I managed to try a lot of different lemonades. From classic to where lemon juice is squeezed into a glass, a couple of spoons of sugar are thrown in, and water is poured from the tap. To modern bar variations with the use of all kinds of syrups – lavender, cherry, and raspberry syrups. All this was certainly good and often delicious. But I still couldn’t understand why they are called lemonades when the lemon was not included? And they have almost never reached the title of “ideal”.
What makes the perfect lemonade?
- First, it must be natural. That is, it must be free of artificial syrups and flavors. I’m not saying that they are absolutely evil. However, in my opinion, you can make any kind of lemonade from bad to good based on syrup. But you can’t get it perfect.
- Second, it must be made of lemon and exclusively lemon.
- Third, it should be a combination of simplicity, incredible taste, and citrusy aroma.
When I first tasted this lemonade, I couldn’t believe how delicious it was. It was so full of flavor that I diluted it with 1 to 1 water. The lemon here reveals itself in an incredible way, just as it does in a lemon tart, lemon curd, and limoncello.
With a rush, it penetrates through the taste buds directly into the brain. And it makes you rethink the term “lemonade”. It turns out that everything you have tried before was just water with lemon and its variations.
The whole secret of the recipe lies in the maceration process. Sugar pulls the liquid and essential oils from the lemons.
These are the basis of the flavor of the future drink. You won’t have to spend time dissolving the sugar as in other recipes. The process of maceration does it for you.
And I also add salt. It is not obligatory. But. I like the idea of adding ingredients that make the imagination work.
From the book Taste by Bob Holmes, I emphasized that the taste is influenced not only by the products that make up the dish, but also by such things as atmosphere, history, mood, and more. Adding salt is more of a manipulation of consciousness.
We know that salt has the ability to draw moisture out of products and enhance the taste. So our consciousness will expect a more intense flavor from a lemonade that has salt added to it than from one that has not. And Bob Holmes said that waiting, among other things, is a very important element of taste.
In addition, there is something ritual and mysterious about it. The idea of a secret ingredient is an illusion that makes the recipe “work”. It is like the final touch in the form of a piece of black chocolate added to a chili con carne. Or adding a shot of vodka just before serving Russian fish soup.
I suggest we waste no more time speculating about the taste of this lemonade. It’s time you tried it for yourself.
The preparation process will take some time but waiting and anticipating are also part of taste perception, so don’t make it a big problem. But what you should do is go to the store right now. Write it down, you will need:
What you need
Ingredients
- 500 g (1,1 lb) lemons (4-5 pcs.)
- 250 g (8,8 oz) sugar
- Carbonated water 1.5 l. (Not carbonated is also ok)
- Pinch of salt
- Mint to serve (optional)
Hardware
—
Method
Step 1. Squeeze the juice out of the lemons, cover the juice container with food film, and put it in the fridge.
Beat the lemons with a rolling pin or press down on them with your palm and roll them around on the table. This will enable you to squeeze more juice out of them. Cut them in half and squeeze out the juice, either by hand or with an electric juicer. Cover the juice container with food film and put it in the fridge.
Step 2: Cut the lemon peels, put them into a jar. Add sugar and a good pinch of salt. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Shake the jar every hour, the first 3 hours.
Cut the lemon peels into quarters and cut each one again across. Place the peels in a glass jar, add 250 g (8,8 oz) of sugar, and a pinch of salt. Cover with film/cover, put in the fridge for 24 hours. Shake the lemon jar once per hour for the first 3 hours.
Step 3: Mix the syrup with lemon juice, dilute with carbonated water, mix.
After a day, take the jar of peels and the juice out of the fridge. Strain the syrup off the peels and mix it with the juice. Dilute with 1.5 liters of chilled carbonated or fresh water. Serve cold, with ice. You can add some mint leaves.
FAQ
Who invented lemonade?
The first mention of lemonade dates back to the 8th century A.D. It was made in Egypt using a recipe similar to that of today. A European legend ascribes the invention of lemonade to the cupbearer of the Emperor of Aquitaine, Louis the Pious (Louis the Just): he allegedly mixed up the barrels and poured lemon juice into a cup instead of wine and diluted it with water, as was the custom for drinking wine. And the first carbonated lemonade in a bottle was produced by the American corporation Schwepp & Co.
How do you make a glass of lemonade?
Lemonade is not made for one serving; it’s too much of a hassle. You make a concentrate that is stored in the refrigerator and diluted with cold water to taste when you want a refreshing drink. You can use seltzer water, sparkling water, or regular drinking water.
How to make lemonade concentrate?
The technology of making lemonade is blending, that is, mixing all the ingredients. Heat treatment is usually not used, just pour the concentrate with cold water.
To make the concentrate, you will need 3-4 medium-sized lemons and ¾ cup of sugar. First, prepare the syrup by mixing the sugar with a glass of water in a saucepan. Bring the water to a boil, and when the sugar has completely dissolved, remove from the water. Then squeeze the juice from the lemons, preferably using a juicer. Mix the lemon juice with the sugar syrup – the concentrate is ready. Take a carafe and mix the concentrate with 4 to 6 glasses of water, – add to taste, depending on how sour you want your drink to be. All that’s left is to chill the drink in the fridge and you can serve it, garnishing the glass with lemon slices or mint beforehand. Lemon can be substituted for lime, grapefruit, or oranges.
How much juice is in one lemon?
It all depends on the size. The average lemon can give 50-60 milliliters of pure juice.
Caloric value of lemonade?
It all depends on the recipe and the amount of sugar. If you take the above classic recipe, such lemonade contains 40 kcal in 100 grams of drinks.
What is pink lemonade and how does it differ from ordinary lemonade?
It is a classic lemonade with the addition of an extract of Bulgarian rose, which gives the drink a delicate pink color. At home, you can add cranberry or pomegranate juice to the lemonade in another way.
How to make blue lemonade?
There are several ways: you can add syrup “Blue curaçao”, use as a base blue Thai tea or berries crushed in a blender blueberries, blackberries.
How do you make lavender lemonade?
This lemonade is prepared in the same way as the classic one, but after mixing the sugar syrup and lemon juice, dried or fresh lavender flowers (2 tablespoons) and mint are added to it.
How to make fizzy lemonade?
Very easy! Just use sparkling water instead of regular water!
Lemonade diet: what is it and who is it good for?
Lemonade diet is a fashionable diet with a sweet name and a strict scheme. It implies that for 7-10 days you can drink only lemonade or pure water, and no food! The amount of lemonade is also limited to 6-12 glasses per day. Within a week you can lose up to 9 kilograms, but mostly by eliminating excess fluid and toxins from the body. For the lemonade diet concentrate is prepared not on sugar, but maple syrup, at the rate of 8 tablespoons of syrup, 8 tablespoons of lemon sugar and half a teaspoon of ground cayenne pepper per liter of water.
Perfect Lemonade
Ingredients
- 500 g lemons
- 250 g sugar
- 1.5 l Carbonated water (non-carbonated is also ok)
- Mint (To serve, Optional)
- pinch salt
Instructions
- Squeeze the juice out of the lemons, cover the juice container with food film, and put it in the fridge.
- Cut the lemon peels, put them into a jar. Add sugar and a good pinch of salt. Leave in the fridge for 24 hours. Shake the jar every hour, the first 3 hours.
- Mix the syrup with lemon juice, dilute with carbonated water, mix.
Nutrition
