Ahh, Summer! As long as the air conditioning is working well, I love the long, warm days. It’s the most relaxing season out of the four. Extended nice weather is made for sitting on the deck, at the pool, or on the beach and enjoying the great outdoors. As long as we have a cool drink in hand, that is!
My go-to summertime non-alcoholic drink is lemonade. I love it’s light & tart refreshing taste, but sometimes, I want something different. Something new, but equally light & refreshing. Tart would be good, too. Strawberry Limeade fills the bill. Strawberries are available year round but they are abundant and extra sweet in the summertime. You’ll get the most intense strawberry flavor from very ripe berries. Use the lower end of the ingredient amounts for the water and lime juice amounts if you have less ripe strawberries and the higher amounts for more ripe berries.
Strawberry Limeade
Strawberry Limeade (adapted from southernliving.com) Makes 5 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
- 3 cups (1 pound) sliced, very ripe, fresh strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 – 4 cups cold water
- 5 – 6 ounces lime juice (about 4 large limes)
How to Make It:
Stir together the strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Crush the strawberries with a wooden spoon, and let them stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Macerate the strawberries.
Process the strawberry mixture in a food processor or blender until it is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed.
Process the strawberries.
Press the mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice. Discard the solids.
Strain the solids out of the strawberry mixture.
Add the cold water and the lime juice, stirring until it is blended. Cover and chill the limeade until ready to serve. Serve over ice.
An excellent summer drink!
This hits the Summer sweet spot! ~Linda
Strawberry Limeade (adapted from southernliving.com) Makes 5 1/2 cups
Ingredients:
- 3 cups sliced fresh strawberries
- 1 cup sugar
- 3 1/2 cups cold water
- 5 ounces fresh lime juice (about 4 large limes)
How to Make It:
Stir together the strawberries and sugar in a large bowl. Crush the strawberries with a wooden spoon, and let them stand at room temperature for at least 30 minutes and up to an hour.
Process the strawberry mixture in a food processor or blender until it is smooth, stopping to scrape down the sides as needed. Press the mixture through a wire-mesh strainer into a large pitcher, using the back of a spoon to squeeze out the juice. Discard the solids. Add the cold water and the lime juice, stirring until it is blended. Cover and chill the limeade for 2 to 24 hours. Serve over ice.