I love a big old glass of real lemonade! It's refreshing and delicious and full of vitamin C. I usually love a dessert that's full of lemons and berries for Easter. This year due to the ever changing date of Easter it was my sweet Little Buddy's birthday. We had to have birthday cake! A chocolate and peppermint birthday cake to be specifically.
Being a generally willful person who likes her own way I was determined to integrate lemon and berries somewhere else in the day. I chose cocktail hour!
You're going to need lots of lemons! Four to be exact. Slice up two of your prettiest ones.
Put them in the bottom of a container and throw some sugar on them!
Now a pinch of salt will cut down on the bitterness of the lemon pith. Pith is so aptly named! If you put it in your mouth you can't help but say "pppiiiiiththth!" as you spit it out.
Now we macerate! That's what they call it at least. I call it stirring and squishing the lemons with sugar. This will get them to release their juices. The sugar will also grind against the peels and become flavored with the natural flavorful oils. There's a reason the outside of citrus is called zest! It's where all the POW is. Maybe they should of called it the POW? Then lemons could have pucker, pith, and POW!
Oh well, they never ever call me before these decisions are made . . .
Anyway, go ahead and leave the lemons alone for a few minutes. The sugar can complete it's own work.
Look! You can see the juice coming out on the bottom. Sugar is so special! I wish I had taken organic chemistry, I could of made you diagrams showing you why it's so special.
Time to deal with the remaining lemons! Go ahead and juice 'em.
Darling daughter does such a good job!
Put the juice in!
Now since the price of berries is skyrocketing I decided I'd try jam! I figured they'd already smashed and sugared them for me! Why not try it?
It looked so dark I was worried! I went ahead and mixed it around so that the lemon juice had thinned the jam out a little.
It's Easter so let's kick it up a notch!
I don't want to kill all my bubbles with stirring so I decided to pour in just enough to cover the lemons and stir it till all the sugar and jam were melted. Kind of like a syrup they'd use at a soda fountain.
There everything is dissolved. Time for the rest of the water.
Oh it's so pink and festive! So bubbly and fruit!
This was big on sweet and sour! That makes it perfect for ham, sausage or even hot dogs. The raspberries, lemons AND the seltzer water have strong acidic profiles. You need to add an amazing amount of sugar to get this palatable for your average kid! Adults like it a little more sour.
Sparkling Raspberry-Lemonade
4 lemons, washed
1/2 cup-1 cup sugar
pinch of salt
1/2 cup raspberry preserves
2 liters seltzer water or lemon lime soda
Slice two of the lemons and place in pitcher. Sprinkle with sugar and salt and stir up, vigorously, until sugar has coated all slices. Let rest for 2-5 minutes. Juice remaining lemons and pour into pitcher. Add preserves and stir until sugar is mixed in well. Add 2 cups of seltzer water and stir until sugar has dissolved completely. Add remaining sparkling water and stir gently. Serve over ice.
