Pokeweed: Only eat this if...

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  • เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
  • Can you eat pokeweed? Yes & No. That's the only way to say it simply. I explore this complex plant that is both deadly and an edible traditional medicine. How can both be true? What is the analogy. Is it like aspirin, like asbestos, alcohol, or tobacco.
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  • @joannschloss8861
    @joannschloss8861 2 ปีที่แล้ว +342

    Several years ago my daughter ate a bunch of poke berries when she was outside playing - dad was busy gardening and didn't realize it until it was too late. She was about 3-4 years old at the time. We immediately called the poison control center. They said the berries shouldn't be eaten because the seeds in them could cause diarrhea which could lead to dehydration. They advised me to give her ipecac syrup and that she would be fine. She threw up a bunch of purple and was fine shortly after.

    • @memyself3579
      @memyself3579 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      So, it can be used as a laxative to clean you out?
      I wonder if you can use it for like you can do with China berry tree berries.

    • @Yoa-cc7bo
      @Yoa-cc7bo 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      @@memyself3579 you just have to eat them in moderation. One stalk of those a day is more than enough. Starting off you should eat 8 a day. I ate the whole stalk each day and just cleaned out my stomach and wasn’t too bad felt so much better after

    • @hoperules8874
      @hoperules8874 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      😬

    • @Almondjoi2006
      @Almondjoi2006 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Thank God!!

    • @jodysams7915
      @jodysams7915 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      That if she chewed the seeds

  • @burnerjack01
    @burnerjack01 2 ปีที่แล้ว +208

    "Millhouse, what do the berries taste like?"
    "They taste like 'burning'! Ohhh!" (rolling on the ground in agony)

    • @kharnifex
      @kharnifex 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I ated the purple berries

    • @BabiesKillYou
      @BabiesKillYou 2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      It was Ralph Wiggim that said that.

    • @burnerjack01
      @burnerjack01 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@BabiesKillYou Oh shit! You're right!
      (Now, we both know it.) Good catch.

    • @lovelife4111
      @lovelife4111 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      😂

    • @GraceGrimoire
      @GraceGrimoire 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      You unlocked a hidden memory

  • @CherokeeOutlaw
    @CherokeeOutlaw 3 ปีที่แล้ว +863

    Some FYI : The berries make a great wood stain, if you boil it with water, and apple cider vinegar. It makes a awesome wood stain

    • @mjk6618
      @mjk6618 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      Thank you! That sounds interesting & I will try it!
      I bet it looks similar to heart ❤ wood from Brazil :)
      Beautiful indeed!

    • @joemorrow7691
      @joemorrow7691 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      Old 1800 stains,, berries

    • @joannem3568
      @joannem3568 3 ปีที่แล้ว +13

      Wow, I'd try that. Funny I hate this plant / weed , I have tons of it on my property and I have pulled and cut a ton of it out in the last couple of months. I think I'll leave well enough alone and not eat it.
      Even though I moral hunt , I know what I'm doing in that area. So.....that being said

    • @CherokeeOutlaw
      @CherokeeOutlaw 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@deedeeedwinburks8614 True. it does make a awesome die.

    • @bombasticbuster9340
      @bombasticbuster9340 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      @@deedeeedwinburks8614 I never tried that. How does it fix into the cloth? Will it leach color when it is washed? I ate tons of Poke Salet.

  • @cwfan2
    @cwfan2 3 ปีที่แล้ว +199

    When I was a kid I used to go with my grandmother into the woods to look for pokeweed. We went very early in the spring and grandma always told us don't eat it after a certain time in March. She cautioned us to leave the plant alone because it was so poisonous. However, very early in March when it was just beginning to come up she would harvest it and eat poke & dandelion salad. She wouldn't let my sister, cousin, or me eat it because she was afraid it would make us sick. I've never eaten it, but, I enjoyed the walks in the woods with Grandma and my sister.

    • @mtmjayo8019
      @mtmjayo8019 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Why was your grandma eating flowers and berries

    • @cwfan2
      @cwfan2 2 ปีที่แล้ว +23

      @@mtmjayo8019 My grandparents were the last of the pioneers. They homesteaded, cleared the land and basically, they were dirt farmers. They lived off the land and ate what was available. Grandma loved Poke salad. She also ate dandelion salad.

    • @mtmjayo8019
      @mtmjayo8019 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@cwfan2 that’s actually pretty cool

    • @saltedraisins7098
      @saltedraisins7098 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      She was a witch 100%

    • @mtmjayo8019
      @mtmjayo8019 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@saltedraisins7098 lmao

  • @markvann9347
    @markvann9347 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I'm an arborist by trade... I also live in the south. Poke salad is only consumed during a certain time of year. When the leaves are young and fleshy. Then they're soaked and drained in salt and fresh water overnight before consumption... Strips away the toxins from the leaves, the small amount of toxins left are good for any parisites in your lower digestive tract... I'm not just an arborist, I'm a Cherokee Indian as well. Your video on mistletoe made me laugh when you said you would intentionally propogate it on your trees... Mistletoe is a death sentence for a tree. You may be a biologist but I just see you as someone saying exactly what you read from a book. No real world experience, same goes for the people who taught you what you know. Technically, yes you're right. But also so wrong, field experience is key to understanding any field, biology, horticulture ect. A lot of things that have been taught on paper have been wrong in reality. I'm going to keep watching your channel.

    • @ashyslashy5818
      @ashyslashy5818 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      hi dude any good websites on identifying plants it took me a few hours to learn about this huge 6 ft tree that the birds love growing in my garden..its out doing my whole garden.thank....

    • @markvann9347
      @markvann9347 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ashyslashy5818 if you have a 6 foot diameter tree your yard and you don't know what it is... Well you're obviously mentally handicapped. God bless you.

    • @markvann9347
      @markvann9347 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@ashyslashy5818 there are so many to be honest. My tip would be find a site that is based around the trees in the zone you live in. Tree's and plants very drastically from one zone to another. So if you live in the Midwest or down south or up north all the trees will be different varieties. I'm from Florida and when I moved to Georgia, I had to almost completely relearn all the new tree types. That's why Florida has it's own ISA chapter, there's so much biodiversity in that state just by itself.

    • @ashyslashy5818
      @ashyslashy5818 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@markvann9347 YA i live in southern Louisiana.but thank you.

  • @devinelgert4880
    @devinelgert4880 3 ปีที่แล้ว +45

    All plants are edible, just some you only get to eat once...

    • @jestep9
      @jestep9 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      😂😂😂😂

    • @rebeccawaid9901
      @rebeccawaid9901 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      😂😂😂😂

  • @preesi1403
    @preesi1403 3 ปีที่แล้ว +149

    That plant wasnt willow! Aspirin comes from the WILLOW TREE

    • @charlesschmidtke8427
      @charlesschmidtke8427 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      From the cambium layer beneath the bark.

    • @samsteele4650
      @samsteele4650 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Aspirin comes from the aspen tree.

    • @preesi1403
      @preesi1403 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

      @@samsteele4650 No its the Willow Tree. If you go to a healthfood store you can buy Willow Extract from Willow Trees

    • @nevaeha4048
      @nevaeha4048 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Willow trees when juvenile they look bush like so for all you know it could of been. Also he said this is willow which aspirin comes from so your just resaying what he said.

    • @preesi1403
      @preesi1403 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@nevaeha4048 NO, what he told you was willow and gave aspirin is NOT a immature willow tree. He should edit this video and apologize for missleading ppl

  • @gluemuncher1986
    @gluemuncher1986 3 ปีที่แล้ว +68

    I ate these all the time when I was little. Only small amounts.
    But I always intentionally got it all over my hands and pretended it was blood!
    I never once got sick from any of it, and I definitely have core memories of playing with this plant!

    • @deepgardening
      @deepgardening 2 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      we painted ourselves with it when we were Wild Things.

    • @karenthompson9492
      @karenthompson9492 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Painted the horses and the cat's and dog's ourselves and each other .

    • @RosieTheRiveterWWII
      @RosieTheRiveterWWII 2 ปีที่แล้ว +10

      Phytolacca(pokeweed) is medicinal and helps with weight loss, and Arthritis. I add 20 drops to a glass of water twice a day

    • @karynbanksley7110
      @karynbanksley7110 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@karenthompson9492
      LOL! How cute! I would love to see pictures of that! I can just imagine painting my face and arms and hands with the ink of those berries on a Saturday afternoon and being unable to get rid of the stains before Sunday morning church! My mother would’ve had a fit! She would’ve been just too mad!😂

    • @JoshuaBence
      @JoshuaBence 3 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Berries are fine. i know an older gentleman who swears a handful a day cures his arthritis when in season. They harvest and freeze them. He says just do not eat the seeds. If they were poisonous he would have been dead long long ago. I've tried a few but they are nasty and I don't have arthritis so I didn't notice anything.

  • @drowsystag46yearsago5
    @drowsystag46yearsago5 2 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I love how he expresses concern about getting juices on his hands and then he proceeds to just squish them all over his hands throughout the video

  • @nathangreen5097
    @nathangreen5097 2 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    Being born and raised in SC, I’ve heard my grandma talk about making poke salad back in the old days, pre and post Great Depression. Given what’s going on these days, looks like I’m gonna be digging through her old recipe books that she left to me to find some good old Southern recipes that might come in handy. Thank you Ma-Ma! I’ll always be grateful for your wisdom!!

    • @briancorbett9826
      @briancorbett9826 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Definately has carcinogenic properties. This video contains zero information that pharmacutical companies want too keep from you. How could a "weed" that is so common be controlled? . Why did native Americans use this plant for so many things ? Just a video of shameful ignorance.

    • @ezradixon239
      @ezradixon239 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Publish it please. Share the knowledge of the past .😊

    • @rockhardrockhounds9970
      @rockhardrockhounds9970 2 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      Not salad. Sallet. Big difference.

    • @cbrown9294
      @cbrown9294 2 หลายเดือนก่อน

      Polk. With an L. Not Poke.

    • @7owlfthr
      @7owlfthr หลายเดือนก่อน

      I eat it every spring. Use the young tender shoots. Wash them. Then bring them to a boil & pour off the water. Repeat.
      When you bring it to a boil the third time. It's ready to eat. Can also combine it with other greens like turnip greens to enhance their flavor.
      For the future (!), you might also check out other wild foods such as lamb's quarters (white goosefoot) which is highly nutritious & is actually cultivated as a staple in Nepal & Northern India. It self-propagates & needs no care where I live. Just grows for the taking.

  • @miked5814
    @miked5814 3 ปีที่แล้ว +324

    My grandma used to boil pokeweed and we'd eat it all the time, especially with eggs. I've eaten it since I was young.

    • @slypup1
      @slypup1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

      we did also.😊

    • @living2ndchildhood347
      @living2ndchildhood347 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

      My Dad ate it regularly during the Great Depression. He told me not to use the stems, leaves only and it must be boiled and drained 3 times before ingesting.

    • @miked5814
      @miked5814 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      @@living2ndchildhood347 yeah that's how my grandma did it.

    • @Elon_Trump
      @Elon_Trump 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      We got it in cans

    • @z.rea.4268
      @z.rea.4268 2 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Me too we eat it as a greens with eggs

  • @pharmhound68
    @pharmhound68 3 ปีที่แล้ว +119

    I've eat it all my life. Berries are good for spring tonic. Eat one the first day, two the next, three the next, then two the next then one. Berries are also used to color Port wine. It's really not that deadly. Heat breaks down tbe oxalate toxins in the leaves. Just has to be par boiled. Drain the first water then boil again. I'd rather have it than turnips or spinach.

    • @MrPetrochelly
      @MrPetrochelly 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Thanks for your experience and advices to all.

    • @Dirge4july
      @Dirge4july 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

      “Not that deadly” is not something I want to hear when ingesting something.

    • @davegordon6943
      @davegordon6943 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Didn't know they color port wine with it. That's pretty cool. We used it as war paint when we played cowboys and indians haha.

    • @reginaweiner3817
      @reginaweiner3817 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      It has a crunchy texture no matter how many times you parboil it. There is a nutty taste that makes it more interesting than spinach and way tastier than turnip or mustard. Eggs and/or bacon make it more nourishing. If you're afraid to try it the first time, have someone who can cook it teach you. Good stuff.

    • @pharmhound68
      @pharmhound68 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@reginaweiner3817 I've eat it all my life. Par boil one time. Then boil for about 20 minutes. Serve over cornbread with some hot pepper sauce.

  • @dm8553
    @dm8553 3 ปีที่แล้ว +48

    I never knew it was edible. I just remember as a kid squishing it in my hands because the color was so pretty. We never washed our hands. We were to busy playing.

  • @iluvurteeth
    @iluvurteeth 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    You crack me up!! So I eat polk as often as it's available to me, which is pretty often. Lol. Not only do I eat the leaves, I cut up the tender ends of the stalk and fry it like okra, and it's comes out looking and tasting just like okra! (Something my kids look forward to when I walk in with an arm full of weeds.) And the berries, I always make sure to pick enough berries to last through the rest of the year! I freeze them and eat one a day, just swallow it whole. It's been a lifelong food to me and so yes, I started my kids young on it too. 🤗

    • @johnstone7763
      @johnstone7763 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Do the berries have medicinal properties? Do you eat them for health reasons?

    • @iluvurteeth
      @iluvurteeth 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@johnstone7763 yes, you should look into the benefits of pork berries. You just definitely don't want to overdo it. Like I said I only eat one a day.

  • @coltonnewton9559
    @coltonnewton9559 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    I ate poke salad all the time growing up. My grandmother made it for us kids quite often because it grew everywhere in her yard. Her tip was to boil the leaves 3 times instead of 2 times

    • @watkinsjames82
      @watkinsjames82 ปีที่แล้ว

      3 times huh... lol why not 7

    • @cherierhynes8514
      @cherierhynes8514 ปีที่แล้ว

      Did grandma do it for kicks or was it out of poverty ?

    • @cherierhynes8514
      @cherierhynes8514 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      She meant well!!🙂

    • @mayamachine
      @mayamachine 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      yup I eat it, love it. got to know how to cook it. twice boiled and then cook a 3rd time, boiled or fried or baked.. but that poison is water soluble.

    • @mayamachine
      @mayamachine 7 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

      ​@@watkinsjames82that's a ignorant response..

  • @frankarnold571
    @frankarnold571 3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

    I have eaten poke leaves and stalks most of my 65 years . You always harvest the young tender leaves at the top of the stalk , usually not more than three per stalk . This is done in the spring of the year when the poke is usually not more than knee high and the stalk is green and tender . The berries can be used as a muscle relaxer when ripe later in the summer , but only 1 to 3 per day for adults .

  • @brigettebridges9293
    @brigettebridges9293 3 ปีที่แล้ว +142

    Wow, I grew up eating Polk salad greens and my mom would chop up the stalk and fry it up with a mess of okra to make it go farther. We couldn't tell the difference.

    • @craigduffey7825
      @craigduffey7825 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

      I am glad you know the real name Polk not poke

    • @abelincolnparth
      @abelincolnparth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It can cause birth defects by even just touching it.

    • @1980Baldeagle
      @1980Baldeagle 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Poke Sallet, not salad.

    • @fredeaston3988
      @fredeaston3988 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      If you folks had laid off the poke weed and fat back etc The Confederacy might have won. I don't know.

    • @1980Baldeagle
      @1980Baldeagle 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

      @@fredeaston3988 The south did win. Look at us now. Best economies in the country. Comes from the work ethic and God fearing folks that love America. Yeah, lot of us aren't to bright and don't know how to eat right but the majority of us are fighting for whats right.

  • @rosejones8400
    @rosejones8400 3 ปีที่แล้ว +214

    I’ve eaten this many times. We picked the leaves before the berries came on. Boiled once then fried with bacon and scrambled eggs. I’m still alive.

    • @abelincolnparth
      @abelincolnparth 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      It can cause birth defects.

    • @ralphday4842
      @ralphday4842 3 ปีที่แล้ว +26

      Birth defects ? So ? I eat poke sallet every spring. Have for my entire life. At 71 years here my procreation days are long over.

    • @billspooks
      @billspooks 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

      I think this is very important. Pick the leaves from young plants BEFORE THE BERRIES COME ON. cook by boiling twice with fresh water each boil then fry as you like in bacon fat or maybe in butter. But YOUNG PLANTS BEFORE BERRIES APPEAR.

    • @sylviaruth5008
      @sylviaruth5008 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

      @@abelincolnparth Really. My mother gave birth to twelve kids, and her cousin gave birth to twenty two. I’m #10, and none of us had birth defects. They’re both deceased now and raised us up on poke sallet. I have to wonder if they ate it while pregnant. They probably did.

    • @tinathrower284
      @tinathrower284 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Ok, now I'm hungry! Your recipe sounds delicious.

  • @vickileawoodall3797
    @vickileawoodall3797 3 ปีที่แล้ว +14

    My great grandmother ate one of these a day for arthritis. She would collect and dry them for year round use. The old folks ate the new leaves when the plants first came up in the spring. It never hurt them, but you have to use everything in the correct way. A coworker told me her grandmother made wine with the berries and would take a teaspoon for arthritis. Many things can either cure you, or kill you. It is up to the individual to do the right thing with any medicine.

    • @dpowell851
      @dpowell851 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Fix it every spring

    • @mbeth999
      @mbeth999 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Yes, the old Chinese lady down the street would plant a whole front yard with them every year, and she would eat 1 or 2 berries a day, for arthritis. Just don’t chew, only swallow whole, so you don’t bite the seeds which are poison and cause diarrhea.

  • @GoTorino
    @GoTorino 2 ปีที่แล้ว +13

    My mother had me pick the sprouts (less than 8" tall) and she'd cook the leaves just like spinach, with salt and butter. I found out that the older plants don't taste as good, but the young leaves are very spinach-like.

  • @ruthbeck2050
    @ruthbeck2050 3 ปีที่แล้ว +60

    This berry makes a wonderful dye for material and yarn. I did it and it makes a mauve color. Thank you very much we called it turkey berries. Used it foe ant bites.

  • @anoldmannameddave7455
    @anoldmannameddave7455 3 ปีที่แล้ว +102

    You pick it early in the Spring , and the tender younger leaves. Even the upper stems of younger plants, they taste very much like asparagus. Don’t pick old, giant leaves, or any when you start seeing purple on the stems. You don’t even need to parboil young tender leaves. They ARE very acidic, and will make your teeth feel like they’ve been sandpapered. Very good, and very nutritious. 👍😊

    • @ThatYarneyZebraStuff
      @ThatYarneyZebraStuff 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Dave this is one way I make poke. th-cam.com/video/I0dPg0yKhg8/w-d-xo.html

    • @snowmiaow
      @snowmiaow 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      This l don't get because the stems come up and are colored immediately.

    • @anoldmannameddave7455
      @anoldmannameddave7455 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@snowmiaow Red is one thing, but when it turns purple, you probably want to parboil it.

    • @snowmiaow
      @snowmiaow 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@anoldmannameddave7455 Ours just seem to turn red, in northern Ohio

  • @thurstonhowelliii335
    @thurstonhowelliii335 3 ปีที่แล้ว +69

    Mockingbirds love the berries. You’ll be blessed with purple bird poop on your porch, car, etc.

    • @cat_daddy
      @cat_daddy 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      They also get crazy, I think their drunk

    • @nancyfahey7518
      @nancyfahey7518 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Where are the mockinhbirds? I haven't seen one this year.

    • @colsoncustoms8994
      @colsoncustoms8994 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Elderberries and blackberries too, purple poo for days

    • @cherriemckinstry131
      @cherriemckinstry131 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@nancyfahey7518 song birds are missing in Pa. Used to hear them early morning and evening. I heard one late afternoon fir a few minutes.. now mostly when you sit outside its quiet. Honey bees still around some but hide from the UV. Our earths magnetic shield is at an all time low right now and it's easier to get sun burnt. Even plants are showing stress or early browning if leaves.

    • @cherriemckinstry131
      @cherriemckinstry131 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@colsoncustoms8994 i got bombed by a bird in our tree as I was watering the garden. Hit my hat and rolled onto my shirt..rinsed it immediately.

  • @lewis2553
    @lewis2553 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I've eaten quite a bit of polk salad. My mother used to boil it, drain the water off and boil it again. Then I think she drained it, mixed it with eggs, and cooked it in a skillet. You can also peel the stalks, cut them up like okra, bread the pieces, and fry it. It's just like okra but a lot of work. I've done that, too.

  • @jamesshepherd5246
    @jamesshepherd5246 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    The reason why Southerners eat Poke is from after the war of northern aggression. The common peoples was starved and penniless for a long time after the war. The Great Depression just added to the hardships of common Southerners. That’s why our Grandparents have passed it down to our Sorry generation. I liked the video Sir.

  • @allentuggle2837
    @allentuggle2837 3 ปีที่แล้ว +88

    When I was a kid we had a really good dog that got distemper. The vet told my dad to bring her in and he'd put her to sleep. Well luckily dad couldn't get her to get in the truck, so dad called an uncle of his that knew dogs. His uncle said, NO. Just go down by the barn and dig up a mature POKE plant. Cut the root off it, take root in and wash it and slice and fry it like potatoes and feed it to her. It stunk to he'll but ginger ate it right down and in a few days you couldn't tell she had been sick and she was with us anther 12 or 14 years.

    • @fucku3460
      @fucku3460 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Wow nice info thank you

    • @jasongCLJ
      @jasongCLJ 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Woa .. that is wonderfull.
      Youre serious?
      Thanks (:

    • @joannem3568
      @joannem3568 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

      I love when old time stuff like this works
      This kind of information should be in books , saved from the next generations
      Farmers were some of the smartest people, we really need to get back to some basics

    • @RavenSaint1
      @RavenSaint1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      Distemper and lock jaw, both an animal can survive if they can get nutrition and keep hydrated. Sometimes might get a odd quirk, like a wobbly head. Vets are sometimes too quick to give up on people's pets.

    • @RavenSaint1
      @RavenSaint1 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @Josephus S Just be careful. Rabies has been misdiagnosed as distemper.

  • @elfcounsul
    @elfcounsul 3 ปีที่แล้ว +104

    A young girl walked past granny’s house and granny responding to her red lipstick said, “her lips look like a bird’s ass in poke berry time.”

    • @hhlagen
      @hhlagen 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

      God bless grannies!!

    • @steamboatwillie8517
      @steamboatwillie8517 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      Well.., you silvery tongued devil..!

    • @esther3479
      @esther3479 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      😂😂😂😂

    • @robertinman2264
      @robertinman2264 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Now that's funny

    • @joemammyt6046
      @joemammyt6046 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      That was the funniest thing iv read today

  • @heatherdeladurantaye3121
    @heatherdeladurantaye3121 3 ปีที่แล้ว +37

    I have an abundance of this plant in my yard and I'm very excited about this video. I was thinking about using it as a dye for my wool I don't know if it'll work but I'm interested to try it out. 😁

  • @rustyforceps1012
    @rustyforceps1012 3 ปีที่แล้ว +23

    Used to call these “stain berries”. We’d pelt each other with them and stain each other’s shirts. Kinda like paintball with berry ammo.
    Mom hated them.

    • @patriciaque197
      @patriciaque197 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

    • @JavierFernandez01
      @JavierFernandez01 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Sounds fun.

    • @at-pe8wl
      @at-pe8wl 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I used to call these stain berries too, though we would mash them up, and mix them with some other plants to make fake blood

  • @chrism2714
    @chrism2714 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Funny! I eat it fairly often. It grows in my yard. A neighbor lady taught me how to prepare it. Also, I was never told the rule about not eating it after a certain time of year so I have always eaten it all summer long. It doesn't taste great boiled alone. The recipe involves parboiling; then draining and boiling again. You boil it for quite a while (needs to be the consistency of turnip greens), then you drain well. Then you scramble a couple using bacon grease in your skillet and put the drained poke weed in. Salt, pepper and that's it. All good!

  • @theresahermannychaparralhs2823
    @theresahermannychaparralhs2823 3 ปีที่แล้ว +189

    I just rewatched “Into the Wild” and would love if you could continue this series about edible and non edible plants!! (And maybe a whole episode on mushrooms?!)pls

    • @UntamedScience
      @UntamedScience  3 ปีที่แล้ว +30

      Perfect idea Theresa! I'll definitely be doing more of this.

    • @jturtle5318
      @jturtle5318 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

      Is that about the young man who starved to death in Alaska because he didn't know about the footbridge?

    • @terrapinflyer273
      @terrapinflyer273 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      @@jturtle5318 I believe so. If I remember right, he didn't realize that the rising temps caused an influx of raging waters around his makeshift campsite (a delapidated VW Minibus) until it was too late. Starving and scavenging for food, he came across mushrooms which he misidentified as being edible. Which ultimately led to his untimely demise. :(

    • @jturtle5318
      @jturtle5318 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@terrapinflyer273 in the book, his death was attributed to eating "potato seeds", which prevent the uptake of glucose from the digestive tract.
      If he had followed the stream less than a mile from the ford, he would have found the bridge, gone back out and lived.

    • @whisperingoutdoors
      @whisperingoutdoors 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      Whoa, that movie was good and very sad! When your so poisoned a grizzly won't eat ya ..... Wow

  • @markhiett4130
    @markhiett4130 3 ปีที่แล้ว +24

    One of my favorite foods.i will tell you how to cook.
    First,you want to wash it in the sink,fill a sink halfway full.youll need a good "mess" cause the leaves will shrivel as you will boil it 3 times,boil it at least 20 minutes each time.wash it twice in sink.mama was taught boil it twice, I go ahead and boil it 3 times.after you boiled.it good,lay each leaf or small wad on towel or paper towel.
    Now this part what makes the taste.scramble eggs in bacon grease.i do about the same amount eggs as I have the poke leaves.
    When eggs look halfway cooked add the leaves.salting what makes it.salt to taste,little black pepper.serve with.gpod cornbread and a big ol green.onion,I like blackeyes also.i was raised on eating it about 3 times a year,I will eat it every year as long as I possibly can.right.now is perfect for gathering,a couple weeks it will be too big and taste too strong.happy poke salat eating

    • @janalejanmayer2609
      @janalejanmayer2609 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Interesting. I got into it years ago while working in my yard in Florida and my entire arm turned black and numb! Now it is growing wild over my garden fence from my neighbors yard dropping berries on my tomatoes. I think some midnight gloved trimming is in order! Have all you want it almost killed me!

  • @steve-rr3nq
    @steve-rr3nq 3 ปีที่แล้ว +97

    I was taught to not use the leaves from plants that the stem started turning red. boil the leaves, drain rinse, then boil again. that's what my grandma did.

    • @nevaeha4048
      @nevaeha4048 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      That’s cool the red must be a sign that the poise s stronger.

    • @tomrobards7753
      @tomrobards7753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@nevaeha4048 you want to eat this poke plant when it's less than a foot tall after it's prepared correctly

    • @nevaeha4048
      @nevaeha4048 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@tomrobards7753 so then I’m assuming the redder the color the older and taller the plant. Most poisonous plants are best when eaten small/young.

    • @AntiDoctor-cx2jd
      @AntiDoctor-cx2jd 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I believe this is true. It's not a 100% rule. Dandelions are ok. Most red stemmed green leafed plants have a lot of oxalate too, which is poisonous.

    • @chrisrosenthal1210
      @chrisrosenthal1210 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      I can remember picking a ton of it for my Grandmother. I'd hate to steer anyone wrong, but it seems like I remember her telling me to only pick leaves from plants with no red showing on the stem / no berries also. I do remember her boiling it and draining it possibly twice.

  • @Rita-yw2tn
    @Rita-yw2tn 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I’m born and raised in the south in Kentucky and we have eaten Polk for most all of my life my mom would cook the smaller leafs just like you were cooking collard greens and then she would take the small and tender stalks and soak them in salt water and then rinse them and rolled them in cornmeal and fry them and they were awesome . But we were always taught to not eat certain parts of them in which I can’t remember which part but anyway we were told that it was poisonous . We played with the berries from it for ink and other stuff we had a blast making mud pies and just things like that . Thank you for sharing this it takes me back to my childhood .

  • @Counselor77
    @Counselor77 3 ปีที่แล้ว +17

    When I was little, my mother used to tell me those were Dog-Pills and I asked her why they were called Dog-Pills and she said if you eat them you'll get sick as a dog.

  • @altheadeconing3566
    @altheadeconing3566 3 ปีที่แล้ว +16

    I use a homeopathic preparation of phytolacca or poke weed for sore throat and swolken glands.

  • @yoyomi
    @yoyomi 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Growing up mostly in Texas, whenever we'd visit my grandparents, we'd have poke salat. I even got to go with my grandfather, bag in hand and picked it. I just remember that it tasted good and they had to boil it and pour off the liquid a few times (if memory is correct) and it was cooked like any other types of greens. After growing up, I never had the chance to eat it again. It grew around what my GF called the "tanks" or ponds. Nice memories.

    • @rhondagarden8878
      @rhondagarden8878 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I'm from Alabama, and your article could've been written by me, down to "poke salat!" I love it! Never eat it from the first boiling like you said. Right on!

  • @KrisalynnMorgan
    @KrisalynnMorgan 3 ปีที่แล้ว +38

    My cousins dared me to eat them, and I ate a couple handfuls of the berry. I just threw it up later. I was around 7 or 8.

    • @marktwaine9344
      @marktwaine9344 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      they used you as an experiment....be the experimenter, not the experiment....lol...

    • @vancegodin4149
      @vancegodin4149 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      But did you die? Ha ha.

    • @williambell3893
      @williambell3893 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      🤣 sounds like my family. "here cuz eat this"

    • @vancegodin4149
      @vancegodin4149 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@williambell3893 yep...someone told me rabbit droppings were 'super pills!'

    • @williambell3893
      @williambell3893 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@vancegodin4149 🤣 looks like we're all family in these comments!! my cousin convinced me once that if I touched the electric fence with aluminum baseball bat it would make me 10x stronger

  • @davidbarts6144
    @davidbarts6144 2 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I ate *small* amounts (one or two) of the berries when I lived in its range, as much to shock those who believed them to be super-deadly, eat-one-and-you-die affairs as anything. They didn’t taste great, they didn’t taste awful. Never got even the least bit ill.

  • @Luddhabuddha
    @Luddhabuddha 3 ปีที่แล้ว +31

    Fried poke in the spring is one of my favorite things to eat. We've always used the young plants when they first pop up.
    My uncle freezes the berries and takes one a day like a pill. I've been told you can take the stalk of older plants slice it up, batter and fry like fish. Haven't tried this but was told it's similar to fried morels.

    • @aquavirgio
      @aquavirgio 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      What's the point of taking the berries like a pill?

    • @lisaann2032
      @lisaann2032 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      yes my MAMA still waits on poke in the spring, boils it and frys, MAMA is 81 yrs

    • @connieparr5050
      @connieparr5050 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@aquavirgio arthritis remedy

  • @yvwic50
    @yvwic50 3 ปีที่แล้ว +57

    I've used the berries as a dye; the most successful try was mixed with staghorn sumac powder and sealed with deer hide glue. This was on a cattle jawbone club that I put on consignment in a Native craft shop. It took a couple of years to sell, but the design was still as bright as ever.

    • @hyperchefmommy3090
      @hyperchefmommy3090 ปีที่แล้ว

      What's staghorn sumac powder? Made from powdered bone?

    • @kieran9363
      @kieran9363 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@hyperchefmommy3090staghorn sumac is a plant. Powder is made from its berries.

  • @katlynns7066
    @katlynns7066 3 ปีที่แล้ว +39

    When I was a kid we would use these to dye sand to make mudd pies.

    • @grantd1011
      @grantd1011 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      We would throw them at each other and used them we played war to simulate blood. Fun times! That stuff would stain worse than red mud. 😂

    • @johns3544
      @johns3544 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@grantd1011 Ya this stuff made a mess hahahaha

    • @gregorywellssr7857
      @gregorywellssr7857 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Oh,what a cool idea.

    • @pamwhitis723
      @pamwhitis723 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      We used to mash them and find a feather to write.

  • @davegordon6943
    @davegordon6943 3 ปีที่แล้ว +102

    We used to put the juice all over us when we wanted to be "indians" or you act like we were bleeding. Mom would get pissed. Maybe that's what's wrong with me now haha

  • @Lornicopia
    @Lornicopia 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    I literally let them grow to maturity in my yard. The birds love it!

  • @joshuamidgette4846
    @joshuamidgette4846 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I have elderberries growing along the fence out back. The fruit looks like a miniature bunch of purple grapes. Yet for some reason lots of people think it is pokeweed from the photos I take. The only similarity I see is that both are purple berries.

  • @mrdfoutz
    @mrdfoutz 3 ปีที่แล้ว +71

    Long ago, when landscaping was a part of my job, I was trimming brush on a bank and came across some Pokeweed. The branch I trimmed was rather thick (and juicy). Once I hacked through it it fell on my wrist. At first, there was just a 3-4" stain. But as days passed, it became inflamed, then an actual wound, and eventually scabbed. I followed treatment orders, but it took some time to heal, and left a scar for a year or more. I'll pass on eating it!

  • @GildedWarrior331
    @GildedWarrior331 3 ปีที่แล้ว +49

    I will never unsub from you ..this information is so crucial

    • @UntamedScience
      @UntamedScience  3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      :) Awesome.

    • @brendan60
      @brendan60 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

      I agree some day we might need to use these skills... especially the cordage/rope one.

    • @cherriemckinstry131
      @cherriemckinstry131 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@brendan60 yes Worling with fiber is neat

    • @MrPetrochelly
      @MrPetrochelly 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      👍👍👍

  • @daryledwards2236
    @daryledwards2236 3 ปีที่แล้ว +107

    I still pick the stalk when it's about 10 inches tall and chop it like orka roll it in flour and corn meal and fry it golden brown, it's really good

    • @Will-dn9dq
      @Will-dn9dq 3 ปีที่แล้ว +15

      My dad would starved had his grandmother not cooked it for him an his siblings. Mom even cooked it for him when I was young cpl.times. I passed

    • @denverallen3977
      @denverallen3977 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      me too! delicious!

    • @mrwilliams6626
      @mrwilliams6626 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      @@denverallen3977 It is good are it all my life my mom used to go and pick greens out of the yard and different stuff and they were great

    • @go.gators
      @go.gators 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I'm in love with you thank you for that

    • @martinemoore4980
      @martinemoore4980 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Where / what state(s) does this grow? I've never seen / heard of it before... I live in the PAC NW ...

  • @derekthomas8529
    @derekthomas8529 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    👻❔🧲👀 ... Edgar Allen Poe K'we'd was ... Used to ( wit ) ... Sign thee ...
    Declaration of ... IN Deep End , Dense ?
    See ... IT sounds like ONE ... Thing ,
    However , Now ... The MEANING is Clear ...
    No ❔
    👻WE'D ... love to Tell U th'uh TRUTH !

  • @oddball582
    @oddball582 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

    I always assumed that the Declaration of Independence was written in gall ink. Nonetheless, I do know that pokeberries can be used to dye wool with a proper mordant. My husband and I gathered a bunch to give to his grandmother as her friends have wool bearing animals such as sheep and angora rabbits and they would all periodically get together to process, dye, weave and knit wool. His grandmother liked to gather rock tripe to make a lavender dye that she would then weave with her loom. Either way, we had fun gathering the berries as they turned our skin magenta. We even tossed them at each other. Now that you mentioned that you cans get skin contact poison, I feel like we should have been more worried about that.

  • @-ausleuth5471
    @-ausleuth5471 3 ปีที่แล้ว +20

    Had young pokeweed greens when I was growing up. They taste great and are nutritional when young.🐶⛏️🇺🇸

  • @williamweirjr9749
    @williamweirjr9749 3 ปีที่แล้ว +19

    When I was a kid,(1960s) , my mother made pokesalad to eat many times. It was like collard greens. You have to pour the water out from first boil.

    • @robynweeks6004
      @robynweeks6004 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Yep I agree it's the leaves.. you want them early and young.. and you absolutely boil it at least twice.. she also cooked dandelion greens. Again early spring leaves...

  • @michaeldaltonsr8954
    @michaeldaltonsr8954 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    A similar situation is with Rhubarb. Stalks make delicious pies. Leaves are poisonous. Granny made great pies!!

  • @7owlfthr
    @7owlfthr 3 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Up to 8 berries per day for arthritis.
    For the lesves (best in early spring): wash, bring to boil in different water twice before final boiling & eating. Ummmm, good!
    Edit: you can freeze the berries and use later.
    People in the South have eaten these for many generations without issue.

  • @MysteriousOutdoors
    @MysteriousOutdoors ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My WHOLE family ate this plant my who life. We only ate the new shoots when it first comes up. We would fry it alone or with eggs and even steamed it like other veggies. Don't mess with it after mature and NEVER play with the berries.

  • @tarachambers7704
    @tarachambers7704 3 ปีที่แล้ว +72

    Yes, I hear the leaves when harvested as young leaves are highly nutritious and anti-cancer. I grow lots of poke on my property so I am excited to make lots of stir fries with it next spring!

    • @deedeeedwinburks8614
      @deedeeedwinburks8614 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I love making salads with poke leaves. They're delicious when young & tender like in the spring. But, later when it grows tall.... it gets tough. What I do ... wash it , have a bowl of water with ice in it ready, then boil it for10 or 20 seconds with a teaspoon of arm and hammer baking soda... drain it... then quickly put the poke leaves in the bowl of ice water and chill for a few minutes.... drain again. Chop it up & add a few strips of diced bacon. Cook till bacon is crispy then add 4 to 6 slices of mozzarella cheese... let it melt and enjoy!! 😁👌
      You can make a pie with the leaves also. Try this.... wash the leaves..... boil for 30 seconds just enough to make them soft... lay them flat... dice onions and mix with sausage or diced chicken add some caraway seeds, oregano, and some Cajun spice,... put the ingredients on the tender leaves... roll it all up.... dip in dough... and using bacon grease.... deep fry till golden brown, and enjoy! I hope you like these suggestions, it's just a couple of things I make, there's a lot more recipes I use. Edwin Burks. Thank you for your time.

    • @tarachambers7704
      @tarachambers7704 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@deedeeedwinburks8614 I love animals and therefore don't eat them, but I am glad that you are eating Poke!

    • @deedeeedwinburks8614
      @deedeeedwinburks8614 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      @@tarachambers7704 I don't or kill animals😁. I'm just giving you a suggestion 😊. I don't eat meat... I eat lots of berries, nuts, and vegetables, fruits. God wants us to take care of the animals not mistreat them. Fruits, nuts, and berries are more healthier than meats. Thank you kindly for your reply. Hope you have a great night sleep!!😁

    • @heathgreen9275
      @heathgreen9275 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      That's why this man is telling you its poison. It has many benefits.

    • @deedeeedwinburks8614
      @deedeeedwinburks8614 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Well, every body's different. I mean.... I have a foster brother who can eat poison ivy & it doesn't bother him, if I just get near it I break out in blisters! But Jewell weed will kill that. What I'm saying is.... What hurts one... might not bother another. 😀. In the spring, I eat pine tree shoots and roots for vitamin C, but some people are allergic to them especially if you take certain medicines. We're all different.
      My foster brother died last week from the covid 19 virus. 😐

  • @happygrandma4ruthP
    @happygrandma4ruthP 3 ปีที่แล้ว +32

    My mom (RIP) was from Mississippi and she ALWAYS cooked Polk Salad. The berries are not poison. My mom made Polk Salad wine out of the rip berries. She said you aren't supposed to eat Polk Salad greens when the stalk turns red.

    • @thunderboi5521
      @thunderboi5521 2 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      The berries have seeds in them which are poisonous

    • @thomasgilbreath1250
      @thomasgilbreath1250 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      @@thunderboi5521 people have been eating the berries for arthritis for ages.

    • @UNABRIDGED_SCIENCE
      @UNABRIDGED_SCIENCE ปีที่แล้ว +1

      @@thomasgilbreath1250 YES BECAUSE THEY ARE POISONOUS
      THATS WHY IT WORKS AS A MEDICINE. IF IT WASNT POISONOUS IT WOULDNT WORK.

    • @UNABRIDGED_SCIENCE
      @UNABRIDGED_SCIENCE ปีที่แล้ว +1

      THE BERRIES ARE 100% POISONOUS
      ITS NOT A QUESTION UP FOR DEBATE. THEY ARE POISON.

    • @thomasgilbreath1250
      @thomasgilbreath1250 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@UNABRIDGED_SCIENCE caps lock caps lock caps lock caps lock caps lock. Have a great Thanksgiving! 😂

  • @brendapettus9208
    @brendapettus9208 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    We let the local birds do a lot of our sowing. About 10 years ago, we got our first pokeweed. It was beautiful. It looked like it would make a good food plant. So, I did some research and found lots about it's toxicity. What I found consistently was that only early leaves were safe. Never sure of what constituted an "early leaf" that would be large enough to eat, I've never tried eating any of it. But we now have several that have been seeded throughout our property and they are gorgeous.

    • @UntamedScience
      @UntamedScience  3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      The researcher said young sprouts are different than new leaves on adult plants (which are way more toxic).

    • @joshconeby
      @joshconeby 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      An "early leaf" comes from young plants whose berries either haven't developed at all, or haven't turned green yet (they will be tiny and white). There can be a small amount of purple on the stalk but shouldn't be very much. If the stalk is purple, or the berries are green/purple, then no leaf on the plant is edible and you should look for a younger plant.

    • @krystaldaniels7940
      @krystaldaniels7940 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Be careful if you don't want them to take over your whole property! They're much harder to get rid of once the stalks turn woody. They will spread like crazy and quickly take over a pasture! I fight em every year in my horse pastures lol

    • @JohnDoe-dh3pd
      @JohnDoe-dh3pd 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Eat it during the first of fall or spring boil it twice

    • @adrock4737
      @adrock4737 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@krystaldaniels7940 Yes, thank you for saying it. Definitely can be a nuisance plant.

  • @divenursok
    @divenursok 4 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    I picked and froze a bunch of poke berries at the end of last summer. I’ve been taking them for a while with no adverse effects. I need to experiment more with dosage first my arthritis. You must swallow only! No chewing. Peace

  • @volknoss
    @volknoss 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I ATE HALF A STRING OF BERRIES
    Because they pop up as elderberries on Google searches!
    They taste HORRIBLE not just bitter but some form of disgusting sharp flavor I've never had before. I didn't feel sick though...

  • @jamesrunions4553
    @jamesrunions4553 3 ปีที่แล้ว +65

    I've eat poke salad all my life. Here in Kentucky. You can't find it in the spring for people eating it.

    • @thenathanimal2909
      @thenathanimal2909 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Is it super effective?

    • @willythewave
      @willythewave 3 ปีที่แล้ว +3

      @@thenathanimal2909 It`s super effective at keeping you from starving to death and giving your shit some color.

    • @tomrobards7753
      @tomrobards7753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Me too and I'm over 70

    • @tomrobards7753
      @tomrobards7753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      And I actually get the craving it bad in the spring

    • @tomrobards7753
      @tomrobards7753 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I'm just curious how did you prepare your poke

  • @easydecoygaming5945
    @easydecoygaming5945 3 ปีที่แล้ว +12

    We mashed it up to make the ink for Dungeons and Dragons maps. It worked surprisingly well.

  • @GogiRegion
    @GogiRegion 5 หลายเดือนก่อน +1

    Oh, you’re not supposed to get it on your hands? I used to crush these to make my hands purple as a kid because I thought the color was pretty. Although I mostly just threw the berries at the fence like they were paintballs.

  • @jimbox114
    @jimbox114 2 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    My grandfather taught me about this plant. He loved finding these growing in his garden. He would pick the plant when it was about 2 or 3 foot tall and boil it. He said you had to boil it to kill the poison in it. He said he learned this from his Grandmother which was of Native American blood. We never let them get old enough for berries though.

  • @karenparham6268
    @karenparham6268 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    Poke salad is high in vitamins. Have eaten it my whole life. And the berries make great jelly.

  • @debbiehines6803
    @debbiehines6803 3 ปีที่แล้ว +36

    When I was a kid we'd cover ourselves in poke berry juice never had any problems. My mom always said they were poison so we never ate them. Our neighbor said he cured his arthritis with home made poke berry wine.

    • @michaelpowers7744
      @michaelpowers7744 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Me and my brother did that too when we were young ha

    • @Rita-yw2tn
      @Rita-yw2tn 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Same here we used to act like this was our makeup and we’d put it all over our face and we did all kinds of things with it our clothes would be stained with that stuff .

    • @markbates3180
      @markbates3180 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      Mother cooked it scrambled eggs.
      No preboil, she only used leafs
      From plants about two feet tall or less, and usually just one time in early spring.
      This was in Oklahoma.
      Thanks for the info.
      Will never try it again!

    • @fredeaston3988
      @fredeaston3988 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      yes he died

    • @debbiehines6803
      @debbiehines6803 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@fredeaston3988 yeah, so one would think.

  • @paulhenry8586
    @paulhenry8586 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I've grown up eating poke sometimes 3-4 times a week. Poke salad cooked poke greens still do till this day. In my opinion it's the best starting cooked green by far. My grandfather used to make me go and pick garbage bags full

  • @mikedalton2845
    @mikedalton2845 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    At 73 I grew up eating poke. My grandfather made poke berry wine and drank a cup of it every single night. He died at age 87 with a full head of hair, and was in excellent condition until his final four months of his life. Hummmmm, could you be spreading misinformation just to scare the youtube crowd.

  • @nyanazulu8756
    @nyanazulu8756 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    We have a lot of pokeweed in Greece! it is used in homeopathy also and if I am not wrong as Phytolacca... used as cataplasm for the painful breast and nipples, for arthritis, skin disorders...

  • @Adi-vq2ek
    @Adi-vq2ek 3 ปีที่แล้ว +10

    Read this book called "Charaka Samhita", it'll give you sooo many plants and their medicinal values

  • @gailfox6791
    @gailfox6791 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I've always heard it was poisonous but I have eaten it my whole entire life. We always ate the young leaves. It's great to put eggs into it. It is so delicious.

  • @dorkiedoodles2297
    @dorkiedoodles2297 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    I live in Georgia and I've always wondered what this plant was called. I remember crushing the berries and dying my fingers all the time when I was a kid. My family told me that it was poisonous to eat so I had no idea that people ate the berries and leaves.

  • @helpfulsysops3593
    @helpfulsysops3593 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Watch the birds - they NEVER eat it, so if the wild critters that are always hungry Avoid a plant - good chance you should too ! :-O
    But it is amazing to think the cure for cancer is growing right in the back yard...

  • @jackieeastom8758
    @jackieeastom8758 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Been eating it since I was a child! Still love it @ 62 years old

  • @papermacheat
    @papermacheat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +27

    I prepare and eat polk salid and grew up eating it. Must pick leaves when young before the stems turn red
    Soak in salt water then boil twice, each time changing the water to remove any toxins

  • @catharticdream
    @catharticdream 3 ปีที่แล้ว +25

    Why would they do that to the poor cats... :(

    • @williamemerson1799
      @williamemerson1799 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

      There's a certain catagory of folks out there commonly referred to as inbreeders....you know, aunt mom and uncle dad. Hopefully there's a special place in hell for those schittbags.

    • @robertthegrowguy7115
      @robertthegrowguy7115 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

      Unfortunately everything is tested on animal's lipstick and so much more is actually tested on animals and cats dogs monkey seems to have a similar immunity, nuero response to certain types of chemicals found in plants and so much more

    • @seasea12
      @seasea12 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      I know, right? The poor cats. :(

    • @fancyincubus
      @fancyincubus ปีที่แล้ว

      "hail science "-prof Farnsworth "

  • @Leonardo1963ify
    @Leonardo1963ify 3 ปีที่แล้ว +34

    My dad cooked them in scrambled eggs…. “Poke and eggs”.

  • @theducklinghomesteadandgar6639
    @theducklinghomesteadandgar6639 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I was taught if you plant this in & around your garden every so far from each other I think it was about 4' - 6' the roots help keep gophers and moles out your garden, away from the plants you do want to eat!!

  • @TiminNicaragua
    @TiminNicaragua 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I pulled up a young plant in the early spring. It had a root the shape of a carrot, but white. I thought it was a parsnip. I rinsed it off, and took a few bites. I thought it taste OK. About 1 hour later I got dizzy and started to vomit. Last time I ate that. I just read that the root is a remedy for poisin ivy. I will try it the next time I get that.

  • @pauljones9746
    @pauljones9746 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    You have to harvest the weed when its really young. If you can quickly snap the stalk off at the ground like a carrot, its safe to eat.. after boiling a few times of course.

  • @e.jenima7263
    @e.jenima7263 3 ปีที่แล้ว +11

    LOL that kids Reaction to Elivis is priceless!

  • @jnsmill
    @jnsmill 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    By older brother used to pick poke berries, freeze them and swallow one or two each morning, he said it helped his prostrate problems, I never tried it myself, because I was skeptical about it.

    • @philipdru9290
      @philipdru9290 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      What the hell is a prostrate problem?

    • @jnsmill
      @jnsmill 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@philipdru9290 … OK, I’ll admit that I accidentally added a “r” …. it should have been prostate. Do you feel better now. .

  • @Theres_No_PlanetB
    @Theres_No_PlanetB 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    So I was just hiking and taking photos of plants for an assignment. Why is this in my recommended? Google stocking my iPhone photos somehow?

  • @McElb
    @McElb 3 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    I was raised in the Smokey Mountians. Poke salad was a staple in our diet. The young leaves "before the berries start" is edible. Power boil and pour off the water then boil one more time, strain then mix with eggs and fry. Without the eggs fry it is so slimy it is just terrable. Fried with eggs it is delicious. Soon as it starts developing berries it is no longer edible. This is what went wrong with the scouts. Early spring is the only time this is to be harvested. This scout master's only mistake would have been harvesting after the berries form, at that point none of the plant is edible. My family would harvest in early spring, boil it and can it for use the rest of the year. Real easy to open a jar, mix with egg and fry. I don't believe I know enough about the medical use of the plant and berries to comment. I would strongly discourage believing any folk tale of using this plant for medicine. From a mountain family that adopted many medicinal plants from the Cherokee, I really believe that any real benefit it would have I would have known something about it. I have seen everything from yellow root to wild lettuce used in medicine. If the Cherokee did not use it I would not believe it would be useful. It is hard for me to believe that mountain people were I am from would not use it if the Cherokee used it.

    • @earthcat
      @earthcat 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Howdy fellow Volunteer! Knoxville here 🙋

  • @jasonguiliano2638
    @jasonguiliano2638 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    I'd be extremely careful with this. If it touches my skin I bust out in a full body rash that is excruciatingly itchy and have to get steroids to stop it

    • @kalikale3969
      @kalikale3969 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      Yep. you are allergic to it then.

  • @clawhammer704
    @clawhammer704 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    This stuff grows along our pasture fence. I try to keep it cut back. It’s a mess to keep under control.

    • @five12man
      @five12man 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      I'm in the city and it pops up in the yard around the fences. Hate this shit, chop it with the shovel and toss it.

  • @linnymaemullins3319
    @linnymaemullins3319 3 ปีที่แล้ว +7

    😂😂I used to war paint myself up with them also back in the late 60s early 70s playing.i survived🤞🤷

  • @leerobertson3015
    @leerobertson3015 2 ปีที่แล้ว +2

    Try making that book in Australia

  • @abysscallstoabyss55
    @abysscallstoabyss55 2 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    We harvest this in spring when the new shoots “poke” out of the ground. We also make ink from the berries. I’ve covered myself from head to foot in the berry juice….
    We keep them around the house.

    • @1fast72nova
      @1fast72nova 2 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      I was thinking the same thing, as kids we painted ourselves head to toe as well lol 🤷‍♂️

    • @firewulfz
      @firewulfz 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      When I was a kid we use to use it as “war paint” never had any bad reactions (thankfully) I do remember after using you would become a mosquito magnet. (That could be a case of correlation rather than causation though)

  • @michaellyczak9337
    @michaellyczak9337 3 ปีที่แล้ว +9

    I've eaten poke shoots in early spring - think boiled asparagus for texture, spinach for taste. I've used the berries to make ink, also a purple die I used to stain wood.

    • @davezemba9109
      @davezemba9109 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Dye

    • @wavehaven1
      @wavehaven1 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      In early history purple dye was for very high authority and select Royalty, for it was very difficult to find....This, may of been the plant used ??
      Just as red was used for Polynesian Royalty.

    • @kristinamullen4066
      @kristinamullen4066 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      I'm planning to make dye for fabric or use it as paint.It hasn't ripened yet.I remember as kids, we crushed the berries and smeared it on my neighbor's house.We got in trouble for that.We had no idea it was poisonous.

    • @michaellyczak9337
      @michaellyczak9337 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      Thanks, @ David Zemba. Really didn't register with me that I misspelled the word- also shows other things that must be on my mind.

  • @chosenoneamerukanindian3405
    @chosenoneamerukanindian3405 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Poke weeds and berries are totally edible. Only the seeds are deadly and the plant when the stalks are red. Other than knowing how to prepare poke it is an amazing plant for your body. Love it

  • @davidwinders4842
    @davidwinders4842 3 ปีที่แล้ว +8

    Well if Elvis says its ok well then that's good enough for me

    • @UntamedScience
      @UntamedScience  3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

      Hah. I think he was mostly implying it's ok to fall in love with someone who loves poke salat.

    • @Robbiebert14
      @Robbiebert14 2 ปีที่แล้ว

      @@UntamedScience I didn't take "Elvis sang about it, therefore it's good". I thought it was a great way to show how prevalent it was in society ☺️

  • @tactfulredneck3937
    @tactfulredneck3937 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    My great grandmother use to cook this up it was popular in the country back In the 30s and 40s you eat the leaves like turnip greens

  • @jeepguy5786
    @jeepguy5786 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I’ve been eating Polk for my entire life. It’s a wonderful edible . Boil it the drain once and then boil it again drain then add to scrambled eggs.

  • @S.P.B.222
    @S.P.B.222 3 ปีที่แล้ว +6

    You're a mad man and I love it! 😂 Cool vid, I grew up in South Jersey and they're everywhere, as kids, we always steered clear of eating them, but threw the berries at each for the bloody wound effect

  • @georgew.spradlin8333
    @georgew.spradlin8333 3 ปีที่แล้ว +28

    When the plant is young and the leaves are small you can make a salad out if them or fry them up in a skillet like spinach or mustard greens,kale.

    • @bobjones1131
      @bobjones1131 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

      Nope ! Boil and dump water three times !

    • @j.f.fisher5318
      @j.f.fisher5318 3 ปีที่แล้ว

      So it is like pufferfish sushi basically.

  • @suzieq9009
    @suzieq9009 3 ปีที่แล้ว +4

    I've always ate pokesalad young leaves boil twice rinse in between always heard young leaves were good for your blood idk I just eat it fried with onions never ate stalk

  • @iluragennette
    @iluragennette 2 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    I live in the city of Michigan these plants all the suddenly started popping up in my neighborhood about 3 years ago

  • @rheccornbread1588
    @rheccornbread1588 3 ปีที่แล้ว +1

    Not sure about the medicinal effects of this plant but I know my grandma used to cook this plant and she called it poke salad trick is to only get the younger leaves the smaller ones and most important is to boil it drain it add fresh water boil it again drain it add fresh water heat it back up and enjoy. I've ate it a thousand times cooked this way still here.

  • @hiramnoone
    @hiramnoone 3 ปีที่แล้ว +5

    Thanks for this. Highly interesting.
    I have this plant growing, flourishing actually, in my yard.
    I haven't tried to stop their growth cuz I think they really look kinda cool.