Spring is here which means fruity cocktails and light sauvignon blancs. When the sun comes out, and the spring flowers begin to bloom, we can’t stop ourselves from craving those delicious beverages. However, we know we can’t sip boozy libations all day long (only in a perfect world). Instead we are all about making batches of lemonade this spring!
Skip the powdered version and whip up a more creative and natural batch of lemonade this season.
Mint and Rosemary Lemonade With Vanilla recipe courtesy of Foolproof Living
Ingredients:
8 cups of cold water
8 large lemons, washed and cut in half
1 cup granulated sugar
10 sprigs of fresh mint
½ vanilla bean, scraped seeds
2 sprigs of fresh rosemary
Directions:
1. Bring water to a boil in a large pot.
2. Squeeze lemons. Place the juice and the juiced lemon halves in a non-reactive bowl. Sprinkle it with the granulated sugar.
3. Add fresh mint, vanilla seeds, vanilla pod, and sprigs of fresh rosemary.
4. Once water is boiled, pour it over the lemons. Give it a stir.
5. Allow it to sit for 30 minutes on the kitchen counter to cool off.
6. Strain. Pour it into mason jars or a pitcher.
7. Place it in the fridge until ready to serve.
8. To serve, garnish it with fresh rosemary, slices of lemon, and fresh mint leaves.
Mango Carrot Lemonade recipe courtesy of Cooking ala Mel
Ingredients:
1 pound baby carrots
2 cups water
3 cups mango juice
3/4 cup lemon juice (about 6 lemons)
Water, for thinning (optional)
Directions:
1. Combine the 2 cups of water and baby carrots together in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium until it comes to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, until the carrots are soft. Remove from heat, and allow to cool slightly.
2. Juice the lemons while you wait for the carrots to cool slightly.
3. Once cool, transfer the carrot and water mixture to a blender, and blend until smooth. Add 1 cup of the mango juice and blend.
4. Transfer to a pitcher (or other airtight container) and stir in the remaining mango juice and lemon juice. Place in the refrigerator to chill completely, about 2 hours (or longer).
5. When ready to serve, thin with water to reach your desired consistency, and serve over ice.
Frozen Mango Lemonade recipe courtesy of Simply Designing
Ingredients:
5 lemons
3/4 of a mango
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 cup water
5-6 cups ice
Directions:
1. Squeeze lemon juice from lemons into a blender
2. Cut mango and add fruit to blender
3. Add sugar, water and ice and blend until smooth
Blueberry Lemonade recipe courtesy of Julie’s Eats and Treats
Ingredients:
2 cups blueberries (fresh)
3/4 cup granulated sugar
2/3 cup Lemon juice
4 cups cold water
Sliced lemons (garnish)
Blueberries (garnish)
Directions:
1. Place the blueberries, sugar and 1 cup water in a blender. Blend on medium-high speed for about 1 minute, until the blueberries are completely pureed.
2. Strain the blueberry puree through a fine mesh sieve (or skip this step if you don’t mind small pieces of blueberry in your lemonade).
3. Combine the blueberry puree with lemon juice and the remaining 3 cups of water. Add more water, if desired. Stir well, and chill. Serve over ice.
Pineapple Lemonade recipe courtesy of Damn Delicious
Ingredients:
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup lemon juice
1 cup pineapple juice
2 tablespoons lime juice
Directions:
1. To make the simple syrup, combine sugar and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan over medium heat, stirring until the sugar has dissolved; let cool.
2. In a large pitcher, whisk together simple syrup, lemon juice, pineapple juice, lime juice and 5 cups water. Place in the refrigerator until chilled.
3. Serve over ice.
Peach Rose Lemonade recipe courtesy of Mountainside Bride
Ingredients:
3 cups white peaches, chopped into pieces
1 1/2 cups water
1 cup fresh-squeezed lemon juice (from about 7 lemons)
3/4 cup sugar
4 tablespoons rose water
Directions:
1. Place chopped peaches, water and sugar in a heavy bottomed sauce pan over medium heat. Allow to cook down, about 20 minutes.
2. Set aside to cool slightly, then run through a blender until pureed.
3. Pour peach mixture through a fine sieve and place in refrigerator until chilled.
4. Meanwhile, squeeze the juice from lemons.
5. Once peach mixture has chilled in a pitcher combine with lemon juice and rose water. Serve chilled.
Coconut Lavender Lemonade recipe courtesy of Confectionalism
Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice, from about 9 lemons
1 3/4 cups sugar
8 cups coconut water
4 cups water
1/2 recipe Lavender Simple Syrup (recipe follows)
Lavender Syrup
2 cups sugar
1 1/2 cups water
3 tablespoons dried lavender
a few drops of violet food coloring (optional)
Directions:
1. Place lemon juice, sugar, coconut water, and water into a pitcher and shake or stir vigorously until all the sugar is dissolved.
2. Pour 1/2 of the lavender syrup into the pitcher and stir. You can add more or less lavender syrup to your personal taste.
Blackberry Sage Lemonade recipe courtesy of The Kitchen Prep
Ingredients:
1/4 cup water
1/4 cup sugar
3-4 lemons, juiced {about 1/2 cup fresh lemon juice}
6 ounce container of blackberries
2-3 cups water
Fresh sage leaves
Directions:
1. Make simple syrup: Combine water and sugar in a saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat; allow to simmer for about 1 minute or until the sugar has dissolved completely. Remove from heat and allow to cool.
2. Add lemon juice, blackberries and cooled simple syrup to a blender. Process until smooth.
3. Pour through a fine mesh strainer into a pitcher or glass container. Add about 2-3 cups of water depending on how diluted you’d like your beverage.
4. Place 4 or 5 fresh sage leaves in each glass and muddle slightly to release some of the fragrance. 5. Top with ice and fill with lemonade. Garnish with a few blackberries if desired.
Which recipe will you try this spring? Let us know in the comments below!
xx, The FabFitFun Team
