Ruby juice and sunny orangeade, emerald mint and golden lemon… Made from natural fruits and herbs, cool and refreshing homemade lemonades delight not only the taste, but also the look.
Orangeade, fruit drink, punch – at the beginning of the XNUMXth century, these words sounded like music, enticing everyone with the freshness of natural fruits and the desired coolness in the midst of the summer heat. Today, the culture of self-preparation of soft drinks is almost lost – at home, in the country, and at a picnic, for the most part, we are content with factory-made products. Meanwhile, homemade lemonades and fruit drinks benefit not only due to the natural ingredients that make up their composition. Moderately sweet and non-carbonated, they quench your thirst much better than any other drink, and their natural colors fascinate with their beauty and brightness.
Crystal base
In addition to freshly squeezed juice, any lemonade contains fruit decoction, which means that water is needed for its preparation. It is she – or rather, her purity and quality that are the key to a bright taste: water taken from the tap is not suitable for lemonade. Therefore, if there is no well or spring near your home, it is best to use low-mineralized water or, in extreme cases, filtered water. If you want the drink to be a little sparkling, try replacing some of the ordinary water with natural carbonated water – in this case, it should be added to the already prepared drink right before serving and lightly mixed with a whisk or skewer.
Council
How to make crushed icePour water into a plastic bag, tie tightly and place in the freezer. When the water has solidified, break the ice block with a meat hammer.
Alcohol-free
Many summer cocktails contain alcohol. However, almost all of them can be prepared in a light, non-alcoholic version. So, for example, the most popular mojito is quite possible to make without traditional rum. To do this, simply squeeze the juice of one small lime into a large glass, add brown sugar, lime zest and chopped mint, then actively mash the greens with a spoon (it should give juice and begin to exude a strong aroma), and then pour crushed ice and top up with carbonated mineral water . Refreshing taste, emerald green color and spicy lime-mint aroma will make non-alcoholic mojito a decoration of any summer feast. You can do the same with the classic kruchon, which is usually cooked in a watermelon peel from diced watermelon pulp (you can also add fruits such as apricots or strawberries), sugar, lemon juice and champagne. By replacing champagne with freshly squeezed grapefruit juice (or a mixture of carbonated mineral water with pomegranate juice) and slightly increasing the amount of sugar, you will get an amazing invigorating and original drink that will appeal to both adults and children.
Freedom of experiment
We used to think that only fruits are suitable for making lemonades and other refreshing drinks. However, try adding garden herbs (parsley, dill, basil, rosemary, thyme, cilantro) or juices squeezed from vegetables to traditional recipes, and you will see how familiar drinks will acquire completely new, unexpected and pleasant flavors. So, for example, a glass of freshly squeezed celery juice mixed with a few tablespoons of lemon juice can truly transform a banal decoction of fresh or dried apples. And a few spoons of strained beetroot juice will add an exotic note to any berry juice, giving it not only an unusual aroma, but an amazingly rich ruby color.
Three colors of time
Red
Juice of red berries
It turns out: 2,5 liters. Cooking time: 35 minutes + 3 hours for cooling.
- 800 g of a mixture of red berries (eg raspberries, red currants, strawberries).
- 200-250 g of sugar (depending on the acidity of the berries).
- 2-3 cups of unsalted sparkling mineral water.
- 1,2 liters of water.
Sort the berries, peel the leaves and stalks, rinse carefully if necessary. Put them in a saucepan, fill with mineral water so that it slightly covers the berries, and mash thoroughly with a large pestle. Strain the resulting liquid through a double gauze, and carefully squeezed berries put into a saucepan, sprinkle with sugar, pour water and boil over medium heat for 10-15 minutes after boiling. Cool the broth, then strain again, mix with berry juice and refrigerate. Serve garnishing each glass with fresh berries.
Orange
ginger orangeade
It turns out: 2 liters. Cooking time: 20 minutes + 3 hours for cooling.
- Juice and zest of 5 oranges.
- Juice and zest of 1 lemon.
- 125 g sugar (if the oranges are unsweetened, a little more sugar may be needed).
- 1,5 L of water.
- A piece of ginger root 2-3 cm long.
Remove the skin from the ginger and grate it on the finest grater. Mix the lemon and orange zest cut into thin strips in a three-liter saucepan with sugar and grated ginger, cover with water and bring to a boil over low heat, then immediately remove from the stove, cover and cool at room temperature. When the mixture has cooled, strain it through a double layer of cheesecloth, add orange and lemon juice, mix thoroughly and, after pouring into a jug, refrigerate. Serve in a tall glass, garnished with a thin orange slice.
Yellow
Lemonade with herbs
It turns out: 2,5 liters. Cooking time: 20 minutes + 3 hours for cooling.
- Juice and zest of 7 lemons.
- 275g sugar (may need a little more)
- 2 L of water.
- 1 st. l. finely chopped fresh rosemary, dill and parsley leaves.
Cut the lemon zest into strips, mix with chopped herbs and sugar and remember a little with your fingers. When the greens give juice, pour the mixture with water and bring to a boil over low heat, and then cool. When the infusion has cooled, strain it through a double layer of gauze, mix with lemon juice and, pouring into a jug, cool in the refrigerator. Serve over crushed ice and garnish with a sprig of parsley or rosemary.