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    Home » Recipes » Beverages

    Foraged Pink Staghorn Sumac Lemonade

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons! Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it’s delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails.

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe
    Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

    Easy to find in the wild with a flavor that can’t be matched staghorn sumac is a fabulous flavor and health-packed plant that can be used fresh or dry to add a bright note and beautiful pink hue to all sorts of dishes like this blush pink cold brewed tea ‘lemonade’.

    Easy to find in the wild

    In late summer and early fall bright pink sumac clusters pop up on sumac trees growing wild all over North America, especially along the eastern United States. Cooking with this citrusy herb adds a delicious tart flavor that can’t be substituted, so I suggest taking a look around to see if you have sumac trees in your area. if you don’t have sumac growing wild nearby chances are you can grow it yourself from seed or cutting.

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

    What is sumac?

    Sumac is a vine or shrub-like tree that grows wild across most of the united states. It’s easy to forage for in the wild. And sumac’s tart, citrusy berries have many culinary uses and a TON of health benefits.

    Health benefits of sumac:

    • high in vitamin A
    • high in vitamin C
    • full of antioxidants like pyranoanthocyanins with the anti-inflammatory power to  neutralize cancer, prevent heart disease + the early signs of aging + help skin conditions & reduce body pain
    • anti-fungal & anti-microbial
    • helpful in increasing milk production (hello, citrusy mother’s milk cookies!) and easing cramps
    • a natural diuretic helpful in eliminating wastes and toxins from the body
    • early pioneers treated coughs, sore throats and fevers with sumac, while American Indians used these berries to treat anything from reproductive problems to stomachaches and wounds

    How to forage for sumac

    Sumac leaves turn from their summer shades of bright yellow and green to red and orange in late summer to early fall signaling that it’s also time to start foraging. It’s easy to remember. Just look for the large red upright cone-shaped sumac flower, each with clusters of the edible, soft-to-the-touch sumac berries when the leaves are firey red. It’s probably the only reason I ever remember to go harvest them!

    Well past fall but there’s still sumac on the tree? It’s okay! Even though it’s best to harvest early before rain washes away color and flavor sumac can be harvested year round. Simply check to make sure mold or mildew hasn’t started to grow on the flower then taste to check for flavor. If still flavorful, harvest and use as directed, washing well before using.

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

    Particularly good harvest? Dry and/or vacuum seal and freeze to use in cooking year round!

    How to use sumac in cooking

    There are many ways to cook with both fresh and dried sumac. Best known for being an essential ingredient in Za’atar spice sumac adds zing to anything you mix it in or sprinkle it on!

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

    Sumac’s citrusy flavor is great with chicken, fish, lamb and grains. It tastes like a sqeeze or lemon or a splash of vinegar and adds that same essential ‘something’ that really makes dishes sing. Use it in marinades, dressings, dips and sprinkled on top of all sorts of dishes. So good on popcorn at family movie nights!

    What to do with sumac lemonade?

    Made like a cold brew tea Sumac Lemonade is just sumac and water. The longer it brews the stronger and more intense the flavor. Leave for up to 2 days before straining for maximum color. Just make sure to include steeping time in the total three day shelf life.

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

    Delicious as-is straight from the glass you could also use Sumac Lemonade as a base for other creations like sumac beer, wine, and kombucha.Or mix up sumac mocktails and cocktails.

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

    O try my favorite sumac cocktail, the Sumac Spritzer. Sumac Lemonade + simple syrup + vodka (or gin) either mixed ahead of time or mixed straight in the glass. When ready to serve top with sparking water for a sparkly pink foraged cocktail!

    Sumac Lemonade recipe

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons! Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

    Foraged Pink Staghorn Sumac Lemonade

    Sumac Lemonade refreshingly, lightly floral and tart this beverage brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!
    Print Recipe Pin Recipe Rate Recipe
    Prep Time: 5 minutes
    steeping: 1 hour
    Total Time: 5 minutes
    Course: Drinks
    Cuisine: American
    beverage, eating local, foraging, sumac
    Servings: 6 servings
    Calories: 1kcal
    Author: Tristin Rieken

    Ingredients

    • 1 cup sumac berries from 1 large cluster
    • 4 cups water cool or room temperature
    US Customary – Metric

    Instructions

    • Pick away any sticks or other leaves that might be clinging to your sumac clusters then break apart and remove berries from the woody sticks.
    • Place sumac berries large pitcher or shallow bowl and cover with water.
    • Crush the berry clusters in the water using a sturdy spoon then allow sumac to soak for at least a few hours or overnight, the longer it soaks the more flavorful it will be.
    • Strain through a fine mesh strainer, clean kitchen towel or coffee filter than sweeten to taste with sweetener of your choice. Served chilled.

    Notes

    Note: will keep for up to 3 days refrigerated.

    Nutrition

    Calories: 1kcal | Sodium: 8mg | Calcium: 5mg
    Made this recipe? Please share!Mention @freshflavorful or tag #FreshFlavorfulLife
    Nutrition Facts
    Foraged Pink Staghorn Sumac Lemonade
    Amount Per Serving
    Calories 1
    % Daily Value*
    Sodium 8mg0%
    Calcium 5mg1%
    * Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

    enjoy!

    pin for later!

    Sumac Lemonade brewed from foraged sumac berries and cool water tastes like lemonade without any lemons!  Lightly floral, tart and refreshing it's delicious as-is or used as a mixer in cocktails and mocktails. Sumac spice | sumac lemonade foraged from sumac tree | sumac recipes | sumac benefits #sumac #foraging #recipe

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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. JSC

      July 29, 2020 at 7:26 am

      Please be aware that the yummy sour taste of sumac berries is due to their calcium oxalate content. For most people, in small amounts, this is not harmful, but in large amounts, can potentially be toxic. Also, I’ve seen many medical personnel recommend that people who easily form kidney stones should consume as little oxalate as possible, so sumac “lemonade” would be a “no-no” for those people.

      Reply
      • ONE armed MAMA

        August 05, 2020 at 9:46 am

        Yes, there is some debate among foragers and health professionals regarding the safety of consuming foods high in oxalic acid, such as spinach, chives, and cilantro, due to over consumption possibly forming calcium oxalate crystals and leading to kidney stones. Although the current recommendations are that consuming sumac berries is very safe, just as consuming spinach is, anyone who is typically medically susceptible to food allergies and health problems should understand that food writers are unable to list every potential health concern for each individual person of each individual recipe ingredient and should use their own best judgment when trying foods for the first time.

        Reply
    2. Mary

      October 24, 2020 at 1:57 pm

      How much is too much sumac lemonade? How much can you safely drink in one day?

      Reply
      • ONE armed MAMA

        October 25, 2020 at 3:19 pm

        Hi Mary, I am not a doctor and am not giving medical advice and can only speak to my own experience. When researching it’s easy to find a whole slew of documents about the health benefits but very difficult to find much about the risks of sumac. As far as I can see sumac gets a bad wrap because of the poisonous WHITE-berried sumac and it’s relation to poison oak (also related to mangoes and cashews) and the issue with oxalic acid content is akin to worrying about consuming too much spinach, the health benefits generally outweigh any perceived risk. Personally, I’ve consumed an entire batch of sumac lemonade in one day by myself with no issues. My children snack on the sumac drupes and we eat a lot of meals flavored with za’atar as well as use sumac in other ways without issue.

        Reply
    3. Tavo

      August 21, 2021 at 12:49 am

      5 stars
      That is an impressive drink! I had no clue that sumac berries could be used in a drink!

      Reply
    4. Dannii

      August 21, 2021 at 3:13 am

      5 stars
      I love the look of this. Super refreshing.

      Reply
    5. veenaazmanov

      August 21, 2021 at 4:01 am

      5 stars
      Interesting, cooling and refreshing and a must try drink for sure.

      Reply
    6. Sue

      August 21, 2021 at 5:18 am

      5 stars
      I absolutely love this, we have sumac growing nearby and I’ve always used it as a spice, but never thought to make tea, I can’t wait.

      Reply
    7. Gina

      August 21, 2021 at 5:28 am

      5 stars
      Love using sumac in cooking but never realized how easily it was found right outside! This drink is such a lovely subtle hue of pink and so refreshing – thanks for all the great info!

      Reply

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    Inspired by the beauty of the Pacific Northwest recipe developer and food photographer, Tristin Rieken, shares easy recipes and simple ideas for eating, entertaining and adventuring your way to a Fresh Flavorful Life.

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