Sumac Lemonade and a Road Trip

My hubby has been wanting me to ride with him on his route for a while now. It's a long one, with him starting here in Northwest Arkansas and going all the way down to almost Little Rock. Then he stays the night near there, and makes his way back up home the next day. He sells pipe and water meters and fire hydrants and such, and so he doesn't just go to the cities, he goes to every tiny community that has a water system. He is always telling me about little homesteads, or valleys of elk he has seen on his trips. It sounds enticing, doesn't it? Maybe not as much if you aren't a good rider.

Most of the long trips we took when I was a kid are a blur, ending with getting there. I had to take Dramamine to keep from getting carsick, and just a half tablet would knock me out for 6-7 hours of drooling on the car window. When I had my kids that wasn't an option, especially since I wanted to read to them and play "The Game" with them (see Ocean Vacation ). I finally discovered an herbal oil I can put behind my ears to good effect. But the thought of a long ride still makes me cringe.

Then dear Hubby came home and told me tales of all the bushes bowed down with elderberries and all the scarlet sumac waving in the breeze. I was sorely tempted. The sumac here burned up in the drought and the elderberries were picked clean by the birds, so he knew he had me! Some hours after I agreed to go along, he walked into the kitchen. "So... you'll probably be bringing rubber boots and wearing jeans so you can climb through brush to get the berries, right?" I put my hands on my hips and gave him The Eye. "I am bringing my boots to pull on, yes. But when did you see me wear jeans last?" He winced, and admitted that when he had thought about it, he just knew I would be in a dress and climbing through the poison ivy and briars. "I wouldn't be going on a trip to meet your customers in anything but a nice dress," I told him. He just sighed.

We left out, me reeking of herbal oils and clutching my pillow and blanket like a five year old. He had to stop first thing to get gas, and he got me an apple fritter, a chocolate chip muffin the size of my head, and a carton of milk. After 24 years he knows the best way to keep me happy is to ply me with sweets ;). He drove slowly (highly unusual behavior indeed) and stopped at all sorts of places where I squeaked with excitement about something I wanted to take a picture of. Normally I see something lovely as sort of a blur, my head wrenching around like whiplash in an attempt to take it in, as we fly past at the speed of light. He is always "getting somewhere", and never has the time to stop for anything other than a bathroom emergency of epic proportions. On this trip he was the perfect gentleman. It was so sweet...

He even climbed down in drainage ditches with me and bent over massive stems of elderberries for me to pick, helping to fill two trash bags of berries. Later in the day, he found a gorgeous stand of sumac in the fence row of an old farm. We filled a trash sack of them. Then he got me two candy bars to snack on- I was one happy girl!

We jumped in and out at so many places that I didn't have a chance to get carsick. I met tons of people he had worked with for 19+ years. At one of the water station/city hall/recycling spots in a tiny town, we pulled up to see an old wringer-washer sitting outside. I gasped with admiration. The washer was coated in cream and green enamel! The old guy there said a man was supposed to take it away years ago, and then he promptly called the person in question. He said that there was a "little gal" there who would like to have the washer. And the man on the other end said I could have it!! When we went to load it in the truck, the man laughed to see me leap into the back of the truck like a squirrel in a dress to heave it on up. He didn't realize that I am a female Hercules when it comes to hauling off junk ;).

The evening ended with me getting to have a steak dinner and a stay in a hotel. That is normal for the hubby, but like a mini vacation to me! Then we watched the 1950's movie, "King Solomon's Mines". It was one of the most lovely days we had spent together, just the two of us, in a very long while. The next day was also nice, but my heinie protested that it was done riding. I stand up and walk pretty much all day, just sitting is very tiring to me. It took a good amount of snacks for me not to ask, "Are we there yet?" and "How much longer?", about a hundred times. I told you, I'm a terrible rider!

Then we were finally back- oh, home sweet home! The dogs cried and howled and told me that they had withered away from hunger in the amount of time I had been away. Even the ducks were yelling at me about neglect and starvation. Guess I was missed...

I started the water boiling in my juicer the moment I walked in the door. I juiced both trash bags of elderberries that night and probably got 8-9 cups of juice. My hubby couldn't believe it took that many berries to make so little juice.

Then I got to my beloved sumac. Last year I drank sumac lemonade all the season it was available, and it seemed far too short. This year I may even get to freeze some berries to enjoy later. 

Sumac is a word that causes some people to instantly scratch. The sumac I am talking about is the non-poisonous variety and the two cannot be mistaken. Poison Sumac has drooping white berries like clusters of grapes, while the edible sumac has bright red/magenta berry plumes that stand straight up like beautiful, nubby brushes.

You can find the large bushes lining many fence rows and dirt roads. They will have ripe berries near the end of July through the beginning of September.

 The first settlers learned to use this plant by watching the Native Americans boil the fruit to make a sour drink that they dubbed “Indian Lemonade.” The fruits will ripen at different times according to rain and temperature, so you will have to keep your eyes open. The ripe berries are reddish, firm, and will feel slightly sticky/oily to the touch. Taste a berry; if it tastes bitter, it is not ripe. If it tastes like nothing, it is too old and dry, or washed out by rain. The berry should taste just like biting a lemon.

Gather about 12 heads/plumes of berries and rinse them gently under the faucet. Press them firmly down into a heat-proof gallon jug or container. Pour hot—but not boiling—water over till they are just covered. Let sit for 15-30 minutes or until the water has turned a medium  pink color. Strain the mixture through multiple layers of cheesecloth (I use my honey comb strainer) into a pitcher. Sweeten with sugar or honey as desired.

To sweeten mine, I make a simple syrup. It's just a 1 to 1 ratio of sugar to water, here it's 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. You bring it to a boil and when the liquid is clear it means that all the sugar is dissolved and it's ready to use. Keep tasting as you pour in the sweetener. Be sure to leave some of that wonderful tartness from all the vitamin C that you’re drinking!

What does it taste like? It tastes like a berry lemonade, with an astringent tartness very similar to cranberry juice. Everyone I have served it to is pleasantly surprised at how great it tastes. I find it delicious and refreshing, and I like it even more then iced sweet tea- gasp! No, don't revoke my Southern Lady Card- this is just a seasonal thing!! And here's a warning: sumac is related to both cashews and mangoes, so avoid it if you allergic to either of those.

A great trip spending time with my honey. Also a great haul of berries, and an adorable washer! I'm going to put it in the flowerbed by the wellhouse and put a pot of flowers in it. And maybe I'll be up for another ride... in a year or so.