Blueberry & Mint Lemonade

In the summertime one of my favorite treats is homemade lemonade. I love making variations with different fruits and herbs. Most recently I whipped up this blueberry & mint lemonade. It is so refreshing, and I loved the subtle aftertaste of the mint. This weekend we're supposed to get temps up to 99 degrees, so you'd better believe you can find me with a glass of this in my hand. Happy weekend!

Blueberry & Mint Lemonade

2 cups fresh blueberries (frozen will also work)

1 cup mint leaves, coarsely chopped

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice

1 cup granulated sugar

4-5 cups filtered water

In a blender add blueberries, mint, lemon juice, and granulated sugar. Blend until smooth and deep purple. The mixture will look a bit like a smoothie.

Pour mixture into a fine mesh strainer placed over a medium bowl. Use a spatula to press the liquid through the strainer leaving the blueberry pulp and fresh mint in the strainer. Discard the pulp. Pour the blueberry, mint, lemon juice into a pitcher and add water. Taste and add more water or sugar according to your taste. Serve chilled. Makes 2 quarts.

source: recipe from joy the baker

National Lemonade Day

Apparently today is National Lemonade Day (is it just me or is there a "national day" for everything?), so I thought I would share some of my favorite lemonade recipes today. Or maybe this is just another desperate attempt of mine to hold onto every last second of summer!

Freckled Lemonade

Rosemary Lemonade

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

Rosemary Peach Lemonade

Rosemary Lemonade

I've shared several lemonade recipes here in this space, but I just can't stop! Once the warm weather hits, you can find me outside with a mason jar of lemonade in hand, colorful straw sticking out the top. I had some leftover rosemary simple syrup from the rosemary peach lemonade I made several weeks back, and this recipe used it up perfectly. I hope this weekend you have lots of sunshine, some relaxation, and even a cold, fruity drink :)

Rosemary Lemonade
1 cup of fresh lemon juice (from 5-6 lemons)
3-4 sprigs of rosemary
1 cup of sugar
6 cups water

Combine 1 1/3 cups of water, the sugar, and the rosemary in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until the sugar is dissolved. Pour the syrup through a wire mesh sieve into a container to remove the rosemary. Let cool.

In a large pitcher combine the lemon juice, simple syrup, and the remaining 4 2/3 cups of cold water. Stir together until combined and chill before serving. Serves 5-6.

source: slightly adapted from a beautiful mess

Rosemary Peach Lemonade

I'm so happy that spring is finally here! Yesterday was the perfect first day of spring, too. There was no need for a jacket, I drove home from work with the windows down, Caleb and I went for a nice long walk before dinner, we ate dinner outside, and I sipped on this delicious lemonade. I ordered this lemonade at Tupelo Honey Cafe about six weeks ago, and I'd be lying if I said I haven't been thinking about it since then. I found the recipe and made a pitcher earlier this week. It is so delicious and full of the promise of sweet summertime. Happy spring and happy weekend!

Rosemary Peach Lemonade
1 1/2 cups peach nectar
1 1/2 cups water
1 1/4 cups rosemary simple syrup (recipe below)
1 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

In a 2-quart pitcher, combine the peach nectar, water, rosemary simple syrup, and lemon juice. Stir well. Cover and refrigerate until well chilled before serving.

Rosemary Simple Syrup
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup sugar
4 (5-inch) fresh rosemary stalks

Combine the water, sugar and rosemary in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved. Pour the syrup through a wire mesh sieve into a container to remove the rosemary stalks and store in an airtight containter in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

source: recipe from tupelo honey cafe

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

After sharing all of those lemonade variations last week, I was seriously craving some good homemade lemonade over the weekend. That in addition to our AC blowing out (another story for another time), it was a perfect time to have a glass (and another and another) of lemonade. I threw in some strawberries we had picked and some of the basil that's growing (yay!) in my mini-herb garden. I loved the combination! Hope your weekend is cool + filled with fruity drinks.

Strawberry Basil Lemonade

3/4 cup sugar

1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 8 lemons)

2 cups sliced strawberries

fresh basil

In a small saucepan, combine the sugar and 3/4 cup water. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, until the sugar is dissolved; let cool. In a pitcher, combine the syrup with the lemon juice and 4 cups of water. Stir well to combine. Add the sliced strawberries and a handful of fresh basil. Serve over ice. *Note: the longer this lemonade sits, the better it tastes as the basil infuses the drink!

source: recipe adapted from real simple + a beautiful mess

Freckled Lemonade

Please do me a favor:  go buy a bunch of lemons.  Don't wait for life to hand you those lemons, go out there and get them yourself!  And then make this lemonade.  I promise that this is the best lemonade you will ever have.  I made it this past weekend when we had family visiting, and Lauren and I could not stop drinking it/talking about how delicious it was!  This will definitely be my go-to summer drink!

Freckled Lemonade

zest of one lemon

2 cups sugar

2 cups chopped hulled strawberries

2 cups fresh lemon juice (from about 10 large lemons)

1/4 tsp salt

Make the lemon syrup:  Bring the lemon zest, 1 1/2 cups sugar, and 1 1/2 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan, stirring, until the sugar dissolves.  Let cool to room temperature.

Meanwhile, make the strawberry syrup:  Toss the chopped strawberries and the remaining 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl. Gently mash some of the strawberries with a potato masher to release the juices; do not pureé - you want there to still be strawberry chunks.   Let the mixture sit at room temperature until the sugar dissolves, about 45 minutes.  Strain the strawberry mixture with a fine mesh strainer; reserve the strawberry syrup and the berries separately.

Make the lemonade:  Combine the lemon juice, lemon syrup, salt, and 2 cups cold water in a pitcher.

For each drink, put 1 Tbsp of the strawberry syrup in a tall glass.  Fill with ice, then top with the lemonade and some of the reserved strawberries.

source:  recipe from Food Network Magazine, May 2012