Homemade Limeade

If you enjoy the tart and bitter taste of lime, then you’ll love my Homemade Limeade made with just 3 ingredients! Perfectly sweetened and just the right amount of pucker!

My Homemade Limeade recipe leads me to stating that I’m an equal opportunity type of guy when it comes to lemons and limes. I like both of them equally, but not interchangeably. For example, I like lime juice in my Diet Coke and on barbecue, but not lemon. And, I like lemon in a cake, or with fish.

But when it comes to a cold, refreshing summer drink, I don’t think I could choose between the two. That’s why I decided to make both Limeade and Lemonade. I’ll get to posting the recipe for Lemonade soon, but for today, it’s all about the lime!

IS THIS REALLY A RECIPE?

Why, yes it is! It takes a little bit of tweaking to get the acid and sugar levels just right. I’ve done the work for you here so you don’t need to worry about a thing! Besides, even though there are only 3 ingredients, you still need to whisk and stir and slice and squeeze. It’s a recipe!

The most important thing to remember when making this Limeade is that you will need to ensure that the sugar has been completely dissolved. If you have ever prepared a simple syrup before, then you’re already a pro! But, for those of us who have not, I’ll provide you with all of the details.

WHAT IS SIMPLE SYRUP?

A simple syrup is a mixture of equal parts water and sugar. The water and sugar are added to a sauce pan and whisked together over heat until the sugar is completely dissolved. Completely! That’s very important!

Whenever I make a simple syrup, which is something you’ll need to do in this Homemade Limeade recipe, I never leave the saucepan unattended.

Obviously, if you let the water and sugar mixture come to a boil, it’s going to bubble up and make a mess. But, if you keep the temperature of the burner low, you’ll eliminate that risk. I never leave the saucepan unattended, because as soon as the sugar is dissolved, it’s done!

Depending on the coarseness of your sugar, that could take anywhere from 3-5 minutes. Just continuously stir with a whisk until you cannot see any visible granules of sugar in the saucepan. It’s that easy!

WHAT’S NEXT?

Patience, Dear Reader! That’s exactly what’s next. The simple syrup has to cool down before we can use it. I pour it from the saucepan and into a pitcher. Place the pitcher in the fridge to help speed up the cooling process.

In the meantime, you can get started on juicing your limes. The number of limes you will need to get one cup of lime juice will vary. It will depend on the size of your limes and just how much juice is in them.

It will also depend on how you juice the limes. I do hope you have a juicer of some sort – be it an electric juicer or a counter top get up with good ridges for juicing. We have one that looks just like this. If you’re juicing by squeezing the limes by hand, you might need extra limes!

PUTTING IS ALL TOGETHER

One you’ve juiced your limes and the simple syrup you made has cooled, it’s time to pull everything together. Start by adding 5 cups of cold water to the pitcher with the simple syrup. Next, pour in the fresh lime juice. Stir to combine.

If you’re serving the Limeade right away, fill the pitcher up with ice and toss in some slices of lime. If you’re serving the Limeade later, don’t add the ice or the lime slices. The ice will water down the juice. And the lime slices will increase the tartness.

I also find that if lime slices are left in pitcher too long, then the pith leaves a bitter taste. The pith is the white part found under that beautiful green skin. Nobody wants that! That’s it – enjoy, Dear Reader!

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•