Strawberry Lemonade

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When I was growing up my dad always bought pink lemonade in the summertime. You know the stuff I'm talking about, the canned frozen concentrate lemonade that tasted so good with a spoon straight out of the container? What?! I'm sure I wasn't the only one who did that! Hahaha! That pink lemonade tasted just like its light yellow sister frozen lemonade, but it was pink. I loved that lemonade and the beautiful pale pink colour. But now that I think about it I'm not even sure what made that lemonade pink - I am pretty sure though it wasn't from something natural like strawberries.

So thinking back to my youth, it's hard to think of a drink that says SUMMER more than lemonade does. And what's better than lemonade on a hot summer day but a tall cold glass of strawberry lemonade? Nothing! You will thank me for this, and the kids will too, because this strawberry lemonade is so yummy.

When I was growing up my dad always bought pink lemonade in the summertime. You know the stuff I'm talking about, the canned frozen concentrate lemonade that tasted so good with a spoon straight out of the container? What?! I'm sure I wasn't the only one who did that! Hahaha! That pink lemonade tasted just like its light yellow sister frozen lemonade, but it was pink. I loved that lemonade and the beautiful pale pink colour. But now that I think about it I'm not even sure what made that lemonade pink - I am pretty sure though it wasn't from something natural like strawberries.

So thinking back to my youth, it's hard to think of a drink that says SUMMER more than lemonade does. And what's better than lemonade on a hot summer day but a tall cold glass of strawberry lemonade? Nothing! You will thank me for this, and the kids will too, because this strawberry lemonade is so yummy.

You may notice in my recipe blogs that I try to cut back on the sugar whenever I can so my preference is for things that are less sweet. I only use 1/2 cup of sugar for lemonade and my kids love it! The strawberries in this juice add tons of sweetness so try it with 1/2 cup of sugar first and add more if you feel you need it. The strawberries also add fibre and vitamins so I don't strain out the seeds. You can if you wish but it really isn't necessary. I also love sparkling carbonated water! There's something about it that makes me feel like I'm on vacation. If you're making it for the kids they probably won't appreciate the extra bubbly so skip the sparkling water. If you're making it for adults only I think you'll all agree this would make a mighty fine cocktail with a shot of rum, vodka or tequila, which coincidentally all taste great with strawberries and lemons. The sparkling water will make it bubbly and frothy - and that's fun! The froth will subside afte a few minutes but sure looks fancy served this way!

​Cheers!

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INGREDIENTS

- juice from 3 lemons
- 1 cup of strawberries
- 1/2 cup water
- 1/2 cup sugar (or 1 cup for sweeter lemonade)
- 1 bottle sparkling water or regular water


DIRECTIONS

1. In a pot bring 1/2 cup of water to boil and add 1/2 cup of sugar and reduce the heat to medium (use 1 cup of water and 1 cup of sugar if you prefer a sweeter drink)
2 Stir until the sugar is dissolved, about two minutes, and let cool
3. Put the simple syrup, lemon juice and strawberries in a blender and mix on purée or high setting until there are no more strawberry chunks left - it will become beautifully frothy
4. Pour the strawberry lemonade concentrate into a serving pitcher and add cold water or sparkling water to taste and stir - I'm partial to the 3:1 ratio from my childhood pink lemonade days so start off with about 4 cups of water ;) and add more water if desired
* just a head's up if you're using sparkling water, it will become frothy and fizzy,
5. Top off with ice and serve!

* a simple syrup is made by dissolving sugar in an equal amount of water: many drinks are best made sweet by adding a simple syrup