The bush is native to America, though I have seen something similar used as a meat rub in the Middle East. There are 7-9 leaflets on a stem half a meter long. The bark is furry like freshly grown antlers on deer, with a reddish or yellowish tinge to the hairs.
In mid sumer, bushes get bunches of berries. Bushes have bunches from an early time in their lifespan- about the second year, while the bushes are still about head high. That makes for easier picking. Bushes can get up to ten feet high, but only live about 5 years.
Their wood can be used to make walking sticks. There are few branches on a mature bush, and the wood is usually only a couple inches in diameter. Um- smaller than your wrist. When the leaves fall off, they leave a heart-shaped scar on the bark, where new leaves will generally grow in spring.
Here’s where it gets tricky. The sumac with white bunches is poisonous. Touching the leaves gives a rash like poison ivy. Drinking the tea could kill.
However, bushes bearing red berries are safe. We call it Staghorn Sumac. Walking among them leaves a form of natural mosquito repellent on you… or lightly rub the fresh leaves on your skin before hiking among mosquitoes.
The berries are fuzzy. At the base of each hair is a supply of vitamin C. Getting the berries wet releases the hairs, which sets free the vitamins and flavor. When you see berries which are shiny or have no hair, it’s too late to harvest them- the rain already washed away all the good stuff.
If you do find a bush nearby, plan on baking the harvest immediately. The seed bunches generally house bugs you don’t want indoors. Bake in an oven at 350° until the cut stems are dry and hard. Test after 20 minutes. I usually microwave on high, stopping to check every 5 minutes or so, and watching so the steam doesn’t turn to smoke. Let cool.
Removing the berries from the bunches usually gets under the fingernails and can get painful if you do too much at once. It also dyes the fingers in a way that doesn’t wash off easily. It will have to wear away.
Colonial Americans used the tea as a dye for cloth. It looks brick red when making the tea. Washing with soap turns the fabric a dull dark blue, called “colonial blue” or “woad.”
Once harvested, keep the berries dry in a zipper bag. They will last as long as the fuzz stays on the berries. My last harvest was 17 years ago, and I still have a quarter of a gallon bag. I don’t need to use this tea very often, but it does help with sore throats and laryngitis.
To make the tea, I use a silicon tea strainer shaped like a unicorn. I fill it, plop it in a half a mug of water so it doesn’t overflow, and microwave 5 minutes or until the concoction is dark. I then remove the strainer, add tap hot water to fill the mug, and sip until my sore throat is soothed or my voice returns. It can also be drunk cold or even added as flavoring to shaved ice.
When I first started, I used a rag about the size of my hand, added about a tablespoon of berries, closed it with a rubber band, and then used a hammer to crush the berries. It was supposed to release the hairs more easily. I have not noticed much of a difference between methods. I also added a lot more water once the tea turned dark.
One set of berries can make a gallon (3 liters?) of tea, to taste, but the tea doesn’t last long in the fridge- drink within 2 days. Thus, it’s better to make just what you’ll use up in the short term.
The drink tastes like lemon tea. Do not add sugar, as there is a bitter flavor to the combination. I’ve never tried other sweeteners as the tea is quite good without any additives.
Warning: high vitamin C levels means you won’t sleep at night. It is better to drink before lunchtime, unless the sore throat comes on late in the day and you prefer to keep from getting sicker. I’ve found that waiting overnight allows the germs to take hold- I won’t have the sore throat or laryngitis in the morning, but I’ll be sicker longer. The earlier I can get the tea in me, the better it works in the long term to heal the illness or kill the germs before they take over my body.
Edit: I initially learned about sumac from a book called Free for the Eating by Bradford Angier. The rest is personal experience in Indiana.