Who doesn't love a tasty cold beverage in warm weather? There's nothing so refreshing! Sumac Lemonade is SO easy to make ~ has only ONE ingredient, and is wildly delicious! Sumac Lemonade is packed with vitamin C and has a zingy rather tart taste. I love it!
Sumac, also spelled "sumach" (from the genus 'rhus') has many family members. The variety which grows in eastern Canada and north-eastern USA, and the one used in this recipe, is "Staghorn Sumac" (Rhus typhina), and has traditionally been used to create a tasty 'sumac-ade' for centuries!
It is quite a powerful herbal medicine. Here are some ideas for you:
Sumac Highlights:
- helps to strengthen body re cardiovascular conditions
- reduces inflammation
- can help to reduce severity of varicose veins + hemmorhoids
- can help with rheumatic conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis + gout
- can help to dry out sinuses due to colds, allergies + sinus infections
To read more about sumac + healing indications.. check out this article by my teacher Michael Vertolli R.H. who is director at the Living Earth School of Herbalism via this link to Vitality Magazine.
Beautiful, aren't they?
"This drink is made by soaking the drupes in cool water, rubbing them to extract the essence, straining the liquid through a cotton cloth, and sweetening"
Make some WILDLY DELICIOUS SUMAC LEMONADE aka SUMAC Iced Tea
Sumac Lemonade
Ingredients
- Sumac berries
- optional: honey, maple syrup, stevia or your favourite alternative
Instructions
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Harvest the berries (called 'drupes' or sumac 'bobs')
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Place in a large pot
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Cover with water and use your hands to agitate the water and the berries.
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Optional: Bring to a simmer and then turn off the stove
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Allow to sit for a while. (suggested 20min - 1 hour)
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Use a wooden spoon or your hands again to "smoosh" the berries
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Strain. Enjoy
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If you are able ~ and want to sweeten, I use honey or maple syrup but for those needing a little touch of sweet, I've also used alternatives like stevia
Recipe Notes
We want to strain 'herb tea' through a coffee filter (easy!) or a very fine sieve.
Soaking the berries also allows some of their acid to be released, resulting in a tastier infusion.
There are very fine hairs which can irritate our throat, so use a fine sieve. (I used two together and it worked very well!)
Need to sweeten it up? Too tart? Add some honey or maple syrup to your taste!
Looking for other 'cooling herbal concoctions'? Here's a post with some ideas.
Apologies in advance if SUMAC does not grow in your area. The link above does share some more universal (easy to find) ingredients. In the meantime, if you are ever traveling in late summer to the north-east.. be on the lookout for these easy to spot crimson leaves and 'fruit'! Wildly delicious!
Intrigued to learn more about Sumac? It's often an ingredient in Za'atar from the Mediterranean. I have some delicious recipes so promise to make and try to take some pictures to share.
Here's an online source for sumac that is dried and ground into powder. It offers that same slightly lemony and tart flavour, and is an ancient ingredient in the cuisines of Lebanon and other north African countries. So good!
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Here are two pin pics ~ short + long ~
Do PIN this for later and make when it's 'season for sipping sumac' !!
I hope you'll give this delicious tasty Wild Lemonade a try ~
Here's to going a little wild.. now and then!
Carol xo
J. L. James
I have lots of sumac around the house. I can't wait to try this drink. I will also dry it to make a powder for salads.
Carol Little
Great! Hope you enjoy the beverage AND the sumac powder too!
Lauren
I love sumacade. We have numerous sumac bushes on our property. Just FYI, you can also dry the berries and ground them for a very lemony type spice. It goes well with fish and chicken.
Carol Little R.H.
HI Lauren!
Thanks for sharing. Yes!! It's a lovely 'lemony' addition as a condiment for sure! Also great with scrambled eggs!
Daryle
Can ground sumac be used to make a tea or lemonade? How much would I use?
Can I use a coffee filter and pour hot water through it? I had an 8oz. bag given to me and I would like to try it. My spouse can't take statins and I thought this may help his colesterol levels.
Carol Little
Hello Daryle.I have never used ground sumac in a lemonade. I use dried sumac, which is an end-product of the drying of the harvested sumac, as a condiment. For any lemonade type of hot or cold tea/drink, I have always used as I've described. If you have some, you can certainly try it.
Boil some water and in meantime, put 3 tbsp of the ground sumac in a heat proof jar like a canning jar. Pour the just boiled water over and put a lid on for 10 minutes. Strain and taste. May need some honey or maple syrup. Please let me know your thoughts afterward!
Erin
I'm ashamed to say I hadn't even heard of sumac before! It sounds so powerful. I need to try to find some!
Carol Little
No shame or blame here.. We are all learning! It's often found in midEastern stores. I just collect it and dry it.. but I think it is quite findable. Good luck Erin!
Tatiana
I would never think of making lemonade out of sumac. Must be so refreshing and delicious !
Kari - Get Inspired Everyday!
I don't know much about sumac other than in the classic Fattoush salad. Lemonade with that fruity flavor sumac has sounds incredible!
Lindsey Dietz
So crazy that you're posting this! I just learned to identify wild sumac last weekend on a hike. We found it growing all over a mountainside. My friend told me it was edible, but this is GREAT!
ChihYu
What a lovely drink ! Love all the flavor and so healthy delicious too !
Kathryn
You have such great information on your site! I've never had sumac before, but will definitely keep my eye out for it.
Yvonne
I have never heard of sumac before, but it looks like something I need to try out.
Joni
Sounds so refreshing! I will definitely be adding honey!
Megan Stevens
What a special and amazing recipe!! Most of us do NOT know how to use sumac, so what a magical and empowering and inspiring recipe, Carol!!!
Jean
I've never had sumac before, but adding it to lemonade sounds so refreshing! Perfect on a hot day.
Anna
Absolutely wonderful! We've got a beautiful abundance of sumac this year, and I've been looking for some great new ways to enjoy it. This is perfect!!
Carol Little
Anna, if you have lots, make the lemonade and also dry the berries and powder them to use as a lemony tart flavour!! How do you use Sumac?
Emily @ Recipes to Nourish
Wow it is absolutely beautiful! I've never seen it before and had no idea how pretty the berries are. I bet this lemonade is so full of flavor and so refreshing.
linda spiker
Oh...I need to plant some sumac!
Renee Kohley
Ah yes - the sumac isn't quite ready where I live but it is getting there! I am going to try this this year! Thank you!
Carol Little
Exactly -- It's not ready yet here.. Hope you DO try it Renee!!
Amelia
Did you try it? Is it an annual favorite?
Yang
I have never used sumac before. It looks and sounds so lovely! I bet this sumac-ade is amazing <3
Carol Little
So good Yang! We should go wildcrafting together!!!
Adrienne @ Whole New Mom
What an interesting combination! I never would have thought of this. And I know what a drupe is because I was studying coconuts and their botany in response to a reader who accused me of posting something inappropriate (that coconut is not a nut) :).
Carol Little
So delicious Adrienne -- hope you can find some and try this!!
Jessica @Nutritioulicious
Never would have thought to use sumac like this! Yum! It's such a gorgeous plant too.
Dawn
I've wanted to try something with sumac for several years, this sounds delicious! When is the best time to harvest sumac?
Carol Little
Later in the growing season is best. I start collecting in late August and into fall.
Raia Todd
That sounds delicious! We had a sumac bush at our old house. Wish I would've know we could use it then!
Kelsey
I've never seen sumac growing here...this lemonade sounds so refreshing! Are there any health benefits with consuming sumac?
Carol Little
It's high in vitamin C and very nutritious.
Ml
You see them along country roads