Perfect Lemonade – plus a few twists
As the weather warms, I find myself longing for cool drinks – including lemonade. And while lemonade might seem simple (it’s just lemon juice, sugar, and water, right?), finding right the right balance between sweet and tart isn’t that easy. And sometimes, I want a twist on traditional lemonade. If you’re like me, read on for some truly great lemonade recipes.
Perfect Lemonade
¾ cup sugar
1 cup + 4 cups water
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (from about 4 to 6 lemons)
Place sugar in a saucepan and add 1 cup water. Heat over medium and stir until the sugar dissolves. Pour the lemon juice into a pitcher. Add the sugar mixture and 4 cups water. Stir well and refrigerate until well chilled.
Strawberry Lemonade
Pour 1 cup of sugar into a saucepan. Add 1 cup water and a few orange slices; bring to a boil. Cook for 1 minute. Strain and chill.
Pour 1 basket of strawberries into a blender. Add 1 cup lemonade. Puree. Add another cup of lemonade and puree. Add the sugar/water mixture to taste. Chill.
Lavender Lemonade
Pour 1 cup sugar into a small saucepan. Add 1 cup of water and a few sprigs of lavender. Bring to a boil; cook for 1 minute. Strain. Chill.
For every serving, pour 2 tablespoons of freshly squeezed lemon juice and 1 or 2 tablespoons of the lavender mixture into a tall glass. Stir. Fill with chilled water.
Ginger Lemonade
Pour 4 quarts of water, 3 cups sugar, and the ginger into a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Remove from the stove. Stir in 4 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice. Allow to sit at room temperature for 20 minutes, then strain and chill.
Lemonade Tea
In a pitcher, stir together 36 oz. lemonade and 3 quarts of iced tea.
Rhubarb-ade
Cut 8 stalks of rhubarb into 3 in. long pieces. Place in a large saucepan. Add 8 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 1 hour. Strain. Add sugar to taste, stirring until dissolved. Chill before serving.
Raspberry Lemonade
In a blender, puree ¾ cup fresh raspberries. Strain with a fine sieve or through two layers of cheesecloth. Add 9 cups water, 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, and 2 cups sugar. Stir until sugar dissolves. Chill.
