Tis the season to can and preserve!! I started making jelly the other night out of the things I have foraged. I was asked for my for sumac jelly recipe since the ones available online tend to be small batches or produce iffy results. It is a very basic recipe, and super easy, yet yields a REALLY flavorful jelly that has 10 calories and 3 carbs per teaspoon while having a ton of vitamin C and antioxidants.

“Sumac you say!?!? But isn’t that POISONOUS!!” Sigh. It *IS* related to poison sumac but it doesn’t cause contact dermatitis, usually. “But but but… they are related! I don’t want to eat something related to poison sumac! What if… “ Stop. That is like saying you don’t want to eat tomatoes, peppers, eggplant, or potatoes because they are related to nightshade and “what if…”

Many of the things we eat have poisonous cousins. That doesn’t make them poisonous. Not convinced sumac is safe? Read this, this, this and this.

As an aside, Rhus is related to cashews. Which aren’t actually nuts. Seriously. Google it. Every cashew ever is hand picked by a human being because they can’t come up with a machine for it.

I love sumac jelly! It has a tart, tannic flavor that lends itself very well to chevre goat cheese, dried and cured meats, wild game; things with strong flavors. Sumac is naturally very high in vitamin C, and has a lemony flavor. If you have ever had Mediterranean food with a lemony red powder on it… you’ve eaten sumac! If you wonder what it is and how to find it, see my previous post about the plant itself.

Either of the two most common species of sumac, Rhus typhina or Rhus glabra, will do for making this jelly. I think the typhina probably works better, it tends to be fuzzier and have more of the flavor particulates than the glabra, however whichever you find will work.

I collected a dozen or so clusters that was about 50/50 glabra and typhina. DO NOT WASH FIRST!! You will wash all the flavor right down the sink. It is a topical flavor particulate. Don’t wash it away.

Instead, cram the fruit clusters, stem and all, into a large stainless steel pot. Yes, I know the stems look gross. Compared to the sanitized grocery store food, this feels wrong. Muscle through it. Add just enough water to cover the fruit clusters and put it on the stove to simmer for a while.

How long depends on a multitude of variables including weather patterns (effects moisture content) humidity, minerals in your tap water, etc. DO NOT USE ALUMINUM OR IRON!! Those are chemically reactive metals. Use stainless, enamel or powder coated pots.

Bring it to a low boil for about 5 minutes. “BOIL?!?!? What is this madness!! My uncle’s cousin’s brother’s sister’s friend said you just run cold water over it!” That will produce weak lemony water, yes, but the antioxidants and vitamin C aren’t really released unless you boil it. I usually boil it until it turns an amber color like below. Once the liquid gets to that color, strain it off and discard the sumac fruit. I suggest bird feeders.

The recipe I use is a pretty straight forward, low sugar recipe that yields 6 standard 6 oz. jelly jars with about a tablespoon left over for immediate gratification. Save yourself time and start your canner boiling when you put the sumac in the pot to cook.

So how do I know how many calories and carbs are in each teaspoon? Witchcraft? Almost. ALGEBRA!!!! *Flashback to 7th grade math class “When will I ever use this in real life!?!?”*

Answer: Grocery shopping, cooking, canning, home decorating… basically all the time. Take THAT 7th grade me!!

So, reading the nutritional label on the sugar bag, one teaspoon has 15 calories and 4 carbs. This recipe makes 36 ounces. Google how many teaspoons in a cup (48), and how many teaspoons in an ounce (6). Enter algebra.

(15*48)*3=2160 2160/(6*36)=10 Calories per teaspoon

(4*48)*3=576 576/(6*36)=2.6 (round up) Carbs per teaspoon

BAM! You just did algebra. Pretty painless, eh?

I just know I’m going to get an email or a comment that my expressions are incorrect. I haven’t had a math class in a lifetime. I did the best I could on memory!

Sumac is a wonderful jelly that you just CANNOT buy I stores. It is akin in many ways to mint jelly in that it pairs so well with savory things. By making it yourself, you can control the ingredients and make sure there are no artificial anything in there. It also is a great way to get out and enjoy the outdoors hunting for the ingredients. Give it a try! The recipe is below.

RECIPE: (I have edited this because the set is unreliable as originally posted)

EDIT: There seems to be inconsistencies in set, based on pectin brand. I did an experiment with Pamonas Universal (link below), Sure Gel Low Sugar, and Ball Lower Sugar Jam pectin. The net results are that the Pamonas set better with that kind of very low sugar content. The flavor is good, it can just be a loose set with the other brands.

I have revised this recipe based on recent experiments. Pamonas works so well that when I used it on elderberries I ended up with almost gummy bear like jam. So be aware that it works REAAAALY well! So well you can use it to make jello. Instruction are in the box for that.

• 4.5 cups of sumac liquid
• 3 cups of sugar
• 2 tablespoons Pamonas Universal Pectin** This is the edit**
• 2 tablespoons calcium water (comes with Paminas Universal pectin)
• 1 tablespoon vinegar
• 1 tsp coconut oil (optional)

1. There will be little sumac fuzzies in the liquid. That’s fine. Think of it as fiber. Put the liquid in a stainless pot and start on a medium high heat. Per Pamonas instructions, add prepared liq6 and 2 tablespoons calcium water to non reactive pan and bring to a boil.
2. Add pectin to measured sugar and stir together well while waiting for liquid to boil.
3. Add coconut oil as an anti foaming agent.
4. Bring to a full rolling boil and stir in the sugar/pectin mixture.
5. When it returns to boil that can’t be stirred down, remove from heat.
6. Skim off any foam and ladle into prepared jars. Wipe the rims down, and place lids/bands on the jars.
7. Load jars into your canner and make sure there is at least 2 inches of water covering jars and lids. Add the vinegar to the canning water. That will help prevent mineral scale from building up on the outside of your jars during the canning process.
8. Process time should be determined by your elevation and contents; see the USDA guidelines for that. Here they are.
9. As a high acid food, at my elevation, it is 5 minutes at a full boil.
10. After 5 minutes, turn the canner off and let jars sit in canner for 5 minutes.
11. Remove the jars from from the canner and set on a dry towel, out of drafts, to cool. If you are using single use metal lids, you should almost immediately begin hearing *PING* as the jars seal. I use the Tattler reusable lids now and I rather miss that. What are Tattlers? Find out here. They don’t sponsor me or anything, I just like the sustainable aspect. (I am hoping to switch over to Weck jars, but I’m still in the research phase).
12. Wait until they are fully cool, preferably overnight, THEN REMOVE THE BANDS. Label with date & contents and store in a single layer in a dark place. Do NOT leave the metal bands on the jars, I don’t care who told you to do it. Why? Keep reading.
13. Do NOT stack jars. That defeats the purpose of a two part lid. The whole reason lids come in two pieces is so that if there are bacteria or enzymes in the jar, the lid will pop off and you will know not to eat it. It is a built in safety feature. If you leave the bands on or stack them, the jar can be full of botulism and stay sealed or even RESEAL. I don’t care who has done what for how many years and been fine. All it takes is ONCE. Just be smart. Don’t do it. Remove the bands and get shelves that are closer together if you are worried about space.

I hope you get a chance to make this jelly and enjoy it. It is a wonderful alternative to store bought jelly with a unique flavor. Why buy when you can DIY?