Fresh Lemonade By Juicing

Is there anything prettier than a bowl of fresh lemons?

I love everything about lemons. They have cleansing properties, health benefits and even smell good. Huffington Post has a great article on the health benefits of lemons. On a hot day, whether in the muggy southern USA or the hot and dry midwest, lemonade brings relief. It accommodates long visits with friends and family on the front porch.

One of my favorite variations for lemonade is to include mint with the ice in the ice crusher. Fill the glasses with ice and set them in the freezer until serving time. Make the lemonade a bit sweeter than you normally would so as the ice melts the lemony taste isn't watered down.

Making lemonade is easy. Using my juicer makes it even easier. Usually I hand squeeze my lemons with a manual juicer. They come in a number of varieties. Mine was a glass jar with a reamer attachment. There's also the type with a motorized reamer. A larger version of the garlic press is a great squeez reamer as well. Using my Breville brought the process to a another level entirely. Prep time was only 25 minutes from peeling the first lemon to mixing the sugar water and lemon juice.

I freeze the rind for use in other projects like syrup for Baklava and Bessaboussa. The pulp can be frozen too in ice trays. You can then add cubes to smoothies and juices. It's also a good way to have pulp to add to muffins and quick breads.

I used white sugar in this hub. However, it's possible to use raw suger, agave syrup, Truvia or another type of sweetener. Please be sure to make a small batch at first until you're sure of how much of another type sweetener will be required in proportion to your test batch. Visit this article on properties of some sweeteners.

I like salty things with lemonade. Pretzels are the best idea. Hard cheese and salty crackers are another great combination. When I make pretzels, I use this recipe. Other snacks with a briny taste, like celery, go well with lemonade also. Hummus served with celery sticks would be a great snack. Finger sandwiches are another option. Cucumber sandwiches come to mind. I'd not use any mayonnaise when serving lemonade or uncooked milk products. Even though I prefer salty foods with lemonade, some people actually prefer a variety of sweets.