In the kitchen: 5 Lemonade recipes

via apartmenttherapy.com
I had a serious craving for lemonade today and made a detour to the grocery store. I bought some frozen Lemonade concentrate for a quick fix, but I need some REAL lemonade. Next time I get a lemonade craving, I'm going to make one of these!

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ginger-tea lemonade
2 cups water
3 black tea bags, preferably English breakfast tea
1 1/3 cups Ginger Simple Syrup, recipe follows
2/3 cup fresh lemon juice, from about 3 lemons
1 cup sparkling water or club soda, chilled
2 cups ice
Lemon slices, for garnish, optional
Directions
In a small saucepan, bring the water to a boil over high heat. Remove the pan from the heat and add the tea bags. Stir and allow the mixture to cool to room temperature, about 20 minutes. Remove the tea bags and discard. Add the Ginger Simple Syrup, lemon juice, and sparkling water.

Put the ice in a large pitcher. Pour the lemonade mixture over the ice. Garnish with lemon slices and serve.

Ginger Simple Syrup:
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup water
1 (2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and chopped
In a small saucepan, over medium heat, combine the sugar, water and ginger. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer stirring occasionally, until the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Remove the pan from the heat and allow the syrup to cool, about 20 minutes. Strain before using.

Yield: 1 1/3cups
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lynchburg lemonade
1 cup sugar
1 1/2 cups water
2 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice
2 cups Jack Daniel's (16 ounces)
1/2 cup pineapple juice
1/2 cup fresh orange juice
Ice
2 lemons, cut into thick slices for garnish
DIRECTIONS
In a medium saucepan, mix the sugar and water and boil over moderately high heat until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes. Let the syrup cool completely.
In a very large jar with a tight-fitting lid, combine the syrup with the lemon juice, Jack Daniels and pineapple and orange juices. Shake vigorously. Add ice and shake again.
Fill tall glasses with ice. Strain the lemonade into the glasses, garnish with the lemon slices and serve.
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blood orange lemonade
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
Ice
1 cup fresh blood orange juice, 4 to 6 oranges
1 cup fresh lemon juice, 6 to 8 lemons
3 cups club soda or water
1 lemon
1 blood orange
Fresh mint sprigs, for garnish
Directions
In a medium saucepan heat sugar and water for about 5 minutes until all the sugar is dissolved and it becomes a syrup consistency. Set aside to cool slightly.

Fill a pitcher with ice and pour in the juices, simple syrup and club soda. Slice the lemon and blood orange into rounds and place them in the pitcher. Stir and pour into glass with ice. Garnish with mint.
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minted lemonade
2 cups sugar
6 cups water
2 cups fresh lemon juice
1/2 cup mint leaves
Directions
To make simple syrup: Place 2 cups sugar and 2 cups water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Stir until sugar is dissolved and let cool. Place lemon juice in a large pitcher, add remaining 4 cups water and 1 cup of the simple syrup or more to taste. Stir in mint leaves and refrigerate for 1 hour. Serve over ice.
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pink lemonade
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (5 to 6 lemons)
1/2 to 3/4 cup superfine sugar, to taste
1 cup crushed ice
4 cups water
2 teaspoons grenadine
6 maraschino cherries
Directions
Place the lemon juice, sugar, ice, water, and grenadine in a blender and process until completely smooth. Place a cherry in the bottom of 6 glasses and pour the lemon juice mixture in the glass.
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