Italian Lemonade
It is spring! Yay! We have lighter, longer, and warmer days. So, I started thinking about a drink to commemorate these springy days. It is colorful, refreshing and unique. It brought up a memory regarding my youngest daughter, Anna Marie. She and a friend wanted to do a lemonade stand in elementary school sometime that summer. Anna Marie and I had been visiting our cousin Jazzy when Anna started talking about the idea again. Jazzy asked what kind of lemonade she was going to make. At first, Anna Marie was going to use the typical powdered mixes in pink and yellow. Jazzy said that she had a fabulous, real lemonade recipe that Anna Marie could use. It was called Italian Lemonade that Jazzy’s grandma taught her how to make since they were half-Italian. I also told Anna Marie that I had a traditional, homemade lemonade recipe to use for her stand that was so much better than the powdered mixes. Anna Marie and her friend made both the lemonades. They set up a table at the end of the driveway and sold cups and cups of lemonade. They sold out of both of them…lol! Anna Marie said that mostly everyone tried both lemonades and commented on how delicious and unique the Italian lemonade was. The lemonade stand was a huge success and the girls made some extra money that afternoon. Plus, they learned that everything tastes better when it is homemade!
The maple syrup takes the place of the typical simple syrup that is normally used in original lemonade recipes. Mixed with the mint, this lemonade has a unique, distinct, refreshing flavor. By using the maple syrup, it also saves time as well. Adjust the mint and maple syrup to your taste. This can be your pantry staple, new, summer drink! For an adult version, add some Amaretto for a tasty cocktail!
Ingredients
1 ¼ cups FRESH lemon juice (about 5 to 6 lemons)
3 Cups of Water
1/2 cup of 100% real, maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
Fresh mint
1 lemon, seeded and sliced into thin slices (for garnish)
Instructions
Cut the lemons in half. With a juicer, squeeze the lemons on the juicer to get enough juice to equal 1 ¼ cups lemon juice. Add to a large pitcher.
Add the water, maple syrup, and mint. Stir until completely blended.
Taste. If it needs more maple syrup or mint, then add.
Garnish with sliced lemons.
Best if refrigerated for several hours to meld the flavors. If need to serve right away, serve over ice.
Italian Lemonade
Ingredients
- 1 ¼ cups FRESH lemon juice (about 5 to 6 lemons)
- 3 Cups of Water
- 1/2 cup of 100% real, maple syrup (not pancake syrup)
- Fresh mint
- 1 lemon, seeded and sliced into thin slices (for garnish)
Instructions
- Cut the lemons in half. With a juicer, squeeze the lemons on the juicer to get enough juice to equal 1 ¼ cups lemon juice. Add to a large pitcher.
- Add the water, maple syrup, and mint. Stir until completely blended.
- Taste. If it needs more maple syrup or mint, then add.
- Garnish with sliced lemons.
- Best if refrigerated for several hours to meld the flavors. If need to serve right away, serve over ice.