Limeade

As mentioned in my previous post, I made both lemonade and limeade in one day.  Ha! that should clue you in as to how much I hate the heat.  And mind you, with the temperature outside being as high as it has been lately, I really don't mind having these ready in the refrigerator anytime.

Making these is as easy as 1,2,3 ... as long as you master the correct proportion, then you as set to go.  The only thing I hate about making these drinks is the amount of squeezing that is required.  Good thing I have an electric juicer so it takes the hard work out of the equation.

This is another great drink to quench the summer thirst away.  The good thing about these drinks is that they are not only easy to make but they can also be made way in advance.  Don't worry if you make too much because you can just pour them into your ice tray and pop in the freezer to make lemonade or limeade ice cube which when mixed with drinks won't water it down.  The flavored ice cubes are also great to use in frozen mixed drinks such as margarita. Or, they can also be used in ice tea to lemon/lime flavored tea. No need to add sugar in these tea since the ice cubes are already sweet.  Hehehe... I am telling you,,,the possibilities are endless.

Here's a tip for garnish:  before juicing the limes/lemons, remove the peel using a zester that allows you to make lemon or lime zest curls.  Shape them into curls and place in a freezer bag.  Place the bags in the freezer so they are ready whenever you need them.  To use as garnish, place on top of ice-filled glass with lemonade/limeade or any other drink you prefer.  Pour a little juice over it to de-frost and viola! they will look like they were freshly made.  The good thing about these frozen garnishes is that they hold their shape better than the fresh ones :) Also, they stick to the ice so they will stay afloat longer than the fresh ones.

1 cup freshly squeezed lime juice

3/4 cup sugar (may adjust according to taste)

4 + 1 cup water

ice cubes

Citrus curls (for garnish)

1. In a small sauce pan, add 1 cup water and 3/4 cup sugar. Heat until sugar dissolves. Remove from heat and let it cool. Set aside.

2. Using a juicer, extract juice from enough lime to produce 1 cup of lime juice.

3. Combine lime juice, sugar syrup, and water.  Mix well.

4. To serve, fill glass with ice.  Add limeade and top with citrus curls for garnish.