Everyone who knows me well knows that I almost always have a pitcher of raspberry lemonade chilling in my fridge. I started making this lemonade when I was looking for easy ways to use fresh picked raspberries; when my children were young, we would go picking berries at least once a week as a fun summer time activity. Well, I grow raspberries in my yard now specifically for making this lemonade as well as for putting in scones and muffins. As my children matured, so did this recipe. I began making it tarter and now, more frequently than not, serve it with a fat shot of vodka!
2-4cupsraspberriesfresh or frozen (If you use less fruit use 1 cup of sugar.)
½-1cupsugar(If serving with vodka use 1/2 cup of sugar.)
4cupswater
¾-1cup lemon juicefreshly squeezed
Instructions
Make the simple syrup: In a 4-litre pot, boil 4 cups of water and the sugar over high heat, stirring occasionally until the sugar is dissolved, about 4 minutes. Add the raspberries and let the mixture come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the berries are completely soft, about 3 minutes. Allow the syrup to cool to room temperature.
Strain the syrup through a sieve and press down on the berries with a large spoon to extract all the juice. Discard the seeds and the berries.
To make the lemonade: Pour the simple syrup into a tall pitcher and add 1 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice. Top the pitcher with cold water. I usually add 1-2 cups of cold water. Taste the lemonade and add more or less water until you get the desired flavour.