The Sometimes Edible: Pokeweed

Pokeweed is one of those edible that you may try for the first time with a bit of anxiety. I did, at least. Here in my part of Georgia, you’ll hear a lot of different opinions on what parts are edible on this plant, when you can eat it, how toxic the toxic parts really are, and how to prepare it safely. I mean, A LOT of different opinions. My wife’s family are north mountain folks and have been for generations. They eat the stuff along with a lot of other cultivated vegetables that you don’t see in any chain grocery store.

Before I tried it, I spent a good bit of time reading what I felt were authoritative sources. Among those sources, the most prominent and thorough was by Green Deane at EatTheWeeds. His site is always my first stop when I am curious about trying a new one, and if you aren’t familiar with it, be sure to check it out. Honestly, if I were to write much more here about my “knowledge” about pokeweed, it would just be a regurgitation of his writing on the plant.

Edibles like pokeweed make me nervous as an amateur because of the list of “rules” that come along with it. If you’re just a hobbyist, and you are looking to expand your experience foraging, then chances are good you will be able to cross-reference your plant with reputable websites and books, maybe even look it up on your phone. You have available a good list of steps to follow to ensure that you don’t eat the wrong part or skip a step in preparation. But as a “survival” food? I’d prefer the simple, never-toxic type plants that you don’t have to obsess over the preparation and run the risk of making yourself seriously sick due to toxins. I could see myself out there, carefully avoiding physical injury and watching the ground for snakes, fastidiously purifying every bit of water I drank, and then poisoning myself with my wild edible skills!