Ginger Lemonade

The other weekend, I was in the kitchen cooking something and had queued up an episode of The Kitchen on my DVR to play while I cooked.  I have my DVR set to record three minutes before and after each show, and the last three minutes of the previous show ended with the host making ginger lemonade.

Now I’ve had it in my head to make strawberry lemonade one of these days, but ginger lemonade? That really resonated with me.  I love ginger ale, and is one of those things I always have on hand for days when I feel a little nauseous.  Why not ginger lemonade?  So I rewound the clip, got some basic directions, bought a bag of lemons and gave it a go.  The result?  A crisp, refreshing lemonade with a nice spicy flavor from the ginger.

Here’s what you need:

Normally, I start my lemonade with a simple syrup.  It was easy to adapt that to a ginger syrup.  Thinly slice the ginger and add to equal parts water and sugar.  Bring to a simmer to dissolve the sugar.   Allow to sit and steep for an hour or longer.  This will intensify the ginger flavor in the lemonade.

Now squeeze the lemons, you’re looking for about a cup and a half of lemon juice.  It took me 14 lemons, but they were all on the small side. I don’t have a fancy juicer, but this OXO citrus juicer that includes a measuring cup and catches the seeds works out great great for me.

Now using a strainer pour the lemon juice and the ginger syrup into a pitcher and top off with cold water.

This recipe makes about 2-1/2 quarts or 10 cups.  It was perfect for the pitcher I used, but if you just have a basic 2 quart pitcher just cut the ingredients down a little bit.

Fresh lemonade is one of my favorite summertime drinks, and the addition of fresh ginger is my favorite variation that I’ve tried so far.  At my husband’s urging we even enjoyed a glass with a little Jameson mixed in.

Ginger Lemonade

 

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Prep time

1 hour 15 mins

Total time

1 hour 15 mins

 

Ginger creates a spicy, refreshing variation of fresh squeezed lemonade.

Author: Gravel & Dine

Recipe type: Drinks

Serves: 2-1/2 Quarts

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 c sugar
• 1-1/2 c water
• 3 inches of ginger thinly sliced
• 1-1/2 c fresh squeezed lemon juice
• 7-1/2 c cold water

Instructions

1. Combine the water, sugar, and ginger in a small saucepot. Bring to a simmer to fully dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat and allow to steep for at least an hour.
2. Pour the ginger syrup and lemon juice through a mesh sieve into a pitcher. Fill with cold water and stir.
3. Serve over ice.

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