Lemonade That Warm Weather Friend

Thanks to global warming we're having unbearably hot days even in April and now mid May. How to cool down when the rest of the world is sizzling? BY drinking that old standby lemonade. This is a lovely throwback to Colonial days when ladies used to sip the freshly made stuff on their verandas. The idea is still appealing even though there are very few real ladies and few verandas left nowadays too.

Lemonade , it turns out, was not just favored by our founding mothers but by the medieval Egyptians as well. In fact bottles of it were imported from Cairo and sent to Europe aboard trading vessels. The recipe hasn't changed much. Freshly squeezed lemon, sugar (or honey and water). Th French first coined limonade in the mid 1600's. The French make a fizzy version of it today (imagine a tangy lemon soda) while the Americans Canadian and Indians make the water based version. The English like their carbonated (wouldn't this be considered lemon soda??. Any kind is good as long as it's served up in a tall glass with a lot of ice.

What's the best recipe for lemonade? I prefer using fresh lemons and spring water. The reconstituted lemon juice is good enough to work with if you don't want any rinds and mess to clean up afterwards. Just be careful with how much you use because it can be very tart. As for sweetening, boil up a simple sugar syrup . This flavors the drink and leaves a nice , pure sweetness to balance the lemons. You can add a sprig of fresh mint to individual servings as well.

Don't fret if you can'tt take the heat. Make yourself a big pitcher of lemonade and chill out. Enjoy the tangy cool sweetness of this summery treat.

Best Lemonade Recipe Ever
(by Jo, taken from allrecipes.com

1 3/4 cups white sugar
8 cups water
1 1/2 cups lemon juice



DIRECTIONS
In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1 cup water. Bring to boil and stir to dissolve sugar. Allow to cool to room temperature, then cover and refrigerate until chilled.
Remove seeds from lemon juice, but leave pulp. In pitcher, stir together chilled syrup, lemon juice and remaining 7 cups water. Serve in tall glasses with straws.

Add mint sprigs to pitcher or individual servings if you want.