How To Make Sumac-ade made from Wild Edible Sumac

Today I’m going to show you how to make a fun summer drink recipe made from wild edible sumac! It’s called Sumac-ade because it tastes similar to lemonade and it even looks like a pink lemonade. It’s tart, naturally sweet and so refreshing, especially on a hot summer day. 

It’s really fun and satisfying to make something so yummy that you picked yourself, don’t you think? I think this recipe is an especially fun one to do with kids. Have them play detective to find wild sumac – it’s really easy to spot and it’s ALL over North America during the summer months (pics of how to identify the wild edible sumac tree are below and also in the video below). And it’s so easy to make, they can do it all by themselves. Plus every kid I know has really enjoyed not only finding sumac, but also drinking it! 🙂

Sumac-ade is loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants so it’s a great immune boosting drink and perfect for keeping colds and the flu at bay. The Indians used to use wild sumac for treating respiratory and digestive ailments. It’s known to be effective at helping urinary tract infections and it’s also a great anti-inflammatory!

For easy step-by-step instructions, click the video player below:

Or click HERE or the pic below to watch the video on Youtube:

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What does wild edible sumac look like?

The sumac tree has palm looking leaves with big red velvet looking cones of berries. All sumac with red berries are safe to eat and touch.  The poison sumac has white berries and prefers swamps and wet areas. So as long as you see the red velvet looking cone of berries, you’ll be fine. 

Now that you know what to look for, I’ll bet you’ll find wild edible sumac all over the place! It’s everywhere during the warm, summer months!

How To Make Sumac-ade

1. Rinse off 4 cones and then mash them in a pitcher of cold water and let it sit overnight or about 8-12 hours.

2. Strain with a fine mesh strainer or coffee filter then drink! You can sweeten to taste. 

(You’ll probably find that every batch is a slightly different color ranging from light pink to bright pink. That’s ok – the color is dependent on the color of your particular cones)

I don’t think it needs any additional sweeteners, but if you have a sweet tooth or if your batch is extra tangy,  add some honey or other sweetener to taste.  Most kids prefer this drink with a little bit of added sweetener, too.

I think you’re going to love this and your body will certainly love all the health benefits. I can’t wait for you to try it – let me know if you do! 🙂

Pin How to Make Sumac-Ade HERE: