Try this Strawberry Lemonade recipe, or contribute your own.
- Carbohydrate 23.3471999506586 g
- Cholesterol 0 mg
- Fat 0.911999998072601 g
- Fiber 6.07999998715067 g
- Protein 2.03679999569548 g
- Saturated Fat 0.04559999990363 g
- Serving Size 1 1 recipe (1716g)
- Sodium 41913.8201203434 mg
- Sugar 17.2671999635079 g
- Trans Fat 0.264479999441054 g
- Calories 97 calories
Step-by-step
- Combine sugar, 1 cup of water and lemon zest in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and cook for 10 minutes. Cool.
- Puree strawberries in a food processor until smooth. Strain the puree through a fine mesh strainer, pressing down on the solids to get all the good juice out.
- Strain the cooled lemon sugar syrup through a fine mesh strainer.
- Combine the syrup, the strawberry puree, the lemon juice and the remaining water in a large pitcher and stir. Add ice cubes and serve!
Most people make the fundamental error of dumping cold water, raw citrus juice, and sugar together into a pitcher and stirring, which leaves granules undissolved and flavours disjointed. Creating a stable base requires heat to build a simple syrup that thoroughly integrates sugar molecules with lemon zest oils. Simmering one cup of water with three-quarters of a cup of sugar and the zest for ten minutes extracts essential aromatic compounds into the liquid. Dissolving sugar completely prevents the gritty mouthfeel that plagues hastily prepared beverages. Acidity from six fresh lemons provides sharp citric acid, which must be countered by precise sweetening so the drink refreshes rather than scorches the palate. Fresh strawberries contribute malic and citric acids of their own, shifting the pH balance of the final pitcher. Puréeing those berries and forcing the liquid through a fine mesh strainer removes fibrous pulp, ensuring a smooth texture that suspends evenly in the citrus solution. Straining the cooled lemon sugar syrup removes residual zest pieces that would otherwise impart bitterness during extended refrigeration. Combine the chilled syrup, strained strawberry liquid, one cup of fresh lemon juice, and the remaining four cups of cold water in a large vessel. Adjusting the ratio requires substituting up to one-half cup of simple syrup with honey if a rounder floral note is desired. Storing the finished beverage covered in the refrigerator remains safe for up to forty-eight hours before the bright volatile aromatics begin to degrade.
