The secret to great lemonade or limeade is in starting with a simple syrup: equal parts sugar and water boiled, then chilled. Simple syrup is used to make sorbet and is the building block for a lot of great cocktails, so you may want to keep it as a staple in your fridge. I’ve tweaked this version a little by adding lime peel at the last minute to the heated syrup in order to infuse it with the lime’s essential oils.
Ingredients
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup water plus 4 cups water
- A few lime peels
- 1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
- 2 tablespoons orange blossom water
- Fresh mint, to taste
Directions
- Heat 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water until sugar has dissolved.
- Add lime peels to the heated mixture and let stand for 5 minutes before removing.
- Chill this mixture over an ice bath or for a few hours in the fridge.
- Add fresh lime juice and orange blossom water.
- Add 4 cups cold water. Stir well and taste. If it is too sweet for you, add some more lime juice.
- Serve over ice with plenty of fresh mint.
