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| Lemonadeberry (Rhus integrifolia) - ripe ruits |
It’s
been quite a productive year for Lemonadeberries in our part of Southern
California. Plants bloomed early and fruits
are now dark red and dripping with sticky, sour goodness. It’s time for some suggestions on using these
quintessential California fruits. To
learn more about the plant itself we suggest our December, 2014 posting: http://mother-natures-backyard.blogspot.com/2014/12/plant-of-month-december-lemonadeberry.html
Lemonadeberry
flavor is hard to describe. Certainly
it’s very tart/sour, with a hint of lemons (citric acid). But the flavor is distinctive, perhaps
because of the unique blend of citric acid, other acids (likely malic and
ascorbic acids) and other plant compounds.
You just have to taste it to know it.
Collecting the fruit
First
a note on picking. Fruits are ripe when
they are dark orange-red to dark red and
dripping. Put one in your mouth – ripe fruits
have a strong sweet-tart taste.
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| Picking Lemonadeberry fruits - CSU Dominguez Hills |
The
fruits are very sticky. We suggest wearing
old clothes and a pair of thin latex gloves; even so, you’re bound to get a
little sticky. The ripe fruits should
come off easily when you pull them;
collect into a plastic bag (best because you can close it up) or non-metal bowl
or container. Some people cut off entire fruiting clusters, removing the fruits in the comfort of their
kitchen. But these fruits are so easy to
pick that we just pull them off in the garden.
If
you plan to use your fruit to make jelly, syrup or any other recipe that
requires heat, you may want to choose fruits that are more orange-red than
red. These fruits, which are slightly
less ripe, are more tart and flavorful in cooked recipes.
Try
to pick fruits that are relatively clean.
Harvest away from major roadways and choose fruits that are free of dust
if possible. As always, collecting fruit
from your own bushes is safest; you know they haven’t been sprayed with
something noxious.
Processing the fruit
Unlike
most fruits, the flavored part of the Lemonadeberry fruit is the sticky
coating. Do not wash the fruits or
you’ll wash away the flavoring. Pick out
any leaves or twigs – that’s all the processing that’s required.
Preparing the ‘juice’
Many
Lemonadeberry recipes begin with Lemonadeberry ‘juice’ (really water flavored
with the fruit secretions). This is
simplicity itself to prepare. Place
unwashed fruits into a non-reactive container (glass or pyrex is best). Be sure
to leave a little extra room, as fruits will swell slightly. Just cover the fruits with cool water and let
the mixture sit for 2-4 hours (or overnight in the refrigerator). Stir or swirl the mixture occasionally so the
sticky secretions dissolve.
At
the end of soaking, fruits should appear slightly swollen and pale. Remove as many fruits as possible with a
slotted spoon (use the fruits in the compost).
Pour the liquid through a sieve to remove the remaining fruits and other
particles. We like to use a medium-mesh sieve to remove the larger stuff, then a
fine meshed sieve for a final straining.
If there are lots of small particles, consider lining the fine sieve
with several layers of cheesecloth before straining.
You
now have Lemonadeberry juice, which can be used in several ways (see recipes,
below). The juice can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to three days
or frozen for later use.
Drying Lemonadeberry fruits
The
fruits of other Rhus species are dried and used as a seasoning in Mediterranean
and Middle Eastern recipes. You can
easily dry Lemonadeberry fruits for use on salads or in yoghurt, marinades,
dips, hummus or other traditional recipes featuring sumac.
You
can air-dry Lemonadeberry fruits if the weather is hot and dry; or speed the
process in a food dryer or warm oven.
Either way, the process will take several days to complete, so be
patient. We like to spread the fruits on
a clean piece of screen on a baking rack to insure good air circulation (see photo
above). If air-drying, cover with another piece if screen. We dry our fruits in a warm oven over 3-4 days. We heat the oven to ‘warm’ (less than 150°F
or 65°C) several times a day, letting the fruits dry slowly.
Fruits are
dry when they look slightly darker and are slightly decreased in size. The differences between dry and fresh berries
are subtle; cut one in half to check for dryness. Store dry fruits whole in a glass jar with
a tight lid; or grind them in a spice mill, then store the dried seasoning in
an airtight glass jar.
Recipes Using Lemonadeberry Juice
Lemonadeberry ‘Lemonade’ (Rhus-ade) |
Lemonadeberry juice in a glass. Add sugar or honey to taste. Stir and enjoy! |
Lemonadeberry Syrup |
1 cup prepared juice 1-2 cups sugar (1 cup makes a thin syrup for flavored beverages; 1 ½ cups makes a medium syrup for ice cream topping, desserts; 2 cups makes a thick syrup for pancakes, etc.) 1 drop red food coloring (optional) Place sugar, food coloring (optional) and juice in a heavy saucepan. Simmer over medium heat until mixture almost boils. Turn down heat and simmer 5 additional minutes. Remove from heat. Let cool. Store in a closed jar or bottle in the refrigerator for up to 1 month. Or process with a boiling water bath (as for jelly) to store for several years at room temperature. You can make this syrup in any amount needed – just use 1 cup sugar (or other as desired) per cup of juice. This syrup makes a refreshing sweet-tart summer drink when used to flavor sparkling water. You can also use it in punch, over ice cream, sliced fruits or cake, etc. This is an adult flavor – young children may find it too ‘sour’. |
Lemonadeberry Jelly |
3 cups prepared juice 1 package Sure-jell dry pectin 4-5 cups sugar (we use 4 ½); measure out ahead of time 1 drop red food coloring (optional) Place the juice and pectin in a large, heavy pot (6 quart/liter or larger). Bring to full rolling boil, stirring often. Add the sugar all at once and stir in quickly; if using food coloring, add it now. Bring again to full rolling boil. Boil 1 minute. Fill prepared canning jars. Process in boiling water bath for 5 minutes if canning at less than 1000 feet elevation (*Add 1 additional minute for each additional 1000 feet of altitude). Remove jars from water bath. Let cool; check to be sure that lids have sealed. Makes about five to six 8-oz jars. A sweet-tart favorite that’s great on toast and English muffins! |
*More on canning
at high altitudes:
Lemonadeberry Jell Candy |
taste 2 envelopes (1/4 oz Knox packets) unflavored gelatin Heat juice to 150° F. (warm). Place juice in a non-metal bowl. Gradually whisk in the gelatin, making sure that it completely dissolves (no lumps). Pour mixture into a lightly oiled 8x8 inch pan (or prepared candy molds). Refrigerate for 1-2 hours (or until set). Cut/un-mold and serve. |
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We
welcome your comments, below. If you
have questions, please e- mail us at: mothernaturesbackyard10@gmail.com
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