Elaina Garcia / Insteading
The seeds of the pokeberry plant are poisonous, so be sure to dispose of them and clean the area properly. Make with caution, especially if there are little ones or pets around. There are various recipes that use different ingredients that preserve the ink, but I like to keep it simple and use alcohol or vinegar.
Pokeberry Ink & Dye Ideas
Need a bit of inspiration for how to use your pokeberry ink? Check out some of these gorgeous projects on Instagram.
Fun Facts About Pokeberries
Pokeberry ink is UV-sensitive, which brings about something seemingly magical. The first time I made the ink I used it for writing. Over time, my pinkish-purplish ink became a golden brown. I had no idea that would happen! So, if you want your ink to remain a beautiful pinkish-red color, make sure to spray your work with some type of archival spray varnish that has UV protection.
While doing a little research on the poke plant and the ink made from it, I came across an article from the New York Times titled “A Southern Recipe For Natural Ink”. It stated that there is research showing that during the Revolutionary War, the soldiers were making pokeberry ink to write letters that were sent home.
More About The Pokeberry Plant
Pokeberry (Phytolacca americana), aka Pokeweed, is known as a ubiquitous weed, meaning it is present, appearing, or found everywhere. The plant is native to North America, South America, and East Asia. Other names will include pokeweed, poke bush, poke root, and poke sallet.
The taproot, berries and seeds are all poisonous. If any of it is ingested, the effects can range from mild to deadly. BUT, during the very early first days of spring, the young pokeberry plants will have leafy asparagus-like shoots that emerge from the crown. Those young shoots are edible!
Editor’s Note: Be aware that there is a very specific process for cooking pokeberry shoots to make sure that they are safe to eat. It’s important to note that “no U.S. food organization endorses the consumption of pokeweed regardless of how it is prepared.” As with anything you forage for, make sure that you correctly identify the plant and take all the necessary precautions before ingesting. Larry Rankin of Delishably has a comprehensive guide to identifying, harvesting, and preparing pokeweed.
There are actually processors in Arkansas that began canning poke sallet commercially in the ’60s. You can occasionally find a can or jar at the local grocers in season. Poke sallet is cooked and eaten just like any early spring greens. Some people even like to use the stalks, too. You simply peel and fry the stalks similar to an okra pod. Always do your research before harvesting and trying anything new, especially if it could be toxic.
When cooking poke sallet it is important that you leach the greens two times before cooking. To do this you simply take the fresh greens and parboil them for about 3 minutes, drain, and repeat the parboiling and draining process one more time. Now you can safely fry up your poke sallet with some bacon pieces, green onion, and eat up!
The poke berries might be toxic to us, but the juicy purple berries are delicious and completely safe for birds. Many songbirds such as the northern mockingbird, brown thrasher, cardinal, and small animals enjoy feasting on poke berries. The toxins simply don’t affect them.
I hope you’ve enjoyed this article and get a chance to create some beautiful ink. Let us know in the comments if you’ve tried it and how it worked out for you! Happy crafting!
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