Lemonade Syrup.

2.5 C water

2.5 C sugar

1.25 C fresh squeezed lemon juice

zest of one lemon – about a teaspoon.

Combine water and sugar in a small pot. Bring to a boil, and let cook five minutes. Remove from heat, and stir in lemon zest. Let cool, stir in lemon juice. Refrigerate overnight. Makes approximately 1 quart of syrup. Keeps in the fridge for up to a week, frozen for three months.

To make lemonade: Combine 1/4 cup of syrup with 3/4 cup of water per serving. 1 quart of syrup will make two 64 oz pitchers of lemonade – 2 cups of syrup and 6 cups of water per pitcher. Adjust syrup/water ratio to taste – some people like to add more fresh lemon juice when making up.

Variations:

Lavender lemonade: Add 2 tbs. dried lavender blossoms to syrup along with lemon zest. Strain syrup before using.

Strawberry lemonade: Reserve 1.4 cup of sugar from recipe, and sprinkle over 2 cups sliced strawberries. Let rest while you make the syrup and juice lemons. Add sliced strawberries and all juices to syrup along with lemon juice. Strain syrup before using – garnish with fresh strawberry slices.

Ginger lemonade: Add 1 tbs. shredded fresh ginger to syrup along with lemon zest.

Limeade: Use lime in stead of lemon zest. Substitute up to 100% lime juice for lemon juice.

Sparkling Lemonade: Mix the lemonade with sparkling water.

Notes: This is basically a 1:1 simple syrup, flavoured with lemon zest, then pre-mixed with lemon juice. This formula can be adjusted readily to make other flavoured lemonades. Flavoured simple syrups can be used in many other beverages as well (cinnamon/clove syrup in hot apple cider, anyone?) Volatile flavourings should be added after the syrup is removed from the heat, but many could be cooked in the syrup.

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