In continuing with the backyard wild teas, I can't let summer pass by without mentioning this wild lemonade substitute. Sumac grows like a weed in this country. It is a relative to the much hated poison sumac, but as the flowers give way to the fruit, you can't mistake this harmless, small tree for anything else.
The branches are fuzzy, hence the name of this variety. The fuzzy clusters of fruit are what we're after. Watch these from June through September and grab the red ones, as they ripen, but before the rain hits them and washes away the flavor. Soak a couple of clusters in a pitcher of ice-cold water in your refrigerator for one to two hours. Your taste buds will know how long. Keep the water cold to prevent bitterness. Strain the results through a fine strainer, or cloth, and serve sweetened. It has a very lemonade-like flavor.
Since these trees seem to grow almost anywhere, please be careful of pollutants and heavy traffic. I doubt anyone would be upset with you for over picking these giant weeds though. See you on the trail!
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
7-02-2008 @ 5:28PM
cmtdrt said...
I just cut a ton of this stuff away from my lilacs this weekend. The smell of it was amazing, but I had no idea what it was.
There's still some growing behind my garage. I may have to try this concoction when the leaves turn.
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7-03-2008 @ 7:24PM
Monty Harris said...
I just picked up a one pound bag (smallest they had) at the middle eastern market, today. I have never used it before but it is an ingredient in a lot of middle eastern dishes. I'm making souvlaki and the recipe calls for a dusting of sumac. The variety I bought though has salt in it too so I guess I can't make tea with it.
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