Fruit lemonade

Name: Fruit lemonade
Ingredients: 4 lemons; 2 oranges; 2 nectarines; 200 g sour cherries; 2 teaspoons natural mint syrup; 100 g honey (or to taste); 700 ml sparkling mineral water; 2 g fresh mint leaves; 12 ice cubes

Beverages - Fruit lemonade by Marinela F. - Recipia

Fruit lemonade brings together puréed sour cherries and nectarines, lemon and orange juice, honey, mint, and sparkling mineral water. Serve it chilled, with a smooth pulp and a sweet-tart taste; I choose ripe but still firm nectarines so the drink has some body and doesn’t turn watery. Prep: 20 minutes. Cook: 0 minutes. Rest: 30 minutes. Total time: 50 minutes. Serves: 4. Approximately 186 kcal and 1 g protein per serving.

Ingredients

4 lemons
2 oranges
2 nectarines
200 g sour cherries
2 teaspoons natural mint syrup
100 g honey (or to taste)
700 ml sparkling mineral water
2 g fresh mint leaves
12 ice cubes

Preparation

1. Remove the pits and stems from the sour cherries. Cut the nectarines into cubes and purée all the fruit in a mini chopper or blender. 2. Cut the lemons and oranges in half and squeeze them with a hand juicer. 3. Mix the mint syrup with the honey, then add the sparkling mineral water, puréed fruit, and citrus juice. Stir until the honey dissolves. 4. Cover the drink and chill it for 30 minutes. If you want a clearer texture, strain it before serving; pour it into glasses or pitchers and add mint leaves and ice cubes.

Notes

I liked Rocsiuța’s idea and tried the fruit version for Rebeca and us. Choose ripe but still firm nectarines; very soft ones make the purée more watery and the lemonade loses some of its body. Taste a sour cherry first: if it’s very tart, add the honey gradually and adjust the sweetness as you go. Squeezing the citrus is the step people tend to rush; work each half until no more juice comes out, without pressing hard on the peel. The pulp can settle at the bottom as the drink sits, so give it a quick stir before pouring. For a version without bubbles, use the same amount of still water; the purée keeps the texture fuller. Serve it with a slice of plain loaf cake, which won’t overpower the fruit. You can make it ahead and keep it in the fridge, but put the ice straight into the glasses so it doesn’t dilute the drink in the pitcher.