It’s ironic I’m writing this today since it’s a wet and rainy day that screams “warm blanket and a cup of tea”, but this weekend was one of those hot, muggy and humid days that just begged for a huge pitcher of something cold, refreshing and sweet. And I just happened to have a bunch of freshly picked rhubarb and a bowl of almost-overripe peaches that needed to be used and I was in no mood to turn on the oven.
I am a self-proclaimed lemonade junkie. It’s my hands-down favorite drink. When I was pregnant with the LittIe Miss I craved it constantly. Any café, restaurant, fast food chain or vending machine was subject to a full-on hysterical-red-faced-tear-streaked-hormone-induced fit at the mere suggestion that they didn’t have copious amounts of my drink in stock. To avoid future public outbursts of pregnancy-related insanity (and no doubt embarrassment), Husband found a bunch of old-fashioned lemonade recipes for me and I’ve been testing, trying and perfecting them ever since.
My newest favourite is Rhubarb Lemonade. It adds a lovely pink hue to the drink and totally ups the ‘pucker factor’ by a magnitude of 10. However, I wasn’t in the mood for a total face-scrunching, tongue-twisting, drooling experience this weekend. I wanted more of a balance between tart and sweet. Enter the peaches. The result? A beautifully light pinky-peach colored drink that was sweet, refreshing and had just a ‘hint’ of extra tart.
The Little Miss loved it. It will make a great lemonade stand or pool party drink someday.
Enjoy!
Peach Rhubarb Lemonade
Ingredients:
6 1/2 cups cold water
3/4 cup sugar
3 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh rhubarb
5-6 roughly chopped peaches (overripe ones work best)
6 1/2 cups cold water
3/4 cup sugar
3 ½ cups coarsely chopped fresh rhubarb
5-6 roughly chopped peaches (overripe ones work best)
juice of 2 lemons
fresh blueberries
Directions:
In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Add rhubarb and peaches; return to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, allowing the pulp to drain for 10 minutes without pressing (to ensure a clear drink). Transfer the liquid to a pitcher and add lemon juice. Stir and refrigerate for about 4 hours or until really cold. (Tip: freeze for 1 hour if you're in a hurry!)
Toss blueberries in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for 1 hour. Serve lemonade in a tall glass with frozen blueberry “ice cubes”
Directions:
In a saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil. Add rhubarb and peaches; return to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 5 minutes. Strain into a bowl, allowing the pulp to drain for 10 minutes without pressing (to ensure a clear drink). Transfer the liquid to a pitcher and add lemon juice. Stir and refrigerate for about 4 hours or until really cold. (Tip: freeze for 1 hour if you're in a hurry!)
Toss blueberries in a freezer-safe resealable bag and freeze for 1 hour. Serve lemonade in a tall glass with frozen blueberry “ice cubes”
