Homemade Lemonade
- Thread starter Erik G
- Start date
Steve Petrone
TVWBB Diamond Member
My wife is drinking lemonade for kidney stones...
Dissolve 2/3 cup sugar in 1 cup water on the stove. Add it to 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add 4 cups water.
Some recipes call for up to 1 cup of sugar. This is a plain sugar recipe, I am sure you could adapt to raw.
Dissolve 2/3 cup sugar in 1 cup water on the stove. Add it to 1 cup fresh squeezed lemon juice. Add 4 cups water.
Some recipes call for up to 1 cup of sugar. This is a plain sugar recipe, I am sure you could adapt to raw.
Steve's recipe is a good one, I use one very much like it. I never knew what lemonade could really taste like until I started making a simple syrup...makes the lemonade a lot better. No grainy sugar in the bottom, everything dissolves...just a bit of pulp from the lemon. Heaven!
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Rather than juicing the lemons and making simple syrup, try this CI-based approach (the lemon flavor is much fuller because some oil from the zest is included):
10-12 lemons, sliced lengthwise in half, each half sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1.25 c sugar
tiny pinch salt
optional: large handful mint leaves, or large handful strawberries or other appropriate fruit, sliced
about 5 c cold water
Place the lemon slices, sugar and salt (and optional mint or other fruit, if using) in a med-large soup pot. Mash with a potato masher till the lemon slices give up their juice, the sugar is dissolved, and the juice is thickened to a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Pour half the lemon mixture and syrup through large sieve over bowl or saucepan; press on solids with masher or back of wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Discard solids then transfer liquid to serving pitcher. Repeat process with remaining lemon slices (retain several mashed slices, if desired, to throw into the pitcher). Stir in water until blended; taste and adjust water if needed. Chill well and stir to blend before s
10-12 lemons, sliced lengthwise in half, each half sliced crosswise into 1/4-inch slices
1.25 c sugar
tiny pinch salt
optional: large handful mint leaves, or large handful strawberries or other appropriate fruit, sliced
about 5 c cold water
Place the lemon slices, sugar and salt (and optional mint or other fruit, if using) in a med-large soup pot. Mash with a potato masher till the lemon slices give up their juice, the sugar is dissolved, and the juice is thickened to a syrupy consistency, about 5 minutes. Pour half the lemon mixture and syrup through large sieve over bowl or saucepan; press on solids with masher or back of wooden spoon to release as much liquid as possible. Discard solids then transfer liquid to serving pitcher. Repeat process with remaining lemon slices (retain several mashed slices, if desired, to throw into the pitcher). Stir in water until blended; taste and adjust water if needed. Chill well and stir to blend before s
what I am looking for in the lemonade is that raw sugar taste. If I make a simple syrup using raw sugar, do you think I will still get that taste? For some reason I can't imagine this hole in the wall Vietnamese restaurant making a simple syrup, I could be wrong though. Steve and Kevin, if I do use raw sugar (instead of the regular sugar), what would be the conversion for 2/3 cup and 1.25 cup of regular sugar to raw sugar? Thanks for responding.
Erik
Erik
Steve Petrone
TVWBB Diamond Member
Erik, the recipe I posted called for 1 cup refined sugar. For my tatse, 2/3's cup is fine, I cannot immagine that raw would be that much different.
Just sub. raw for refined or plain and adjust to your taste as I have done. No big deal. Kevin can probably give you a more knowledgable response but ultimately it boils down to what you like.
Just sub. raw for refined or plain and adjust to your taste as I have done. No big deal. Kevin can probably give you a more knowledgable response but ultimately it boils down to what you like.
K Kruger
TVWBB 1-Star Olympian
Steve is correct. The sub sweetness-wise is 1:1--no conversion necessary. But it will still come down to your taste as it doesn't seem to be a sweet issue, it seems to be more of a flavor-of-the-sugar issue. I just saw the OP reference to the Vietnamese place. Raw sugar has a bit of a light molasses flavor. It does not dissolve as well as refined and its color can affect what it's being used in. That's how one usually can tell if raw is being used--the molasses flavor and, if being used as the exclusive sweetener in something lightly colored, then the color of that item.
A simple syrup made with raw sugar will taste like a simple syrup made with raw sugar.
It is not at all unthinkable that she makes simple syrup. What is not common would be the use of raw sugar rather than refined. Refined is much more prevalent. Soda Chanh, the refreshing drink one sometimes finds in Vietnamese restaurants--and often called Vietnamese 'lemonade'--is simply granulated refined sugar (or syrup) stirred with freshly squeezed lime juice, a little salt, and club soda or seltzer. Sometimes lemon is used instead. The soda flattens a bit as it is stirred with the sugar.
A simple syrup made with raw sugar will taste like a simple syrup made with raw sugar.
It is not at all unthinkable that she makes simple syrup. What is not common would be the use of raw sugar rather than refined. Refined is much more prevalent. Soda Chanh, the refreshing drink one sometimes finds in Vietnamese restaurants--and often called Vietnamese 'lemonade'--is simply granulated refined sugar (or syrup) stirred with freshly squeezed lime juice, a little salt, and club soda or seltzer. Sometimes lemon is used instead. The soda flattens a bit as it is stirred with the sugar.