Tuesday, July 12, 2011

Classic Lemonade



I don't know of any other drink as refreshing or tasty on a hot summer day than a big glass of frosty, cold lemonade.  Lemonade truly is the quintessential summer beverage, it's tangy and sour with just the perfect amount of sweetness.  Bright and cheery- it's sunshine in a glass.   I have been on a lemonade binge the last few weeks, ever since my mother-in-law shared this recipe with me.  I lost count of how many batches I've made, but it's somewhere around 20.  Of course, I am eight months pregnant, and I have been known to make and remake my favorite recipes over and over and over again but seriously, this lemonade is the best I have ever tasted.  As soon as I see that pitcher getting dangerously low, I have to start whipping up another batch.  The thought of being without a glass is just too much for me to bear.

I have to admit, when I first tried this at my mother-in-law's house, I was a bit skeptical.  She said it was the best lemonade she had ever tried and I wondered what was so special about this particular recipe.  I still don't know.  It only has three ingredients: lemons, sugar, and water.  The real beauty of it is that this recipe strikes the perfect balance between sour and sweet.  I have tried lots of lemonade recipes over the years, and this is by far the best.  The only change I made was adding some of the pulp to mine which gives it a little more lemony kick, which I enjoy.  This recipe takes less than ten minutes to make and will soon be your favorite summer drink.  Sure, popping open a can of frozen concentrate might save you five minutes, but will also fill you up with high fructose corn syrup.  Plus, there is nothing like fresh squeezed juice- it simply tastes better. 

Lemonade

1 c water
3/4 c granulated sugar
3/4 c fresh squeezed lemon juice (from approx. 6 lemons)
4 c cold water
lemon pulp

Place 1 c water and sugar into a small saucepan over medium heat.  Bring to a simmer and stir occasionally until sugar dissolves, about 3 minutes.  Set aside and let cool.

Juice lemons and strain to remove seeds and pulp.  At this point, I use a spoon to remove all the seeds and add remaining pulp to lemon juice.  Depending on the size and juiciness of your lemons, you may need more than six, but I find that is the average number it takes to yield 3/4 c.

Add lemon juice, pulp, simple syrup, and 4 c water to a large pitcher.  Stir well and chill thoroughly before enjoying. 

2 comments:

  1. Greetings. This is my first time on your blog, but you have a terrific one. I am always on the look out for fresh veggies and fruit recipes, and your lemonade looks FANTASTIC!

    I am asking, would you please consider posting a few of your favorite recipes on erecipecards.com
    http://erecipecards.com/

    It is a tool for bloggers to see and to be seen. Your posts would fit in perfectly.

    in addition, all photos, recipe titles as well as your blog name would link directly back to your blog. Thus giving you new attention and potentially new readers.

    Or, if you just want to take a look at a lot of fellow food bloggers all in one place. A great learning experience to get ideas about how to establish your own blogging voice!


    Please take a look. If you have any ideas or questions, please do not hesitate to write

    Dave
    http://erecipecards.com/
    Contact@eRecipeCards.com

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  2. I found you from the foodie blog roll and I'd love to guide Foodista readers to your site. I hope you could add this lemonade widget at the end of this post so we could add you in our list of food bloggers who blogged about making lemonade,thanks!

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