The blacker the berry, the sweeter the juice…
Whoever first said this was really onto something. It’s true that the deeper colored foods tend to have more flavor and nutritional value. Think of sweet potatoes versus white potatoes, brown rice versus white rice and dark leafy greens like collards and kale, compared to iceberg lettuce. The same is true for blackberries; not only are they sweeter than raspberries, strawberries and blueberries, they also have a sweeter juice and more nutritional value. That’s why they’re such a good pairing with the acidity of lemons. Blackberry lemonade is simply a match made in heaven. They make a delicious Blackberry Lemonade cocktail at Yardbird Southern Table and Bar, a soul food restaurant in Miami Beach. But what if you’re not in Miami and still want to enjoy blackberry lemonade in the comfort of your home with friends and family? Here’s a recipe for Blackberry lemonade that can be enjoyed by all ages, and summer weekends are the perfect time to do so! Feel free to spike it with rum, tequila, vodka, bourbon or whiskey to create a cocktail for adults.
First, you will need to make a
Blackberry Simple Syrup
Ingredients:
12 oz fresh blackberries
1 cup sugar
Method:
Cook the blackberries and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat about 20 minutes or until blackberries have softened and formed a thick syrup.
Strain the blackberry syrup to remove seeds and let it cool while you squeeze the lemons for lemonade.
Lemonade*
Ingredients:
14 ounces of water
8 oz fresh lemon juice
Club soda or sparkling water
Lemon slices, lavender and blackberries for garnish
Method:
Mix the water and lemon juice with the blackberry simple syrup and refrigerate it until you are ready to serve it. When ready to serve pour lemonade over ice cubes or crushed ice and top off with a splash of club soda. Garnish with a lemon slice, lavender sprig and/or blackberry.
Serves 4
* For a shortcut, you can just make the blackberry simple syrup and add it to 16 ounces of your favorite pre-made lemonade that can be found in the refrigerated section of your grocery store. Just be sure to reduce the amount of sugar in the blackberry syrup to 1/4 to 1/2 cup, since the pre-made lemonade is already sweetened. Turkey Hill and Newman’s Ownare two brands that are relatively low in sugar and preservative free. You can also feel good about the fact that 100% of profits from every purchase go to educational and charitable organizations.