I love homemade lemonade. My kids know the difference between Country Time and when I make it fresh squeezed. For several years, I had been content to just make homemade lemonade with fresh lemons. Then, for some reason, I got the idea that lemonade needed more zap. I started adding strawberries, watermelon. . .you name it. The result is what I think is super lemonade and my kids who once shunned Country Time now shun just plain lemonade. Here are a few lemonade recipes to impress your Memorial Day guests with or just to make on a super hot day!
For your plain old lemonade check here, in our very own Family Fun blog! As Lauri points out, making lemonade with the kids can be a lot of fun!
Minted Lemonade–Completely Refreshing!
Simple syrup: Bring 2 cups of sugar and 2 cups of water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until the sugar is dissolved and let cool.
Place 2 cups of fresh lemon juice in a large pitcher, add remaining 4 cups of water and 1 cup of simple syrup (or however much you’d like to taste). Stir in mint leaves and refrigerate at least one hour (but overnight will give it a much “mintier” flavor.
Blueberry Lemonade–A Fruity Treat
Add 3 cups of blueberries and ¾ cups of sugar in a blender and puree. Place 2 cups of fresh squeezed lemon juice and 3 cups of cold water in a pitcher and strain the blueberries through a sieve into the pitcher. Stir well and pour into cool glasses.
Strawberry-Rhubarb Lemonade–You HAVE to try this!
In a saucepan stir together 3 ½ cups of water, 2 cups of cut rhubarb*, 2 strips of lemon zest**, ¾ cups of sugar, and ½ teaspoon of vanilla. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is dissolved, cover the pot and simmer for 8 minutes. Stir in 1 cup of strawberries and boil the mixture, covered for 2 minutes.
Let the mixture cool and strain it through a coarse sieve set over a pitcher. Press hard on the solids because you want to get out as much of the juices as possible. Stir the remaining 1 cup of strawberries and 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Divide each mixture among chilled glasses and add ice cubes.
* To prepare rubharb, cut the ends off of a stalk and cut into 1 inch pieces.
** Zest is a fancy word for the peel. To get a strip of ‘zest’ use a vegetable peel being careful not to get the white pith underneath. The pith of a citrus fruit is bitter and too much will yield you a final product that is bitter.
These recipes were inspired by the Food Network’s newsletter.
Have a question? Ask the food blogger!
Are you looking for other drink recipes? Look here!