Sour cherry lemonade

Name: Sour cherry lemonade
Ingredients: 1500 ml still water; 300 g sour cherries; 7-8 tablespoons sugar; 1 lemon and 1/2 lemon

Beverages - Sour cherry lemonade by Ludovica J. - Recipia

Sour cherry lemonade is served cold, after the fruit and lemon have spent the night in sweetened water. Once strained, the drink is red, tart and lemony, just right to serve with lunch. I pour it into small glasses, without adding any more water after straining. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 0 minutes. Rest: 8 hours. Total time: 8 hours and 20 minutes. Servings: 6. About 90 kcal and 0.5 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

1500 ml still water
300 g sour cherries
7-8 tablespoons sugar
1 lemon and 1/2 lemon

Preparation

1. Wash the sour cherries, remove the stems and pit them. 2. Pour the water into a large bowl and add the sugar. Stir until dissolved. 3. Wash the lemon. Squeeze one lemon and slice the remaining half. 4. Add the sour cherries to the bowl, along with all the juice they’ve released, then add the lemon juice and slices. Stir and leave the bowl in the fridge for 8 hours, overnight. 5. The next day, strain the lemonade and serve it cold.

Notes

I serve it with a slice of savory pie. It keeps in the fridge, in a covered container, for up to 3 days. Well-ripened sour cherries release more juice and give the drink a darker color. If the fruit is firmer, preparing it may take a little longer, because the pits are harder to remove. For very tart sour cherries, use 8 tablespoons of sugar; for sweeter ones, 7 will do. I take my time stirring at the start and wait until there’s no sugar left at the bottom of the bowl. For a fizzy version, replace 250 ml of the still water with sparkling mineral water and add it after straining. If you make it in the morning, you can serve it in the evening, as long as you keep the chilling time.

Frequently asked questions

Can frozen sour cherries be used?

Yes. Thaw them completely and pour any liquid they release into the bowl too.

Why might the lemonade turn bitter?

The white part beneath the lemon peel can make it bitter after a few hours in the liquid. Use thin slices, with as little of the white part as possible.

Can I replace the sour cherries with sweet cherries?

Yes, but the drink will be less tart. Squeeze another half lemon into the bowl before straining.

Do the sour cherries need to be crushed?

No. If you crush them, more pulp will end up in the lemonade, so you’ll need a fine sieve.

How can I make the lemonade clearer?

Strain it twice, the second time through a fine sieve or clean cheesecloth.