Health Benefits and Uses of Pokeberry: A Comprehensive Guide

Howdy, Jimbo.

I use pokeberry juice in a honey and vinegar concoction as an energy and lymphatic booster. After finding a good plant (they're everywhere around where I am) I harvest the whole stem bunches and compost what I do not use. I usually bring home anywhere from 1-2 pounds per harvest. Once harvested, place the bunches in a stock pot with enough water to cover and let sit for 30 minutes to loosen any "wild residues" from the berries. Swish once, then strain. Cover with water again and agitate gently to finish the wash. Strain again and let dry, setting the stem bunches on towels for about 10-15 minutes.

I use a fork to pop the berries off of their little stems. USE ONLY THE DARK PURPLE BERRIES. If they're still hard or not fully ripe, they contain too much toxin and will not be usable. Then place the picked berries in a stainless steel or glass bowl. You want a good, hard surface which some plastics will not afford.

Use the end of a wooden spoon or other rounded utensil to crush the berries. DO NOT GRIND. You don't want to rupture the seed skins since that's where all the bad stuff is. Gently crush the berries until you have a pulp. I then add about a cup of raw cider vinegar, swish to mix well and then strain through a fine mesh sieve. Gently press the pulp in the strainer but don't stir it around, avoiding rubbing the seeds against the mesh. You can use water or anything else, but adding something to the pulp helps pull most of the juice out. Just be careful not to bother the seeds.

I hope that helps.

HI U GOOD PEOPLE DOING, , , , , , , , are you familiar with the term scouring? It means to scrub the surface . Have you not wondered why Cedar trees mostly grow on a fence row? It is because the birds eat the Cedar berries, sit on the fence and poop the the seeds out. The seed now has been scoured by the birds digestive system and ready to sprout. Walla.. a new Cedar tree emerges.

I do this with sandpaper on my garden melon seeds. They sprout PDQ. That's the way nature works. You got to break the hull.

I tell you this because lots of folks in my neighborhood eat Poke Berries to help their arthritis. Poke berries are supposed to be poisonous, but only if you eat crush the seed. Birds love these berries. One guy I know freezes them and eats them all year long for his health problem. He just poops the seeds out as the birds do.

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