Food guide
Pokeweed shoots: find, pick and prepare
Young pokeweed shoots are an old spring green, but only when picked small and boiled twice; every other way, pokeweed poisons you.
Page numbers below are from the US Army Survival Manual (FM 21-76) unless another source is named. Each one opens that page.
On private land, ask the owner first. Many state nature preserves ban picking anything. Some state parks allow picking fruit, nuts and mushrooms for your own use, but digging roots, cutting plants or peeling bark may not be allowed, so check the rules of the park you are in (city, county and national parks have their own rules too).
Ways to find and pick it
In spring, cut young shoots and leaves only when the whole plant is shorter than 25 centimeters (10 inches). Leave any plant that is taller or has any red in it.
p. 378The root holds the most poison. Cut the shoot above the ground with a knife. Never dig, eat or even taste the underground part.
p. 378Pokeweed grows in open, sunny forest clearings, fields and roadsides. Last year's tall dead stalks show you where new shoots will come up (general knowledge, not the manual).
p. 378Clean and prepare it, step by step
Check every shoot. If you see any red or purple on the stem or leaves, throw it away.
p. 378Make sure no piece of root came home with the shoots. Root is the most poisonous part (keeping it out of the pot is general food safety; the root warning is the manual's).
p. 378
Rinse the shoots in clean water.
p. 127Cut the shoots into short pieces so they cook evenly (general knowledge, not the manual).
p. 378Wash your hands afterward and do not rub your eyes; the juice can irritate (general food safety, not the manual).
p. 378
Cook or eat it, step by step
Boil the shoots in a pot of water. Then pour that first water out on the ground. It holds poison; never drink it.
p. 378Boil the shoots again in fresh water until they are tender. Pour off this water too.
p. 378Only now eat them, like cooked spinach. Never taste pokeweed raw at any step.
p. 378
The manual says the purple berries are edible if cooked, but the seeds are poisonous and many experts today say skip the berries completely (general food safety, not the manual). Leave them for the birds.
p. 378
Stay safe
- All of pokeweed is poisonous raw, and the root is the worst. No plant taller than 25 cm (10 inches) and none with red showing. p. 378
- Be 100% sure it is pokeweed before you pick it; young shoots of other plants can look alike. p. 127
- If someone may have been poisoned by a plant, the manual says get the plant out of their mouth, make them throw up if they are awake, and give lots of water. Then call 911 or Poison Control at 1-800-222-1222 (general food safety, not the manual). p. 140
- The manual's Universal Edibility Test is only for an emergency when you cannot name a plant at all. It tests one part of one plant at a time and takes more than 24 hours for each part. It is not a shortcut, and it never works for mushrooms. pp. 128 to 131
- This app's photo reader never tells you a plant in your photo is safe to eat. Check the plant in person, from every side, with a field guide or someone who knows it. p. 137
The app shows what has been seen near your ZIP code, with photos, and can read a photo you take.