Sumac lemonade.

Newsgroups: alt.folklore.herbs
Subject: Re: sumac tea
From: Liz Jones <lizjones+.pitt.edu>
Date: 20 Oct 1995 12:39:57 GMT

> Has anyone tried or have experience with sumac tea? One of my relatives mentioned it but didn't have details on it.

Good stuff, sumac. We used to make lemonade out of it when I was a kid--pick the red cones of fruit (if it's not red sumac, dont eat it, it's poisonous!) and fill a pitcher with them, then add water and shake. Take out the fruits, and add sugar-- Instant pink lemonade. Some people filter out the red hairs because they find them irritating-- I'd imagine you could use a coffee filter for this. Never made sumac tea, but you could probably heat a big pot of water and add sumac, steep it for a good while and strain as above. Have fun!

From: Jeanne Ross <ross.together.net>

>Has anyone tried or have experience with sumac tea? One of my relatives mentioned it but didn't have details on it.

This is the way we make it. When the berries are red we pick them and put them in a bucket of ice water. Let it sit for most of the day. You may find you want to mix it with some mint. Try it in different ways.

From: gatherer.walrus.com (frank)

>Has anyone tried or have experience with sumac tea? One of my relatives mentioned it but didn't have details on it.

All the red sumacs indigenous to the Northeast , including winged dwarf and staghorn have been enjoyed by me and my family. I like to pick the berries and roll them around my mouth. You gather the berries (make sure it's from an abundant source, since many animals depend upon it for winter sustenance), immerse the seed heads in cold water, and rub them between your hands, then you can filter through a cheesecloth and add sugar. Start with very weak tea and work your way up, in case of allergy, since sumac is a Rhus.