I have a confession to make...I've never done anything like this before and am quite hesitant to admit what I'm doing...
I've been 'taking' poke berries for the past several months. I read about them here...I believe last fall. One of you talked about them as weeds. I did a bit of research online and discovered some people find that they help with some of the health conditions I have. I harvested them in my own yard, dried them and take them daily. I do notice a difference when I skip them for a day or 2.
If I heard of someone doing something like this I might roll my eyes and think they were silly but I took the plunge and dont seem to have any adverse reactions.
Helen, glad to hear you didnt have any either :)

I think poke leaves are only toxic when they are large and older. I cooked poke exactly the same, Helen, and I love it.

Never heard of taking poke berries, Nancy -- when do you gather them and do you freeze the berries or just pick them all summer? Are they for energy? Please tell us more. Every summer I have a few young ones around here before I find them and compost them. Maybe I won't be so fast pulling them up. Thanks.
Sunny

It's been years since I've eaten poke and I can't remember if I liked it. Bacon makes almost anything taste good. My attempt awhile back at collard greens with bacon didn't go so well though.
Glad you've found something that will help you Nancy but please be careful in case the toxin is something that could build up in your system or in case it could vary in strength from one plant to another. Lots of things we eat are toxic but only in large quantities.
Milkweed is toxic too but I've read you can eat the young shoots and they taste like asparagus. I have some common milkweed coming up that's 2-4 inches tall but can't get up the nerve.

I don't even bother the double cooking thing....I add a pinch of soda to the first cooking. So far I haven't seen any poke big enough to pick. I would be scared to death of eating the berries.
Be careful Nancy.

I usually don't drain the first water but poke makes my lips feel crawly which then makes me wonder if I will have a reaction. I don't think it is toxic when small but I get itchy just touching some plants. I would not eat milk weed Christie. I have seen cows eat big poke leaves but nothing that I have seen eats that pretty orange milkweed that you see on the hills.