Poke Salad

[Gonzo]

Anyone else here like to eat Poke greens? I'm addicted... I've been eating it since I was probally in diapers. How to you cook it?
I boil it down, and mix it in egg, cornmeal a bit of salt, and fry it up in bacon grease to make poke patties! Anyone else do this? Here in Indiana I feel so alone in my practice. My grandpa is from the hollars of Kentucky, and I guess its a big deal there, or at least was.. "back in the day" I think I'm going to try canning it this year... I hope it works!

 

[Cindiloohoo]

When I was a kid I used to pick it for an elderly neighbor and she'd pay me a quarter a sack

Mom never cooked it, she said it was poisonous if you didn't cook it right and she didn't know how...so that was that. I made some candy money off of it so I didn't care anyway. Still have never had it.

 

[WriterofWords]

I am now sitting here singing "Poke salad Annie! Gator got your Granny!"

 

[jennh]

Oh, how I hate poke! I have it growing EVERYWHERE

The wildbirds poop the seeds,a nd if you don't get it the 1st year, the roots get huge! We dug one up one time that was at least 5 ft long!

Jen

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:
You gotta pick it while its short, then peel off all the red... the red stuff and the milk is whats poisonous. When you boil it, you remove the rest of the poison. It's and aquired taste! My husband and kids think its gross, everytime he moves the lawn he'll ask me if I want the grass clippings "cause that's what it tastes like" I don't think it does.... Thats ok, he can be a smartalic! All I gotta say is stupid says what? and he falls for it everytime!

 

[redhen]

What does it compare to in taste? Spinach? Swiss Chard? ??
I've never had it..

 

[A1 Steak Sauce]

Love it! Poke patties, fried poke, you name it... Even though I think last year was my last time of eating it, I almost ended up in the hospital because of some undercooked poke. Never been in that much pain (stomache wise) in my life lol. Oh well.

 

[Gonzo]

Quote:
I'm so jealous! I've been know to pull the car over when I see it! Embarass's my kids to death!

 

[Gonzo]

Well, I don't know how to describe the taste... Never been a spinach eater.. I do believe it's a southern thing... and most young people don't care for it. I'm in my 30's, and NONE of my kids or neices & nephews like it.

 

[Cindiloohoo]

I'm partial to turnip greens and turnips. You can't have them without a pone of cornbread from a cast iron skillet and some brown beans with neckbone or a ham hock cooked in it though. My kids LOVE that kind of stuff!! Your family is missin out!