Use pokeberries to make natural ink.
Image © Patti Wigington 2010
Actually, yes! This time of year is perfect for gathering pokeberries, or pokeweed, which grows in many parts of North America. The berries are super-toxic, but they produce a lovely pinkish-purple ink that you can use in your workings. The ink does eventually fade to brown if it's exposed to sunlight, but that's not such a bad thing - rumor has it that the Declaration of Independence was written with pokeberry ink! How to Make Pokeberry Ink
Addendum: Thanks to reader Makarios for clearing up the question of the Declaration of Independence -- turns out the finalized version that is sitting in the National Archives was actually written with iron-gall ink. However, it's possible that earlier drafts were done in a less permanent method. Thanks, Makarios, for the link!
Readers, have you made your own ink using magical ingredients? What suggestions and ideas can you offer?
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Thanks for the linked article, Patti. One thing, though, about the Declaration of Independence: the “engrossed copy” (the version that was signed by the delegates) was written in iron-gall ink, as was normal for such documents at that time. This information was supplied by the National Archives, and can be found at http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/declaration_history.html
As to the earlier drafts, including Jefferson’s rough draft and the “fair copy” that the committee presented to the Congress, I have no idea.
Huh, that’s really neat. The plant that you call Pokeweed looks just like the Poke-salad that grows all over my grandma’s yard!
I never would have thought to use the berries to make ink. I may have to go get me some berries.
I grew up in the southern USA–as a child, we crushed poke berries to draw and write with–for fun. We didn’t eat (or even taste) the berries but you can cook the young leaves. You have to boil them, then pour off the water, boil again and pour off the water, but then they’re safe to eat. They are poisonous if not handled correctly. But the berries make a lovely reddish purplely stain (or ink).
This is always a little dangerous to say because people misinterpret stuff very readily – but I too have eatten my share of poke or poke salad. Young leaves, boiled and the water changed two or three times and then stir fried with eggs. I’ve also had the stalk, battered and deep fat fried like okra. As for ink, I boil my berries in an iron kettle, strain and then boil to reduce the volume of the remaining liquid by half. Then I had vitamin C tablets, the amount depends on the volume. This gives me a good consistency and a long shelf life. I have one little bottle (a little ink goes a long way) that is at least two years old and still providing very good results.