From the YummyYucky team, founded by Nancy Nash

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Can Babies Drink Sumac-ade? Strain First

A tart, cold-steeped drink from red staghorn sumac. It is not an early food: wait until around 12 months, strain out the fine hairs, boil and cool the strained drink, and keep it unsweetened and small.

⛔ Only edible red staghorn sumac, never white-berried poison sumac; strain out every seed and hair, then boil.

Use ONLY edible staghorn sumac (red, upright clusters), never white-berried poison sumac. Cold-steep, strain out all seeds and fine hairs (which are a throat irritant), then boil the strained liquid and let it cool, since an unheated steep of raw wild fruit is an untreated drink. Serve unsweetened in tiny amounts.

Why it matters: Sumac-ade sits in the careful-foraged-food camp: the flavor is harmless, but it depends entirely on correct plant identification, thorough straining, and boiling the strained drink before serving, which is why it waits until closer to a year and why it is a taste, not a drink to rely on.

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When to introduce: Around 12 months, not before
Common allergen?: Not a common allergen
Texture: Thin strained liquid, all hairs and seeds removed, boiled and cooled
Key nutrients: Tart drink, mostly water; not a source of nutrition

Can babies drink sumac-ade? Not as an early food, and never casually. This tart pink drink is cold-steeped from the red, upright berry clusters of staghorn sumac (Rhus typhina), a North American plant¹ related to the Mediterranean sumac (Rhus coriaria) sold as a spice⁴, and it is worth waiting until around 12 months to offer even a taste. Three things make it a careful choice rather than a first food. It has to come from correctly identified edible sumac, the fine hairs on the berries have to be strained out, and the strained drink has to be boiled and cooled, since a cold steep of raw wild fruit is an untreated drink. Keep it unsweetened and small.

Prep School: how to prepare sumac-ade (staghorn) for baby-led weaning (BLW) and purées

🍴 Baby-led weaning

12 months+There is no finger-food version of sumac-ade. Cold-steep confirmed edible staghorn sumac berries, strain through fine cloth until every hair and seed is gone, then bring the liquid to a full boil and let it cool, since an unheated infusion of raw wild fruit is an untreated drink. Offer a sip or two in an open cup, supervised and unsweetened. Water and milk remain the main drinks; this is just a tart taste to explore.

🥄 Purées

12 months+Cold-steep confirmed edible staghorn sumac berries, strain through fine cloth until every hair and seed is gone, then bring the liquid to a full boil and let it cool, since an unheated infusion of raw wild fruit is an untreated drink. Serve a sip or two by spoon or in a small open cup, unsweetened, as a flavor to try rather than something to drink in quantity.

Is sumac-ade (staghorn) safe? Choking & prep

The biggest safety steps come before the cup. Use only red, upright-clustered staghorn sumac that you have positively identified as edible, never poison sumac, which has glossy, pale yellow or cream-colored berries², and strain the cold-steeped liquid through fine cloth so none of the tiny throat-irritating hairs or seeds get through. Then bring the strained liquid to a boil and let it cool before serving, because juice from raw fruit that has not been pasteurized or otherwise treated can carry harmful bacteria, and children are among the people most at risk of serious illness from it³. Keep it unsweetened, since babies do not need added sugar, and offer only small sips supervised in an open cup. If you are not fully confident in the plant identification, do not make it.

Nutrition

Sumac-ade is essentially flavored water: a tart, lemony infusion that carries very little in the way of calories or nutrients. It is not a source of nutrition for a baby and should never replace breastmilk, formula, or water, which are what a young child actually needs to drink. Think of it as a flavor experience rather than a food. Because it is so sour, the temptation is to sweeten it, but added sugar is worth skipping for babies, so if the plain version is too tart for your child, it is fine to simply skip it.

Goes well with

Water · Plain yogurt · Soft cooked rice · Cucumber · Chickpeas

Storage & freezing

Keep boiled, cooled sumac-ade covered in the fridge and use it within a day or two, since it is a fresh unsweetened infusion with nothing added to preserve it. Give it a look and a sniff before serving, and discard any that has been left out at room temperature.

More fruits to explore

🍅

TamarilloAround 6 months

🟤

TamarindFrom around 6 months, as strained seedless pulp

🍊

TangeloAround 9 months

🫐

TayberryAround 6 months

🫐

ThimbleberryAround 6 months

🍊

Ugli fruitAround 9 months, once baby is picking up small finger foods

Common questions

Can babies drink sumac-ade?

Only with care and not early. Wait until around 12 months, use confirmed edible staghorn sumac, strain out all the fine hairs and seeds, bring the strained liquid to a boil and let it cool, and keep it unsweetened and to small sips.

Is sumac-ade the same as poison sumac?

No. Sumac-ade is made from edible staghorn sumac, which has red, upright berry clusters. Poison sumac has white or pale berries and is not edible. Correct plant identification is the whole game here, so if you are not certain, do not make it.

Why do you have to strain sumac-ade?

The berries are covered in tiny hairs, and the clusters hold small seeds. Straining the cold-steeped liquid through fine cloth removes those hairs and seeds, which can otherwise irritate a small throat.

Should I sweeten sumac-ade for my baby?

No. Babies do not need added sugar, so keep it unsweetened. If the plain drink is too tart for your child, it is completely fine to skip it rather than sweeten it.

Is sumac-ade nutritious for babies?

Not really. It is basically flavored water with very little in the way of nutrients, so it is a flavor to try rather than a source of nutrition. Breastmilk, formula, and water are what a baby needs to drink.

Why cold-steep instead of boiling?

Sumac-ade is traditionally made by steeping the berries in cool water, which draws out the tart flavor gently. Hot water can pull out more bitterness, so a cold, slow steep gives the cleaner lemony taste. Worth knowing though: a cold steep is an untreated drink made from wild-foraged fruit, and untreated juice can make young children seriously ill³. Rinse the clusters well, and always bring the strained liquid to a boil and cool it before a toddler has any.

Is sumac an allergen?

Edible sumac is not among the common food allergens. As with any new food, offer a small amount first and watch how your baby responds.

Can I use store-bought sumac spice to make it?

The drink is traditionally made from the fresh or dried berry clusters, not the ground culinary spice. If you want the sumac flavor for a baby, sprinkling a little culinary sumac on food is a simpler and lower-risk way to explore it.

How much sumac-ade can a baby have?

Just a sip or two as a taste, not a cupful. It should never crowd out water or milk, which stay the main drinks at this age.

What if I am not sure I identified the plant correctly?

Then do not make it. Sumac-ade is only safe from correctly identified edible staghorn sumac, and there is no benefit worth the risk of a misidentified plant. When in doubt, leave it out.

Sources

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Last updated September 2026. Next review December 2026. How we write these: built from current published guidance from the AAP, CDC, FDA/EPA, NIAID, WHO, and other pediatric and public-health authorities, with sources cited on the page. See our editorial and medical policy for how we research, source, and update these, and how we double-check the food advice.

This is general information, not medical advice, and is not individualized for your baby. Always talk to your pediatrician about your baby's diet, introducing allergens, and any reaction. In an emergency, contact emergency services.

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