Hot Summer, Cold Drinks: Basil Lemonade and Oleo-Saccharum
Since I don’t drink much soda (I stick to ones that have been sweetened with cane sugar or honey when I indulge), we oftentimes only have seltzer and water in the fridge. I’ve been making it a point to try and make more drinks at home since we always have a lot of citrus in the crisper. This Basil Lemonade recipe I found on The Spruce Eats is so easy, you can make it in the morning and have lemonade to sip with your lunch.
First you muddle your basil (this would be killer with rosemary or mint too - would just have to play around with the quantities) with the sugar and lemon zest from the lemons you’ve juiced. You’re using the sugar crystals to break down the basil and extract the oils from the zest. Maximum flavor!
Add two cups water to dissolve all of the sugar and bring the mixture to a boil. Once it hits that boil, take it off of the heat. We want the sugar syrup to cool and steep for thirty minutes (or until it’s room temperature). This syrup is going to sweeten and flavor the lemonade. Strain the cooled basil syrup into a big pitcher or pyrex measuring cup! Your kitchen is going to smell VERY VERY GOOD.
Add four to five cups of chilled water to the syrup, mix it up, and you’re done! Herbal, refreshing basil lemonade that you can enjoy straight up or mixed with some seltzer for a fizzy experience. Or if you want to feel like a Fancy Heaux….spike that shit.
Now, if you feel like getting even more outta this recipe, you can make something really special with your spent lemons! Take the used up lemon rinds and weigh them (if you don’t have a kitchen scale yet, GET ONE - they’re so useful and affordable). You want to use the ratio of 2 parts lemon (or any citrus) rinds to 1 part sugar (you can use any kind, I mixed white and turbinado), and just mix them in a bowl. That’s it!
I let mine hang out for four to five hours, coming into the kitchen to mix them whenever I went in to get a snack. You end up with something really special called Oleo-Saccharum or sugared oil. Strain off the lemon rinds with a sieve and use the syrup in cocktails, drizzle it on some cake or ice cream, or just mix it in seltzer! Shout out to both Sohla El Waylly and Stella Parks aka Brave Tart, for the tip.
