If you buy pink lemonade at the grocery store or vending machine, you are basically paying for a regular lemonade that has food coloring added to it. If the only thing that interests you is the fun color, then know that you can achieve the same result at home too, but using fruit or juice not only to dye the drink, but also to give it a new flavor.
Ingrediants
- 355ml lemon juice (about 10 medium lemons will be needed)
- 1 liter of water
- 480 ml of cranberry juice, pomegranate juice or other water
- 200 g of granulated sugar
- 150 g of raspberries or strawberries (fresh or frozen)
Optional ingredients:
- Ice
- Basil or mint leaves
- Red food coloring
Steps
Method 1 of 2: With Fruit or Juice
Step 1. Mix the sugar with the water
Dissolve 200 g of sugar in a liter of water; if you are using granulated instead of icing, you will need to heat the mixture slightly on the stove to help the sugar dissolve.
If you prefer a slightly acidic lemonade, use 150 g of sugar
Step 2. Mix all the liquid ingredients
Pour the sugared water, 375 ml of lemon juice and 500 ml of cranberry juice or another red fruit into a jug of at least 2.5 liters.
- If you love sweet lemonade, use only 240ml of lemon juice.
- If you don't have red fruit juice on hand, replace it with water. Fruit only adds a little color, so you can add a couple of drops of red food coloring if you wish.
Step 3. Add the fruit
You can cut the strawberries into slices or into small pieces and pour them directly into the pitcher. If you are using raspberries, first mash them in a separate bowl to release the juice and then strain them over the lemonade through a colander, cheesecloth, or piece of muslin.
- You can skip this step if you have previously added red fruit juice, but be aware that whole fruit gives the drink a good flavor and appearance.
- Wait for the frozen fruit to thaw for a couple of minutes.
- Raspberries color the drink more than strawberries. Furthermore, frozen ones release more color because the ice crystals break them from the inside.
Step 4. Chill the drink, garnish and serve
Place the pitcher in the refrigerator until it's time to offer the lemonade. If you wish, you can garnish it with lemon slices and mint leaves.
Method 2 of 2: With a Syrup
Step 1. In a saucepan, mix the fruit with the sugar and water
Put 150 g of raspberries or strawberries, 240 ml of water and 200 g of white sugar in a medium-sized saucepan.
If you are using frozen fruit, wait for it to thaw for 10 minutes before starting
Step 2. Bring the mixture to a boil, stirring
Put the saucepan over medium-high heat and boil the contents. When it starts steaming or boiling, stir the mixture to dissolve the sugar. This simple syrup allows you to completely dissolve the sugar so that no residue remains in the glass of lemonade.
Step 3. Simmer the syrup
Reduce the heat to low and simmer until the fruit begins to break apart. It usually takes 10-12 minutes for raspberries and about 20 minutes for strawberries. If the syrup is not pink, mix the fruit and mash it on the sides of the saucepan.
Step 4. Strain the mixture into the pitcher
Pour the syrup through a colander into a large jug. Crush the fruit in a colander with the help of a spoon to extract the juices and color.
Step 5. Wait for it to cool down
Let the syrup rest for about 15 minutes and then transfer it to the refrigerator, uncovered, for another half hour.
In the meantime, squeeze the lemons if you have decided to use fresh juice
Step 6. Mix the syrup with the rest of the water and lemon juice
Incorporate 355 ml of lemon juice and 830 ml of water, pouring them into the jug that already contains the syrup. Mix it carefully.
If you wish, you can add water and lemon juice, 120 ml at a time, and taste from time to time to adjust the proportions
Step 7. Chill the soda before serving
If you don't plan to drink the lemonade within a few hours, add a couple of freshly picked basil leaves to make the drink smell even better. Remove the soft leaves before serving the drink and replace them with fresh ones as a garnish.
Advice
- Freshly squeezed lemon juice usually tastes better, but you can use packaged juice as well. Make sure it's 100% pure juice and not lemonade.
- Add the ice cubes to the glass, not the pitcher, to avoid diluting the drink as the ice melts.
- Always do a taste test before serving lemonade. Lemons come in many varieties, from slightly sweet to slightly sour, plus each person has their own tastes. Fortunately, it is not very difficult to add water, sugar or lemon juice to taste, to correct the proportions.
