Real Lemonade The Simplest Of Summer Thirst Quenchers
Lemonade is a simple drink, with no guiles or hidden motives lurking behind its puckery, in-your-face taste.
It is all about innocence (think lemonade stand) and purity (think three ingredients, no preservatives). But mostly, it’s about summer. Poured over plenty of ice, the tangy, citrus taste of lemonade is a cooling quencher that knocks the heat right out of the dog days.
All kinds of instant powders and crystals masquerade as lemonade. Predictably, these are what most people stir up when thirst comes calling, with convenience apparently taking precedence over taste.
Whether those drinks really are lemonade is debatable. The ingredient list on cans and packets suggests something far from the concept. Lemon juice, you say? Not always. Citric acid is usually what gives the tart taste. High-fructose corn syrup or artificial sweetener provides the sweetness, and a flotilla of other, distinctly non-lemony things such as calcium phosphate, maltodextrin and titanium dioxide are in there too.
But this is not a lament about those ersatz versions that lure so many. Rather it is a celebration of the simple, old-fashioned lemonades that draw long lines at practically every county fair, street fair and neighborhood festival all summer.
Real lemonade is so simple that it’s hard to find a recipe for it. Even cookbooks that are devoted to cooking with lemons tend to skip over a formula that combines water, sugar and lemon juice.
The only challenge in making lemonade, other than squeezing lots of lemons, is finding the right balance between the sour power of the lemons and the softening effects of sugar. That’s often a matter of taste, with some preferring more pucker than others. “Joy of Cooking” calls for about half the amount of lemon juice to sugar against the tarter Better Homes & Gardens “New Cookbook” formula of equal parts lemon juice and sugar.
A sugar syrup generally is the base for lemonade, which avoids the problem of sugar not dissolving in cold liquid. If you don’t want to bother with a syrup, bar sugar (also called superfine sugar) is an alternative.
The simplicity of the drink suggests all sorts of variations. A drop or two of grenadine syrup adds a lovely pink tint. Add another citrus juice, such as lime juice or orange juice, or use carbonated water in place of tap water. Any of the clear spirits, such as vodka, gin and light rum, can be mixed in to make a summery punch.
Classic Lemonade
1 cup sugar
5 cups water
Rind of 2 lemons, scrubbed, cut into pieces
1 cup fresh lemon juice
Mix sugar, 1 cup of the water and lemon rinds in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil and simmer until the sugar dissolves, 5 to 6 minutes. Cool and strain.
Mix the sugar syrup, remaining 4 cups water and lemon juice. Pour over ice. If desired, add several drops of grenadine for pink lemonade.
Yield: 6 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 140 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 7 milligrams sodium, 37 grams carbohydrate, no protein.
Lemon Shake-Ups
This tart version of lemonade is served at state and county fairs all over the Midwest. Be sure to scrub the lemons before juicing them, since the shells are added to the drink.
4 lemons, scrubbed
1/2 cup superfine bar sugar, or to taste
2-1/4 cups water
Ice cubes
Cut lemons in half and squeeze the juice from them. Pour juice into a jar with a tight-fitting lid.
Add sugar, water, ice and 2 to 3 of the lemon halves. Close the jar and shake vigorously. Serve at once.
Yield: 4 servings.
Nutrition information per serving: 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, 5 milligrams sodium, 30 grams carbohydrate, no protein.