After a long, hot day yesterday, I can report that the “sun tea” version of the staghorn sumac berries did finally turn a very pale shade of pink. I still prefer the heated water method though.

You can compare the pale color in the “sun tea” pitcher to the deeper pink color in the glass of iced sumac made from an earlier heated water method with the berries strained away. It would be fun to freeze a tray of the tea as ice cubes leaving some of the berries in each cube. This would make for a more colorful presentation, yet still keep the berries from being a nuisance, and of course keep the drink cold: So another experiment for another time.