Refreshing winter drink

Sumac bobs

As the temperatures drop in the northeast, so do the foraging opportunities. Generally, berries are collected during the summer months, except for the berries of the Staghorn Sumac (Rhus typhina). Late fall through winter is the time to harvest these tart berries for a refreshing drink, which is high in vitamin C, A and antioxidants.

Drupes and notice the hairs covering the stem

There are many varieties of Sumac; the largest in the northeast is the Staghorn. The berries and branches are covered with hairs, similar to the velvet that covers the antlers of a stag (male deer), hence the name. Sumac is rather easy to identify during the cold weather months as their bright red berry clusters stand out on the shrub that can reach four to 35 feet tall. The berry clusters are technically ‘drupes’ and collectively referred to as ‘bobs.’ The drupes are pea-sized berries with hairs that are covered with malic acid. This is what makes grapes and apples tart and gives your Sumac drink its tart flavor.

Berries

You want to collect the bobs on a nice sunny day, several days after any rain or snow. The precipitation will wash the malic acid away, so the drier the better. It is easy to test for tartness, simply touch your finger to a berry then your finger to your tongue.

To make a refreshing drink:

  • Harvest a couple of bobs
  • Remove all the berries
  • In a bowl or Mason jar cover the berries with cold water and let it sit for at least an hour, the longer the better (do not use hot water, it will release the tannic acid and the drink will be too bitter)
  • Add sweetener to taste. But frankly, it tastes so good, we prefer it sans sweetener.
  • Enjoy!

Refreshing Sumac drink ~ yum!

When foraging, please remember to collect away from roads and areas that may have contaminated soils.

What do you like to forage in the winter? Please share and I will continue to share.

 

 

 

 

No need to compost the marc

I love to reuse, repurpose and eliminate waste wherever I can. It actually makes me a little giddy to create something valuable out of a thing most people would discard. So, when I read Rosemary Glasdstar’s suggestion to use the marc from making Fire Cider into chutney, I was all over it. The marc is the plant material left over after you have filtered/pressed all the liquid out. My Fire Cider recipe was made from such wonderful and powerful ingredients (ginger root, horseradish root, turmeric, onion, garlic, jalapeno peppers, and lemons), it did seem a shame to compost it. And thanks to Rosemary, I have something yummy to do with it.

During the process, I learned that it was not necessary to put the Fire Cider through a press which leaves the left over marc rather dry and chutney is not supposed to be dry. I ended up adding some Fire Cider to moisten it up. Therefore, if you intend to use the marc from the Fire Cider to make chutney, simply filter it through a cheesecloth lined stainless steel strainer.

Here’s my version of Fire Cider Chutney.

  • Fire Cider marc
  • ½ cup chopped dried apricots
  • 1 cup raw buckwheat honey (I like how the bold, rich taste of buckwheat honey balances the hot and spicy taste of the marc)
  • Fire Cider, if marc is too dry

Add all the ingredients to a food processor and mix on pulse; you want it chunky, not a paste. Gently warm the honey so it will mix easily with the Fire Cider marc, add to taste (make sure not to heat honey over 120°F, as it will kill the wonderful enzymes and bacteria that are so rich in healing properties). You want a hot spicy and sweet chutney; play around with the ingredients.

I was so excited to share my new creation that I brought little jars to a dinner party for friends to taste and experiment.  I was overjoyed with the results, some people simply enjoyed it right out of the jar, and others added it to hamburgers. I am having fun adding it to many of my favorite dishes. I love the spin it gave my chicken soup. My brother-in-law enjoyed it on his falafel sandwich. I love the spin it gave my Salmon dish, I usually mix mango chutney with mustard but the Fire Cider Chutney was delicious change. Add the chutney to stir fry, eggs or veggie dishes. You are only limited by your imagination.

Store the chutney in the refrigerator to ensure freshness.

Enjoy!Fire Cider Chutney