sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
OK so what kind of sumac is edible and what isnt? I just saw Andrew ZImmern enjoying a mouthful on Bizarre Foods "Apalachia" and I want to know if the sumac growing around us is edible!?!
Sumac???
- Thread starter sparkles2307
- Start date
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
You can for sure eat the berries of the tall treelike species that produce upright, dark reddish "christmas trees" of very fuzzy bristly reddish berries, like the ones you see mile after mile along highway embankments in fall and winter. You mash the (fresh, not winter-dried) clusters of berries up real good in some water, strain it through muslin or good cheesecloth to get the bits and bristles out, and it makes a really nice lemonade-y kind of drink. (You can also eat the berries as is, but it's quite a bristly mouthful albeit tasty)
I'm actually going to buy some nursery-propagated wild sumac this weekend (can't believe I'm actually going to spend money on it! but I just havne't been able to get hold of any I can legally dig) expressly for the purpose of having my own 'clean' non-roadside source of sumac berries
DO NOT mess with anything that might be poison ivy or poison sumac; and I dunno whether fragrant/shining sumac (R. copallina?) berries are edible.
Some sort of mediterranean area cuisine (Turkish? I forget) uses some dried part of some sumac as a seasoning, zataar, but I haven't the faintest idea what species or what plant part that would be.
Have fun,
Pat
I'm actually going to buy some nursery-propagated wild sumac this weekend (can't believe I'm actually going to spend money on it! but I just havne't been able to get hold of any I can legally dig) expressly for the purpose of having my own 'clean' non-roadside source of sumac berries
DO NOT mess with anything that might be poison ivy or poison sumac; and I dunno whether fragrant/shining sumac (R. copallina?) berries are edible.
Some sort of mediterranean area cuisine (Turkish? I forget) uses some dried part of some sumac as a seasoning, zataar, but I haven't the faintest idea what species or what plant part that would be.
Have fun,
Pat
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,227
- Reaction score
- 10,050
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
There is an article in the May/June 2009 "Countryside" magazine about Sumac. It mentions the lemonade type drink Pat mentioned, made from the Rhus Typhina. I'll bet Rhus Typhina is the one Pat is getting.
The Rhus Coriaria produced a Middle Eastern spice or condiment. The Sumerians and ancient Egyptians used it. Sumac is an important ingredient in Za'tar, a seasoning that can be found in Middle Eastern markets in the US and, I'd imagine, Canada.
I'll quote "Among the more than 150 genera of sumac, there are a good number that are poisonous while others produce fruit which is not edible." It specifically mentions white berries as poisonous but this "quote" does not give me a feeling of confidence that other than white is necesarily safe.
The Rhus Coriaria produced a Middle Eastern spice or condiment. The Sumerians and ancient Egyptians used it. Sumac is an important ingredient in Za'tar, a seasoning that can be found in Middle Eastern markets in the US and, I'd imagine, Canada.
I'll quote "Among the more than 150 genera of sumac, there are a good number that are poisonous while others produce fruit which is not edible." It specifically mentions white berries as poisonous but this "quote" does not give me a feeling of confidence that other than white is necesarily safe.
- Thread starter
- #4
sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
Yes we have the miles and miles of roadside stuff, and I think we might have some in our pasture? Or at least I have seen it well off the road in our area. Good I am glad that type is what I can use. It is supposed to be very good on trout.
Hattie the Hen
Deeply Rooted
Thank you for that info -- I've been trying to find out whether I can eat the one in my garden which we call The Stag's Horn Sumach. Tou find Sumach Powder all over the middle east & it is used as a condiment sprinkled over cooked food. I used to have it over lamb cutlets cooked on a grill I served in a pitta flat bread with salad -- this was cooked by Turks & made a great take-away. They would ask the customers if they wanted it -- many didn't like it. I shall now check your info with the Latin name for my tree. It would be great if it was the same one because if I want to buy zataar it costs silly money.
sparkles,
I think it would be great on grilled trout -- thanks for that suggestion!
:rose Hattie :rose
sparkles,
I think it would be great on grilled trout -- thanks for that suggestion!
:rose Hattie :rose
Ridgerunner
Garden Master
- Joined
- Mar 20, 2009
- Messages
- 8,227
- Reaction score
- 10,050
- Points
- 397
- Location
- Southeast Louisiana Zone 9A
The article says the Stag Horn is the Typhina. Happy seasoning.
Hattie the Hen
Deeply Rooted
HEY! 
Ridgerunner, you are a hero
I'm over the moon about that. I shall be much kinder about the tree now because it is SO HARD to keep it under control as it suckers EVERYWHERE & I am always digging it up. Also it often doesn't set it's berries -- I wonder if you have to have a male as well as a female. I know the one in my old house definitely fruited. Hmmm! I must pay attention this year.
Thanks for your help; HAPPY GARDENING. :coolsun
:rose Hattie :rose
Ridgerunner, you are a hero
I'm over the moon about that. I shall be much kinder about the tree now because it is SO HARD to keep it under control as it suckers EVERYWHERE & I am always digging it up. Also it often doesn't set it's berries -- I wonder if you have to have a male as well as a female. I know the one in my old house definitely fruited. Hmmm! I must pay attention this year.
Thanks for your help; HAPPY GARDENING. :coolsun
:rose Hattie :rose
- Thread starter
- #8
sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
I read that there ARE male and female, but it never said you need male...it said that the female plants set berries and the male ones dont.
- Thread starter
- #9
sparkles2307
Garden Ornament
So, once I collect them fuzzy berries, I dry them and grind them into powder for cooking with? The fuzz confuses me....
patandchickens
Deeply Rooted
Only thing I know to do with the bristly berries of native sumacs is make the lemonade-type stuff.
The ground sumac used in middle eastern cooking SOUNDS similar from descriptions I found via google -- 'fruity, lemony, tart', 'whole or ground brick-red berries' -- although it is from a different species. I don't see why you couldn't try drying the native edible sumac berries and grinding them. I'd just grind 'em up bristles and all, doubt you'd ever know the difference once it's all powdered.
Have fun, let us know what happens,
Pat
The ground sumac used in middle eastern cooking SOUNDS similar from descriptions I found via google -- 'fruity, lemony, tart', 'whole or ground brick-red berries' -- although it is from a different species. I don't see why you couldn't try drying the native edible sumac berries and grinding them. I'd just grind 'em up bristles and all, doubt you'd ever know the difference once it's all powdered.
Have fun, let us know what happens
,Pat
