After we’re done with the crazy that comes with May, (no seriously, what is with this month?) we’re all going to want to dive right into summer vacation.  Frankly, nothing says summer time like the smell of sunscreen and chlorine in the air and a nice tall glass of fresh LIMEade.  Yes, we said lime.  A fresher (is that a real word) spin on the tradition of lemonaid, and (we might add) even better then its predecessor!

There’s as many versions of this refreshing drink as there are of lemonade, but I say they’re all good.  This one I found from seriouseats.com awhile back is especially good.  Enjoy friends!

FRESH LIMEADE 

List of Ingredients

  • 3 pounds (1.3kg) limes (12 to 16 medium limes)
  • 14 ounces sugar (2 cups; 400g)
  • 24 ounces cold water (3 cups; 700ml)
  1.  Bring limes to room temperature, then roll firmly against the counter to soften their rinds. Halve and juice; set juice aside. Cut rinds into 1-inch chunks. Toss with sugar in a large nonreactive mixing bowl, cover tightly with plastic, and let stand at room temperature, stirring once every 45 minutes or so, until sugar has completely dissolved, about 3 hours. (You can let the mixture stand up to 12 hours, if desired.)
  2. Add water and 6 ounces (3/4 cup; 180ml) of reserved lime juice. Stir well, then strain through a nonreactive fine-mesh strainer or piece of cheesecloth into a glass or ceramic container. At this point, the concentrated limeade can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.
  3. When ready to serve, pour limeade over ice and adjust to taste with additional water or lime juice, depending on personal preference; bear in mind, though, that the limeade will be diluted as the ice melts. (You will likely have some fresh lime juice left over, which can be reserved for another use, though exactly how much you have will depend on how much you added to adjust the limeade.)