When it comes to citrus juices lemon and oranges and even grapefruits tend to take the lead but not today. Today we’re all about the limes with this simple and refreshing limeade. Don’t let the color of this refreshing drink throw you off, this limeade is made using just 4 wholesome and clean eating ingredients and is a welcome sip of refreshment on a hot summer’s day.
To make it we’ll be needing some freshly squeezed limes. 10-12 limes should be enough to give you about 1 cup’s worth of juice.
How do you squeeze your limes? Do you use a reamer or a handheld press or do you use sheer finger strength? I don’t own a device that is specific to juicing citrus but what I’ve found works well for me is to insert the tines of a fork about 3/4 of the way into a halved lime and I’ll work it up and down as I squeeze the juice out!
Making our limeade requires some sugar (I’m using a raw cane sugar that I’ve blitzed in a high powered blender to make it finer and thus easier to dissolve), some honey and our lime juice along with some water to temper the tartness and sweetness of the juice.
The honey and sugar is what colors our limeade, making it unconventional amber-colored.
In order to make things easier for myself I opt to make a simple syrup by adding the sugar and honey to 1 cup of water and bringing that mixture to a simmer, stirring until the sugar is completely dissolved.
This step is optional as you can add the sugar and honey to the juice and simply stir until it’s fully dissolved but this can take a few minutes.
So now we have our freshly squeezed lime juice, our simple syrup and our water, all we need to do is combine them all together and stir.
That’s it! Chilled or served with ice, this drink is refreshingly delicious. The touch of honey 🍯 adds a wonderful touch of flavor that goes beyond “sweet”. Depending on the honey you opt to use you can add anything from a touch of fruitiness to earthiness to even smokiness.
Are you a fan of icy drinks? (aka slushies) you can reserve 1/4 cup of juice and freeze 3/4 cup of juice into ice cubes and add both to a high powered blender and process it until all the frozen cubes are processed. Serve immediately.
Another way you can bump the flavor of your drink is to sub half of your lime juice for lemon juice. Or for a great twist you can combine your limeade with other juices such as cranberry juice or peach juice or even strawberry juice to make yourself a bit of a blended mocktail! What type of flavor combinations do you think pair well with lime juice? What’s your favorite mocktail? Let us know below! 🍹
Sweet Summery Limeade
Ingredients
- 1 cup lime juice about 10-12 limes
- 6 cups water
- 1/2 cup raw cane sugar
- 2-3 tbsp honey
Instructions
- Make a simple syrup using 1 cup of water, sugar, honey. Bring the mixture to a simmer, stirring to ensure that all the sugar is melted. Set aside to cool.
- Squeeze the juice out of enough limes to make 1 cup of lime juice.
- Combine the freshly squeezed lime juice, simple syrup mixture, and water together.
- Taste and adjust the sweetness level to suit your taste.
- Serve chilled or with ice. Store any leftovers covered for up to 10 days in the fridge.
Notes
- For a great citrus burst make this drink using 1/2 cup lime juice and 1/2 cup lemon juice.
- If you don't want to make a simple syrup, you can add the sugar and honey directly into the water and lime juice. Stir constantly until all the sugar is dissolved.
- To make a limeade slushie: freeze 3/4 cups into ice cubes and combine the frozen cubes with 1/4 cup of limeade and process until well blended. Serve immediately and enjoy.
