We are going to start a new trend around here to keep things interesting…Every Friday, I will list a post for a new cocktail for you to try. I will be sharing some interesting ones that I have come across in other blogs, others from magazines, and also some creations from friends and family. With the beautiful 85°F weather we had today, I was inspired to make my own version of hard lemonade…eh, limonade. After a long week, who would not want to wind down with a delicious and refreshing drink that is made with some ingredients that you probably already have around the house. The beauty of this, is that you can add some liquor for an adult version, or simply enjoy it without, so it is kid-friendly too! It is perfectly fine to use only lemons, if that is what you have on hand, I guarantee it will be just as delicious. Remember that limes are more acidic in nature, so don’t add too much more lime juice…I think the recipe is perfect just as it is…ENJOY!
Limonade (makes 5 cups)
1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice
½ cup fresh squeezed lime juice
1 cup simple syrup
2 ½ cups cold water
1 lemon or lime, sliced very thin for decoration
2-4oz vodka (optional)
Simple syrup (makes 2 ¼ cups)
2 cups granulated sugar
1 cup water
2 Tablespoons corn syrup (prevents crystallization)
First make your simple syrup by adding the sugar to a small stock pot, then adding the water and the corn syrup. If you don’t want to use the corn syrup, add a few drops of lemon juice. Once the syrup starts boiling rapidly, let it cook through for about 5 minutes and then take it off the heat and let it cool. It will be quite syrupy. In the meantime, juice the lemons and the limes, pass the juice through a sieve into a small jug. Add 1 cup of the syrup into juice and 2 ½ cups of ice cold water and mix well. Cut thin slices of lemon or limes for decoration and add one slice to each glass or add all of the slices to your serving jug. A beautiful clear glass jug would be perfect for this. You can now refrigerate this and serve it as is over ice for the kids or add the vodka for the adult version…it is so delicious!
The extra simple syrup will store well in a lidded container in the refrigerator, just make sure to use it within a couple of days.
***An original recipe from www.goodfoodgourmet.com
Leave a Reply