Sumacaid (aka Sumac Lemonade) – Radical Homestead

Difficulty level: **Easy

Stop what you are doing, grab a bag and a pocket knife, and get on your bike. It’s summer, it’s hot, and it’s time for some delicious and refreshing Sumacaid!

I can almost guarantee that within a 5 minute bike ride from wherever you are you can find, positively identify, and harvest a few bobs from a Staghorn Sumac tree (provided you are somewhere between North Quebec, Wisconsin, Nova Scotia, and Louisiana). Here in Ontario, they are quite abundant.

Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina), is a beautiful tree found almost everywhere. It grows in urban areas and forest edges. It is often used on roadsides to anchor soil where it is steep, but make sure that you collect it away from busy roads because of the pollution. The distinctive shape of the branches look like deer horns, especially the young hairy new growth in the spring, which lends to the name of Staghorn Sumac.

Come July, their striking velvet crimson berries are as unmistakable as is their vibrant red foliage is in fall. There really aren’t too many other plants that look like this when the berries are out but always proceed with caution. Although it should be nearly impossible to mistake, don’t confuse it with Poison Sumac (aka White Sumac).

Here are a few links to help you positively id:

This is a massive bob of Sumac. They are usually only about 1/3 to 1/2 the size of this one. I grabbed two this size from a place where they are quite abundant. Pick freely but always follow proper harvesting etiquette.

What you actually want from this plant are the organic acids that are coated on the tiny hairs of the berries. It is best to harvest the bobs when they are vibrant and bursting with life a couple days since the last rainfall (which washes the good juices away). I still find them to be good anytime the bobs are out and have significant colour but the strength will of course vary.

A note on allergies: Sumac is in the same family as cashew and mango so be careful if you have allergies to those. Always proceed with caution with any food you are unfamiliar with.

Brew it up!

Now that we’ve identified and harvested, let’s get brewing! To keep it simple we will just start with a small pitcher.

Materials:

Water/juice pitcher
2-3 medium sized Sumac bobs
cheesecloth
water

Directions:

Fill a pitcher about 3/4 with cold water.
Drop in 2-3 medium sized ripe sumac bobs. These vary in size greatly so just picture what about 2 cups would look like off the stem.
DO NOT RINSE before preparing! The whole point here is to dissolve the acids that are built up on the hairs of the sumac. If you are worried about bugs, relax. They will all be filtered out later and besides, they are probably good for you anyway. (HINT: smaller bobs tend to have less bugs while big ones might have a bug or two).
With clean hands, rub the berries gently in the water that is in your pitcher until they all come off the stem. Actually, it doesn’t really matter if they come off the stem but just try to make sure all the berries’ surfaces get nice and soaked.
Let the berries soak for a few hours before transferring and straining to another pitcher. For a stronger infusion set it out in the sun and/or you can just leave it in the fridge for a few hours. Colour may vary from light green/yellow, to pink, to nearly red-black. Go ahead and experiment. Don’t worry it’s all tasty.
Optional: Strain through cheesecloth to filter out the berries, tiny hairs, or possibly a few harmless bugs. If you don’t have cheesecloth, any clean cloth will do. The finer the material the longer the wait. If you don’t mind a few hardly noticeable hairs, a fine stainless steel strainer will do the trick.
When I’m impatient and thirsty, I just pour myself a glass right away. I simply set the pitcher lid to the setting with the slots and the berries themselves even act as a filter.
Drink up!I love it straight up on the rocks! You can sweeten to taste with honey, maple syrup, or add in a sprig of fresh mint out of your garden. The pic below is a weak version of sumacaid. The darker (redder) it is, the more sour it tastes.

Going Further with Sumac

Sumac Concentrate

So what is your plan when the price of lemons goes through the roof due to rising fuel costs or the impending zombie apocalypse?

Fear not! Substitute all of your recipes that call for lemon juice with your homemade wild/organic Sumac concentrate. Save your money, starve big agriculture corporations, and live healthier in true Radical Homestead fashion!

Just do as you would for making Sumacaid but after you soak and then remove the bobs, add more, strain, then add more, and repeat process until it gets really dark. Taste it for strength and keep adding until you stop noticing a difference after additions. Strain, freeze it, and thaw as needed. Just add water to dilute it to your desired taste.

Sumac Beer

Currently in my basement, I just tapped a keg of homebrew with Sumac. It is a total guess attempt clone of a beer that one of my favorite local breweries came out with last year. Beaus’ No. 28 Staghorn – Belgian Ale with Sumac. Although it is a bit young, it’s damn delicious.

Sumac and Bees

As a beekeeper I really love Sumac and use the dried bobs in my bee smoker. Not only does it make really nice smoke when I mix it with pine needles but I have read that it stuns and weakens the varoa mites. I’ve recently read that lemon juice works great for varroa control and wonder if sumac concentrate could also be used as a local substitute.

Happy foraging

For fun, try preparing this out in your front yard and get the kids to set up a Sumacaid stand. Freak out and educate the neighbours or bring it to your next potluck.

This is a really easy and tasty challenge so get foraging and drink up.