Mint lemonade - drinking in summer time
Who here loves a long, lazy summer day? One spent sitting out in the sun, relaxing, reading a book, maybe doing a spot of work in the garden. Whatever you’re doing, drinking some water is probably a good idea. But when it comes to more interesting drinks not all are made equal, which is why I love this mint lemonade. It tastes of sunshine, but it’s got a zesty, citrusy, minty hit that makes it all over goodness.
When you’re getting all toasty, the best drinks are a little sharp or zesty. Now, you could always go grab a bottle of whatever fizzy drink you prefer, but these days I prefer to make something for myself. Because really, how many ingredients does one drink need?
In this case, the answer is four.
That’s why recipes like this lemonade or my raspberry cooler are great. Not only are you entirely in control of what’s going into them, but you can tailor the ingredients to your tastes. This is especially handy in something like lemonade, as we all like different levels of zestiness in our lives. I make mine on the sharp side, perfect for cutting through the heat. If you prefer yours a little sweeter, knock yourself out - just add a little more sugar until you like the taste.
Making the mint lemonade
There’s no special secret to making this mint lemonade - it’s simply about muddling some mint, adding lemon juice and sugar, then diluting it all to a level you find refreshing.
Take about half of the mint leaves in your hands and rub them together for about 15 seconds. This will start to break down some of the leaves, which releases the mint oils inside - these are what will really give that mint flavour. Add them to the bottom of your jug and then muddle a bit more with the back of a long silicon or wodden spoon.
After this you add the lemon juice and two-thirds of the sugar. Mix to disolve some of the sugar, then dilute with water. When you get to the appropriate total volume, taste to check the flavour - add a little more sugar, if necessary.
The best thing to do is add the lemon slices and mint sprigs into the jug and then chill in the fridge for a couple of hours, but remember that this will intensify the flavours. Alternatively, add in some ice and serve straight away (but remember that the ice will dilute the lemonade).
Not all lemons
Remember when you’re making this that not all lemons are created equal. Some are super juicy and tangy, others are a little firmer and you get less juice from them. Likewise some mint is just going to be mintier than other mint. Such is the way of the world.
This is why it’s really important to taste in drinks like this. It’s often best to err slightly on the side of caution - you can always add more sugar and lemon juice; you can’t take it out. Also, remember that leaving lemon slices in it for a while will make it lemonier.
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Mint lemonade
- Prep Time: 5 minutes
- Total Time: 5 minutes
- Yield: 1 litre 1x
Ingredients
- 1 litre of water
- 3 lemons
- 2 tbsp caster sugar
- 3 sprigs of mint
Instructions
Start by juicing two of your lemons into a large jug and mixing with two-thirds of the sugar and about have of your mint leaves. Use the back of a wooden or silicon spoon to gently muddle the lime and disolve some of the sugar in the juice.
Add 200ml of the water and stir to disolve the rest of the sugar. Dilute with the remaining water and taste.
Slice the remaining lemon and add to the jug along with the remaining mint sprig. Chill in the fridge for an hour. Serve with ice and slices of fresh lemon.
Notes
- The longer you leave the lemon and mint in the jug chilling, the stronger this drink will be.
- This recipe is for quite a sharp lemonade, if you like yours sweeter, add a little more sugar.
- Category: drinks
- Method: soft drinks
- Cuisine: American
Keywords: Mint lemonade
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