Sumac Tea
In our second installment of historic recipes celebrating NH Eats Local month, we dare you to be adventurous and use a local shrub to make a delicious tart tea. Mrs. Prescott serves Sumac Tea in the Phoenix Mill House. Her guests find it a refreshing summer drink that tastes somewhat like lemonade.
Staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina) is a small shrub you can find in abundance in this area. The shrub gets its name from its branches that are fuzzy like the velvety antlers on a male deer. The fruit of the shrub are the reddish, pinecone-shaped rhomboid that are covered with berry-like seeds.
Sumac Tea
To make the tea, boil the rhomboids for a few minutes in water. Strain the tea through some cheesecloth and chill. The more rhomboids in the pot, the stronger the flavor.
If you prefer your tea sweetened, just stir in some sugar.
Learn more about Staghorn Sumac HERE.
The Phoenix Mill House is a 19th century millworker’s home on the grounds of the Monadnock Center. Each autumn, the center presents a series of living history demonstrations that share the story of the Samuel and Nancy Prescott family who lived in the house in the 1830s.
