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Fruity Lemonade

Course: Beverages

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 Cups Water Divided
  • 1/2 Cup Sugar
  • 1 Cup Meyer Lemon Juice
  • Fruit Juice, Nectar or Puree

Instructions

  • Simple syrup: In a small saucepan combine 1/2 cup water and sugar. Place over medium heat and stir until sugar is just dissolved. Remove from heat and cool.
  • In a pitcher, combine simple syrup, remaining water, lemon juice, and fruit juice (see below). Chill. Serve over ice.

Tested Fruit Options:

  • Blueberry: Combine 3 cups fresh blueberries and 1/2 cup water in a blender and puree. Strain out the largest fragments of blueberry skin. Add an additional 1/2 cup lemon juice. There will still be some flecks of blueberry skin, if you want a smoother drink, put it back in the blender and process until smooth.
  • Dragonfruit: 2 cups dragonfruit nectar/juice.
  • Guava: 2 cups guava nectar.
  • Kiwi: Increase simple syrup to 1 cup water and 1 cup sugar. Peel and coarsely chop 10 kiwi fruit. Place in a blender with 1 cup water and puree on low speed so that you don't chop up the seeds. Strain puree and discard seeds and pulp.
  • Mango: 2 cups mango nectar.
  • Mango-Passion Fruit: 2 cups mango nectar, 2 Tablespoons Passion Fruit Syrup (such as Tea Zone).
  • Peach: Select 5 medium-sized, ripe, flavorful peaches. Cut in half and remove pits. Bring a large pot of water to a boil and add peach halves. Boil for a couple minutes and then transfer to an ice bath. This will allow you to easily peel the peaches. Coarsely chop peeled peaches and add to a blender with 2/3 cup water. Puree until smooth. Yields about 3 cup peach puree.
  • Raspberry: Combine 12 ounces fresh or frozen raspberries and 1 cup water in a blender and puree. Strain through a regular mesh strainer to remove seeds. Yields approximately 2 cups puree.
  • Strawberry: Increase lemon juice to 1 1/2 to 2 cups lemon juice, to taste. Combine 2 1/2 cups chopped fresh strawberries and 1/2 cup water in a blender and then process until smooth. Strain through a fine mesh strainer. Yields approximately 2 cups.
  • Watermelon: Remove seeds from 1 1/2 pounds watermelon cubes. Put watermelon in blender and puree until smooth. Run puree through a fine mesh strainer. Strain again. Yields approximately 2 cups juice.

Notes

These are the fruit flavors I've tested and work well, but the sky is the limit!  Feel free to experiment with other flavors. 
When using pre-bottled fruit nectar, choose a high quality, not from concentrate nectar for best results.