Frequently (and not so frequently) Asked Questions
BRIEF: Are poke berries harmful to humans?
QUESTION:
Are poke berries harmful to humans?
ANSWER:
Yes. Raw berries, even if ripe, can be harmful if you eat enough of them and the
seeds inside the berry are toxic.
QUESTION:
However, as a young boy I use to harvest them for a neighbor lady who made
excellent jelly from them. Perhaps the boiling of them in the making of the
jelly neutralized the berries-if they are at all posionous.
ANSWER:
Boiling them and removing the seed would render them pretty harmless, so the
jelly was probably OK.
QUESTION:
I'm also curious about the possibility of using
poke berries for making wine.
ANSWER:
Children have been killed drinking the juice from the raw berries. I wouldn't
try the wine.