SC - harvesting sumac

[sjk3 at cornell.edu]

I'm pretty sure from what has been posted here (including the websites) 
that what I have out back is the appropriate (edible) variety of sumac.  
Does anyone know how and when to harvest it, and whether the fruiting 
bodies need any treatment before using?  I never thought of them as 
berries; my impression has been that they're rather fuzzy, but that may 
be because the ones I've handled have been those that fell to the ground 
during the winter and needed to be cleared away before mowing.

Sandra Kisner
sjk3 at cornell.edu