Dock - to boil or not to boil?

[kriswrite]

I recently IDed a weed growing in our yard as a broad leaf dock and I've been researching the best way to eat it. Some sources say all docks should be boiled and the water changed several times. Others say it's safe to eat raw. I believe the concern is the plant's oxalic acid, which can be toxic if eaten in large doses. So I'd like a little feedback from those who eat dock - do you personally believe it must be boiled? (As an aside, we eat sorrel raw, which also contains oxalic acid; however, we eat it in small amounts.)

Thanks!

Kristina

[MKG]

You're going to have to eat an awful lot of broad-leaf dock to incur any toxic effect. And you wouldn't - it tastes bloody awful. Young leaves can, I suppose, add a certain astringency if used sparingly in a salad.

Sorrel (from the same family) contains more toxins than dock, but I don't hear too many warnings about that.

Mike

[daz101]

Toxicity is not really the issue unless you have arthritis. People with this condition should avoid rumex and oxalis like the plague. Oxalic acid locks up calcium in the food and so if eaten too regularly one could start showing signs of deficiency.