Honey ginger lemonade
If you know me a little, then you know I have a thing for sodas and other sweet drinks. Of course I try to avoid it as much as I can, as I know how bad it can be for you if you drink it regularly. Instead I usually get water with lemon juice (and sometimes mint leaves) in it, or some sparkling water infused with some fruity flavor, or I just make my own lemonade/iced tea so I can control what goes in it. This particular lemonade recipe has been a hit for us this winter, first because Arnaud and I both love its taste, but also because the ingredients it contains (lemon, honey, ginger), are great when it comes to boost your immune system or improve digestion/ease morning sickness, which has been really helpful during my pregnancy so far :-). To me this lemonade has just the right amount of sweetness, but feel free to add more honey/sugar if you’d like.
Makes about 1.5L lemonade “concentrate” (about 2.5L when diluted)
- Fresh ginger: a root about the size of the palm of a hand
- ⅔ to ¾ cup (160 to 180ml) honey, or a mix between honey and the sweetener of your choice
- About 2 cups (400 to 500ml) fresh lemon or lime juice, or a mix of both* (about 15 to 25 fruits depending on the size and type, including 2-3 organic ones, from which you’ll keep the peel after extracting the juice <optional>)
- 1L still water
Peel (either with a knife or the edge of a spoon -check for tutorials online) the ginger root and slice it into a few big chunks. Place de ginger chunks and still water in a saucepan, and heat until it reaches the point just before boiling. Take off the stove, then add the honey (or other sweetener of your choice) and mix until it is completely dissolved and combined with water. If using, add in the lemon peels of the organic fruits (you don’t have to, but it will bring a stronger lemon taste which I like). Allow to cool, with ginger and peel in it. Remove peel after about 20′ so it doesn’t get too bitter, but leave ginger in it until mixture is completely cold, then take off ginger chunks.
Add this ginger syrup into the lemon juice in a large pitcher. You’ll be able too keep it several days in the fridge. To serve, simply fill a glass with ice cubes, then pour the concentrated lemonade until glass is full. You can also mix about ⅓ to ½ glass with still or sparkling water, then fill the rest with lemonade. Adjust following the desired taste and sweetness.
Note: You can decide to stop after you made the ginger syrup and keep it as it is in a bottle in the fridge, and simply use it when needed by pouring a small amount in a glass of lemon juice or a with a lemon infused sparkling water for example. You can also make the lemonade concentrate and freeze it in ice cube trays, so you can have fresh lemonade whenever you feel like it (simply put a few of the lemonade ice cubes in a glass and fill the rest with water).
*At home we like to use a simple manual lemon squeezer as it is really easy and fast to use, but any citrus juicer will do!
