Limeade
Fresh lime juice, sugar and cold water stirred into a sharp, clear drink and poured over ice.
Photograph credit: Koh Mak, Thailand, Lime juice with ice, Lemonade, Limeade (image of limeade on Wikidata… by Vyacheslav Argenberg · CC BY 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons
It is lemonade with a sharper edge and a greener flavour. Limeade is also a better test of fresh fruit, because lime juice from a bottle tastes flat.
Roll the limes hard on the counter before cutting them, pressing with the heel of your hand. This breaks the segments inside and gives about a third more juice. You need about 10 limes for 300 ml. Dissolve the sugar in a little warm water first. Cold water leaves grains at the bottom of the jug.
Stir the juice into the sugar syrup, add the cold water and taste. Limes vary a great deal, so the balance may need a spoon more sugar or a splash more water. A pinch of salt rounds out the sourness without making the drink taste salty.
Serve over lots of ice with lime slices and a sprig of mint. Make it up to an hour ahead and keep it in the fridge. After that the fresh taste of the juice begins to fade.
Limeade: Step by Step
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Stir the sugar into the warm water until dissolved.
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Add the lime juice, cold water and salt and stir. Taste and adjust.
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Fill six glasses with ice, pour over the limeade and add the lime slices.
Tips That Matter
- Roll the limes before squeezing.
- Dissolve the sugar first.
- Taste and adjust.
- Serve within the hour for the freshest taste.
Changing the Recipe
- Lemon is the everyday swap for lime in this kind of dish — the acidity plays the same role even though the flavour is not identical.
What to Serve With It
Tacos · Barbecue food · Fish and chips · Fresh mint
Storage
Best on the day. Keeps in the fridge for 2 days.
The Numbers per Serving
Per serving, an approximate calculation from the ingredient list. Treat it as a rough guide: part of the energy comes from foods, or weights per item, with no recorded source. How the figures are worked out.
Your notes on this recipe
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Compiled by Turab
Checked by script for timings, diet labels and nutrition arithmetic. How the recipes are checked.
First published ; last changed .
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