Tag Archives: lemonade

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

Drinking jars filled with Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

When the summer days are hot and thirst takes over, a tall glass of refreshing lemonade is just what is called for.  Strawberry and rhubarb are always a winning flavour combination and they team up  to make a wonderful Strawberry and Rhubarb Lemonade. There is no need for any addition of coloring in this drink as the deep red strawberries and bright red rhubarb impart their own shades into this colorful drink.

Jars of Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

This is one of those drinks I make when the strawberries and rhubarb are in season because this lemonade freezes very well in an airtight container. This makes it a great drink to have on hand for those hot summer days.

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade in glass jar
Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

Serve the lemonade plain over ice or half fill a glass with the lemonade and top it up with your favorite clear soda.  If so inclined, an ounce of your favorite libation may be added to the lemonade.

[Printable recipe follows at end of post]

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

Ingredients:

1½ cups water
1 cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar or instant dissolving sugar)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon rind

¾ lb rhubarb, chopped into 1” chunks
1 cup water
1/3 cup super-fine sugar

2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
1¼ cups water
Pinch salt

Method:

For the simple syrup:  In small saucepan, combine the 1½ cups water and 1 cup sugar together.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved.  Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes). Add the lemon juice and lemon rind. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavor to develop.  Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon pulp and rind.  Discard the pulp and rind.

For the rhubarb and strawberry juice:  Combine the rhubarb, 1 cup of water and sugar in a large pot.  Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 5 minutes.  Add the strawberries and 1¼ cups water along with a pinch of salt.  Cover and cook for about 5 minutes longer, or until rhubarb and strawberries are softened.  Remove from heat and let stand for about 20 minutes.  Use a food masher to loosely mash and break down the pulp. Place a large fine wire mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl.  Line the sieve with a double layer of dampened cheesecloth.  Pour the rhubarb and strawberry mixture into the sieve, letting the juice drip through.  Use the back of a large spoon to very gently press the pulp in order to extract as much of the juice from the fruit as possible.  Discard solids.

To assemble:  In large jug or bottle, combine the simple syrup with the strained rhubarb and strawberry juice. Stir well.  Chill.

To serve:  Stir the chilled lemonade. Fill a glass approximately one-half full of ice cubes and add the lemonade.  Garnish with a lemon wheel or fresh strawberry, if desired.

Additional Serving Suggestions:  

  1. Fill glass one-half full of lemonade. Top with sparkling water or clear soda such as lemon-lime, sprite, or grapefruit.  Finish with ice cubes and a sprig of fresh mint.
  2. Add 1 oz of your favorite libation to a glass half-filled with ice cubes. Top with lemonade. Garnish with lemon wedge and strawberry.

Lemonade will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well in airtight container.

Yield:  Approximately 5-6 cups, depending on water content in fruit

Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

With a perfect blend of sweet strawberries and tart rhubarb, this Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade is a refreshing and thirst-quenching summertime sipper.
Servings 6
My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

  • cups water
  • 1 cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar or instant dissolving sugar)
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon rind
  • ¾ lb rhubarb, chopped into 1” chunks
  • 1 cup water
  • 1/3 cup super-fine sugar
  • 2 cups fresh strawberries, sliced
  • cups water
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

  1. For the simple syrup: In small saucepan, combine the 1½ cups water and 1 cup sugar together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes). Add the lemon juice and lemon rind. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours to allow the flavor to develop. Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon pulp and rind. Discard the pulp and rind.

  2. For the rhubarb and strawberry juice: Combine the rhubarb, 1 cup of water and sugar in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 5 minutes. Add the strawberries and 1¼ cups water along with a pinch of salt. Cover and cook for about 5 minutes longer, or until rhubarb and strawberries are softened. Remove from heat and let stand for about 20 minutes. Use a food masher to loosely mash and break down the pulp. Place a large fine wire mesh sieve over a heatproof bowl. Line the sieve with double layer of dampened cheesecloth. Pour the rhubarb and strawberry mixture into the sieve, letting the juice drip through. Use the back of a large spoon to very gently press the pulp in order to extract as much of the juice from the fruit as possible. Discard solids.

  3. To assemble: In large jug or bottle, combine the simple syrup with the strained rhubarb and strawberry juice. Stir well. Chill.

  4. To serve: Stir the chilled lemonade. Fill a glass approximately one-half full of ice cubes and add the lemonade. Garnish with a lemon wheel or fresh strawberry, if desired.

  5. Additional Serving Suggestions:

  6. Fill glass one-half full of lemonade. Top with sparkling water or clear soda such as lemon-lime, sprite, or grapefruit. Finish with ice cubes and a sprig of fresh mint.
  7. Add 1 oz of your favorite libation to a glass half-filled with ice cubes. Top with lemonade. Garnish with lemon wedge and strawberry.
  8. Lemonade will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well in airtight container.

Recipe Notes

Yield: Approximately 5-6 cups, depending on water content in fruit

Pin Me To Pinterest!

Glass mugs of Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade
Strawberry Rhubarb Lemonade

 

For other great lemonade recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:

Basic Lemonade
Sensational Strawberry Lemonade
Rhubarb Lemonade
Blueberry Lemonade

Sensational Strawberry Lemonade Recipe

Lemonade
Strawberry Lemonade

One of the wonderful things about lemonade is that it can be served simply as is or it can be flavoured with fruits in season such as I am doing today by making strawberry lemonade. How fabulous is that natural red color in the lemonade!

Lemonade
Strawberry Lemonade

This strawberry lemonade is great on a scorching hot day when you need to stay hydrated and crave a thirst-quenching drink.  The lemonade starts with the making of a simple syrup of water and sugar.  This gives the drink that lovely silky smooth texture which could not be gotten by simply combining sugar with cold water – no matter how much you stir it, sugar and cold water will never fully mix and you will be left with a grainy texture drink.  By boiling the sugar and water to make the syrup, you are sure the sugar is fully dissolved.  I find using super-fine sugar (which you may know as caster sugar, instant dissolving sugar, or berry sugar) is the best to use to make simple syrup although regular granulated sugar may also be used. Typically, a simple syrup for drinks is made with a 1:1 ratio of sugar to water.  However, I find that that is too much sugar for my taste in this lemonade so I use 1 cup of the superfine sugar to 1 1/2 cups water.

For this recipe, purée the strawberries, add some water to them along with freshly squeezed lemon juice and the simple syrup.  In order to get rid of the hundreds of little tiny strawberry seeds and to have a clear drink, the mixture will need to be strained through a very fine wire mesh sieve.  You’ll be amazed at how many seeds strawberries have!

Lemonade
Strawberry Lemonade over Ice

This is a delightful summertime drink served over ice and it has an absolutely fabulously rich colour that is all natural thanks to the ruby red strawberries.  To add a bit of fizz to the drink, mix half a glass with the lemonade and half with your favorite clear soda (lemon-lime is especially good). Add ice and garnish with a fresh strawberry and/or lemon wedge or wheel.

Lemonade
Strawberry Lemonade

This is often a drink I make to take along on picnic outings. It’s handy to have frozen because, as it thaws on the way to the picnic location, it also helps to keep the food cold.

[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]

Strawberry Lemonade

Ingredients:

1½ cup water
1 cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar or instant dissolving sugar)

1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon rind

3 cups strawberries, sliced
2 cups water
Pinch salt

Method:

For the simple syrup:  In small saucepan, combine the 1 1/2 water and 1 cup sugar together.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar is completely dissolved.  Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes). Add the lemon juice and lemon rind. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavors to blend.  Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon pulp and rind.  Discard the pulp and rind.

For the strawberry purée:  Place strawberries in large blender.  Purée until smooth.  Slowly add in the 2 cups of water, continuing to pulse/purée until mixture is smooth.  Slowly add the strained simple syrup with lemon juice and a pinch of salt.  Purée until all ingredients are well combined.  Strain mixture through very fine wire mesh sieve to remove the strawberry seeds.

To assemble:  Transfer lemonade to a large jug or bottle.  Chill.

To serve:  Stir the chilled lemonade. Fill a tall glass approximately one-half full of ice cubes and add the lemonade.  Garnish with a fresh strawberry or lemon wheel, if desired.  Another serving suggestion includes filling a glass half full of strawberry lemonade and topping with clear soda such as lemon-lime.

Lemonade will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well.

Yield:  Approximately 6½ – 7 cups

Strawberry Lemonade

This “summer in a bottle” lemonade makes the most of fresh in-season strawberries and is a colorful, refreshing, and thirst-quenching summertime sipper when served over ice.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Keyword Lemonade
Servings 8
My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

  • cup water
  • 1 cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar or instant dissolving sugar)
  • 1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon rind
  • 3 cups strawberries, sliced
  • 2 cups water
  • Pinch salt

Instructions

  1. For the simple syrup: In small saucepan, combine the 1½ water and 1 cup sugar together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes). Add the lemon juice and lemon rind. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavors to blend. Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon pulp and rind. Discard the pulp and rind.
  2. For the strawberry purée: Place strawberries in large blender. Purée until smooth. Slowly add in the 2 cups of water, continuing to pulse/purée until mixture is smooth. Slowly add the strained simple syrup with lemon juice and a pinch of salt. Purée until all ingredients are well combined. Strain mixture through very fine wire mesh sieve to remove the strawberry seeds.
  3. To assemble: Transfer lemonade to a large jug or bottle. Chill.
  4. To serve: Stir the chilled lemonade. Fill a tall glass approximately one-half full of ice cubes and add the lemonade. Garnish with a fresh strawberry or lemon wheel, if desired. Another serving suggestion includes filling a glass half full of strawberry lemonade and topping with clear soda such as lemon-lime.
  5. Lemonade will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well. Yields approximately 6 1/2 - 7 cups lemonade.

 

For other great Lemonade recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the following links:

Lemonade
Blueberry Lemonade
Rhubarb Lemonade

Pin Me To Pinterest!

Lemonade
Strawberry Lemonade

Rhubarb Lemonade

 

Rhubarb Lemonade
Rhubarb Lemonade

Lemonade is one of the most common of summer drinks.  Served cold, it’s very refreshing on a hot summer’s day.  Sometimes, I like to flavour my lemonades as I am doing today with rhubarb in the form of rhubarb lemonade.

Rhubarb
Rhubarb Patch

We have a good-sized patch of rhubarb so I make good use of it in many ways.  I will often cook up some excess rhubarb near the end of rhubarb season, strain it, and freeze the juice for later use or, sometimes, I will make up an entire batch or two of rhubarb lemonade and freeze that to have at the ready for sipping on those sweltering hot summer days.

Lemonade
Rhubarb Lemonade

To make the rhubarb lemonade, I start with making a simple syrup of super-fine sugar (which you may know as caster sugar or instant-dissolving sugar) and water.  The typical ratio for simple syrup is traditionally 1:1 sugar to water.  However, with the super-fine sugar, I find that ratio is a bit too sweet so I back up the sugar content to 3/4 cup.  Using the super-fine sugar (as opposed to granulated sugar) results in a lovely, silky smooth syrup.  If I was to simply try and mix sugar with cold water, it would not dissolve properly and would leave a gritty, unpleasant texture to the drink.  In a previous post for Blueberry Lemonade, I give more details on this process and you can access that post by clicking here.

Once the simple syrup has cooled to room temperature, simply add the freshly-squeezed lemon juice and some lemon rind to the syrup and let it sit a bit for the flavour to develop, then strain it through a fine mesh sieve to remove any lemon pulp, seeds, and the rind.

To make the rhubarb juice, cook rhubarb with water until the rhubarb is super soft and mushy.  This will take about 8-10 minutes of cooking.  It’s always hard to judge exactly how much rhubarb will be needed to generate the 4 cups of juice needed for this rhubarb lemonade but, generally speaking, 3 pounds of rhubarb and 3 cups of water should yield the 4 cups of juice.  If it falls short by  one-half cup or less, simply add up to one-half cup of water.  If it is more than a half cup short, you will need to cook some more rhubarb in order to keep the rhubarb flavour sufficiently strong enough.  Rhubarb juiciness varies depending on the variety and growing conditions, as well as its age, so that’s why it’s not an exact science as to exactly how much rhubarb to cook. Also, if the rhubarb is cooked too fast, too much water will evaporate and it will result in less juice.

To extract the juice from the cooked rhubarb, fit a fine mesh sieve with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth and place over a deep heat-proof bowl.  Transfer the rhubarb to the sieve and let the juice drip through on its own.  Near the end of the dripping, if the amount does not quite equal 4 cups, you may gently – very gently- press the back of a large spoon against the rhubarb mash to squeeze a bit more juice.  Don’t press the mash too hard because some impurities from the mash will slip through the loose weave cheesecloth and the lemonade will not be clear.

The color in the rhubarb lemonade photos is natural.  There is no food coloring used.

Rhubarb Juice
Rhubarb Juice

The glorious deep coral-red color comes from using the extracted juice from bright red rhubarb stalks so use the deepest red stalks you can find.

Rhubarb Stalks
Rhubarb Stalks

To make the lemonade, simply combine the strained lemon syrup with the rhubarb juice. Mix and chill then serve over ice in pretty glasses.

Rhubarb Lemonade
Rhubarb Lemonade

This lemonade freezes well but it can be kept, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. If you wish, you can also add some clear soda, such as grapefruit and lemon, to this lemonade for a fizzy drink. This rhubarb lemonade is a great crowd pleaser and is a lovely addition to summer picnics and gatherings.

Rhubarb Lemonade
Rhubarb Lemonade

 

 [Printable recipe follows at end of posting]

Rhubarb Lemonade

Ingredients:

1 cup water
¾ cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar or instant dissolving sugar)

¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 – 2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon rind

3 lbs rhubarb, chopped into 1” chunks
3 cups water

Method:

For the simple syrup:  In small saucepan, combine the water and sugar together.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved.  Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes). Add the lemon juice and lemon rind. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavors to blend.  Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon pulp and rind.  Discard the pulp and rind.

For the rhubarb juice:  Combine the rhubarb and water in a large pot.  Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until rhubarb is completely  softened.  Place a large sieve over a big heatproof bowl.  Line the sieve with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth.  Remove the rhubarb from the heat and pour into the sieve, letting the juice drip through.  It may be necessary to use the back of a large spoon to very gently press the rhubarb pulp in order to extract all the juice out of the rhubarb.  This should yield about 4 cups, depending on the age and juiciness of the rhubarb.  If it is slightly less than 4 cups, up to ½ cup water may be added to bring the amount to 4 cups.

To assemble:  In large jug or bottle, combine 4 cups rhubarb juice with the simple syrup and lemon juice mixture. Stir well.  Chill.

To serve:  Stir the chilled lemonade. Fill a glass approximately one-half full of ice cubes and add the lemonade.  Garnish with a lemon wheel, if desired.

Will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well.

Yield:  Approximately 6 cups

Rhubarb Lemonade

With a perfect blend of sweet and tart notes, rhubarb and lemon combine to form Rhubarb Lemonade, a refreshing and thirst-quenching summertime sipper.
Course Drinks
Cuisine American
Servings 6
My Island Bistro Kitchen My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1 cup water
  • ¾ cup super-fine sugar aka caster sugar or instant dissolving sugar
  • ¾ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  • 1 – 2 tbsp coarsely grated lemon rind
  • 3 lbs rhubarb chopped into 1” chunks
  • 3 cups water

Instructions

For the simple syrup: In small saucepan, combine the water and sugar together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat to medium-low and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes). Add the lemon juice and lemon rind. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavors to blend. Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the lemon pulp and rind. Discard the pulp and rind.

    For the rhubarb juice: Combine the rhubarb and water in a large pot. Cover and bring to a boil then reduce heat to medium-low and cook for approximately 8-10 minutes, or until rhubarb is completely softened. Place a large sieve over a big heatproof bowl. Line the sieve with 3-4 layers of cheesecloth. Remove the rhubarb from the heat and pour into the sieve, letting the juice drip through. It may be necessary to use the back of a large spoon to very gently press the rhubarb pulp in order to extract all the juice out of the rhubarb. This should yield about 4 cups, depending on the age and juiciness of the rhubarb. If it is slightly less than 4 cups, up to ½ cup water may be added to bring the amount to 4 cups.

      To assemble: In large jug or bottle, combine 4 cups rhubarb juice with the simple syrup and lemon juice mixture. Stir well. Chill.

        To serve: Stir the chilled lemonade. Fill a glass approximately one-half full of ice cubes and add the lemonade. Garnish with a lemon wheel, if desired.

          Recipe Notes

          Will keep, covered, in the refrigerator for 3-4 days. Freezes well.

           

          For other great lemonade recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

          Pin Me To Pinterest!

           

          Rhubarb Lemonade

          Rhubarb Lemonade

          Blueberry Lemonade Recipe

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

          Lemonade is a wonderful refreshing drink on a hot summer’s day.  Sometimes I like just plain old-fashioned lemonade and, other times, I like to flavor it using whatever berries are currently in season.  My latest lemonade creation uses high bush blueberries to make blueberry lemonade concentrate.  Fill a glass about one third full of the concentrate and top it up with lemon-lime soda for a tasty drink. You can, of course, top up the concentrate with lemon-flavored sparkling water instead of the soda.

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

          This recipe begins with a simple syrup which is infused with freshly squeezed lemon juice, grated lemon rind, and blueberry purée.

          I am sometimes asked if it is necessary to use a simple syrup when making lemonade.  In my view, it is essential and here is why.  Ever try dissolving sugar in cold liquid?  If you have, then you know the difficulty in getting the sugar to completely dissolve. Stir, stir, stir or shake, shake, shake and the sugar just does not want to completely dissolve and the mixture will appear cloudy. This is because sugar is not very soluble in cold liquid.  At some point, you may have experienced a drink that had a nasty gritty sugar taste and texture and you may have noticed some undissolved sugar that fell  to the bottom of the glass.  This would have been the result of sugar mixed with cold liquid.

          Lemonade is meant to be a bit tart but it does need some sugar to sweeten it a bit.  So, how do you get the sugar successfully incorporated into the lemonade?  It’s simple – you make a simple syrup. And, it’s called simple for a reason.

          Simple syrup is nothing more than water and sugar heated until the sugar is perfectly dissolved.  There are various formulas for simple syrup, depending on how thick you want the syrup and for what purpose it will be used. I tend to use 3/4 cup of sugar to 1 cup of water for simple syrups for beverages.  My preference is to use super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar) because its fine texture means it dissolves easier than standard granulated sugar. Simply combine the sugar and water in a saucepan and heat over medium heat to the boiling point, stirring constantly, until the sugar is dissolved.  Let the syrup boil gently for about 3-4 minutes, reducing the heat if necessary so the mixture does not boil too rapidly.  Don’t boil the mixture rapidly or leave the liquid on the heat too long because you’ll lose some to evaporation.  Remove the liquid from the heat and let it cool for about 30-40 minutes before adding any additional ingredients such as lemon juice, lemon rind, or puréed berries. Easy-peasy! And, you will have a much more refined drink that has a smooth, silky, velvet-like finish than you will get by trying to dissolve the sugar in cold water. It’s all about the quality in the end result.

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

          I used about 6 oz of high bush blueberries (the really nice big berries like the ones in the photo below) for this recipe and, with my potato masher, I loosely broke up the berries.

          Blueberries
          High Bush Blueberries

          By gently mashing the berries, their juices get released quicker when they are heated. The  berries were combined with 2/3 cup of water and cooked over medium heat for 5-7 minutes, just until they were softened and their juices were extracted.  The mixture was cooled for about 30 minutes then puréed with an immersion blender.  I added the blueberries, lemon juice, and lemon rind to the cooled simple syrup and let it sit for a couple of hours so the flavors would infuse the syrup.

          To get the smooth liquid,  strain the cooled mixture through a very fine mesh sieve twice to remove the pulp.

          This concentrate will keep in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for three to four days.

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

          [printable recipe follows at end of posting]

          Blueberry Lemonade

          Ingredients:
          1 cup water
          ¾ cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar)

          ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
          1 – 2 tbsp grated lemon rind

          6 oz high bush blueberries
          2/3 cup water

          Method:

          For the simple syrup:  In small saucepan, combine the water and sugar together.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved.  Reduce heat slightly and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes).

          For the blueberry purée: In pie plate, gently mash the berries with a potato masher to release their juices.  Combine the berries and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan.  Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until berries are softened and the mixture is quite juicy.  Remove from heat and cool for about 30 minutes. Purée the berry mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender.

          For the lemonade concentrate: Add the lemon juice, lemon rind, and puréed berry mixture to the cooled simple syrup.  Stir well to fully combine the ingredients.  Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavors to blend.  Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the pulp.  Discard the pulp and pour concentrate into a bottle.  Cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.

          To serve:  Fill a glass approximately one-third full of lemonade concentrate.  Top up with lemon-lime soda or lemon-flavored sparkling water.  Add ice cubes. Garnish with a lemon wheel, a sprig of lemon balm, and fresh blueberries, if desired.

          Yield:  Approximately 2 cups concentrate

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

           

          Blueberry Lemonade

          Yield: Apx. 2 cups concentrate

          This lemonade combines two complementary flavors to make a delightfully tasty and refreshing drink for a hot summer's day.

          Ingredients

          • 1 cup water
          • ¾ cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar)
          • ½ cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
          • 1 – 2 tbsp grated lemon rind
          • 6 oz high bush blueberries
          • 2/3 cup water

          Instructions

          1. For the simple syrup: In small saucepan, combine the water and sugar together. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly, until sugar is completely dissolved. Reduce heat slightly and boil gently for 3-4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature (apx. 30-40 minutes).
          2. For the blueberry purée: In pie plate, gently mash the berries with a potato masher to release their juices. Combine the berries and 2/3 cup water in a saucepan. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, for approximately 5-7 minutes, or until berries are softened and the mixture is quite juicy. Remove from heat and cool for about 30 minutes. Purée the berry mixture in a blender or with an immersion blender.
          3. For the lemonade concentrate: Add the lemon juice, lemon rind, and puréed berry mixture to the cooled simple syrup. Stir well to fully combine the ingredients. Let mixture stand for at least an hour (or up to three hours) to allow the flavors to blend. Strain mixture twice through a fine mesh sieve to remove the pulp. Discard the pulp and pour concentrate into a bottle. Cover tightly and store in refrigerator for up to 3-4 days.
          4. To serve: Fill a glass approximately one-third full of lemonade concentrate. Top up with lemon-lime soda or lemon-flavored sparkling water. Add ice cubes. Garnish with a lemon wheel, a sprig of lemon balm, and fresh blueberries, if desired.
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          For other great lemonade drink recipes from My Island Bistro Kitchen, click on the links below:

          Lemonade
          Strawberry Lemonade
          Rhubarb Lemonade

          Pin Me to Pinterest!

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

           

          Lemonade
          Blueberry Lemonade

          Casual Summer Picnic

           

          DSC_0707

           

          There are so many options for picnics that can range from very impromptu casual style to more elaborate events.  Today, it was about 30C on Prince Edward Island so the theme for the day was casual….very casual.

          I had made a batch of pan rolls yesterday and shaped them into the perfect size and shape for slider sandwiches.  These are so easy to pull together and they are very tasty.  Essentially, for each one, all I used was some black forest ham, a slice of tomato, some JJ Stewart beer mustard sauce, slices of cheddar and havarti cheese, and lettuce from our own garden.

          Ham, Cheese, and Tomato Sliders
          Ham, Cheese, and Tomato Sliders

           

          Of course, a bowl of the quintessential all-time favorite picnic salad – potato salad – provided a great side dish to the sliders and it’s always a hit. Just make sure to keep this salad refrigerated.

          Potato Salad
          Potato Salad

          A tall pitcher of cold, refreshing lemonade proved to be a thirst-quenching drink on this hot afternoon.

          Lemonade
          Lemonade

          Dessert was simply colorful marshmallow squares.  Nice and summery as well as yummy!

          Marshmallow Squares
          Marshmallow Squares

          And, juicy watermelon always goes great on a hot summer day and it adds such a splash of color to the table.

          When it is so hot, I like to keep meal prep to the minimum and go with very simplistic foods and ones that can be prepared early in the day and refrigerated until use. This picnic menu is so easy to set up buffet style whether it is for 3-4 people or several more.

          While picnics don’t necessarily require table centerpieces, they can take a picnic from mundane to wow with very little effort.  Today, I simply walked to the nearest flowerbed and picked some daisies which, with their yellow centers, fit in with my summery yellow color theme. I think daisies go very well with wicker picnic baskets!

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          Lemonade

          Hot, lazy days of summer always send me off looking for thirst-quenching cold drinks.

          One of my favorites is old-fashioned homemade lemonade.  It’s cool and refreshing.

          Making the concentrate for the lemonade is really easy and I think it tastes ever-so-much better than bought lemonade.

          Cool, refreshing homemade lemonade
          Cool, refreshing homemade lemonade

          Lemonade Concentrate

          Ingredients:

          1 cup water
          ¾ cup super-fine sugar (aka caster sugar)
          1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (apx 3-4 lemons), strained
          1-2 tbsp grated lemon rind

          Lemon-flavored sparkling water to top up

          Method:

          Squeeze lemons and strain juice.

          Assemble ingredients.

          Boil water and sugar for 3-4 minutes. Turn off heat and cool for apx. 30 minutes.

          Add lemon juice and grated lemon rind. Stir.  Let sit at room temperature for at least 3-4 hours to allow flavour to strengthen.

          Strain lemon rind from concentrate.

          Pour into bottle.

          To serve: Pour ½ to ⅔ cup of lemon concentrate into tall glass and top up with lemon-flavored sparkling water.

          Add ice cubes or crushed ice if desired and decorate with a sprig of mint and a slice or two of lemon.

          Keep concentrate refrigerated.

          Yield: Apx. 2 cups

          Lemonade is a very versatile drink – it’s great for picnics, sitting on the front porch,  at afternoon tea, at the beach, or anywhere for that matter.

          Is lemonade part of your summer?

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