Honey Lemonade
Submitted by michelebevevino
Honey lemonade sweetened with a honey-water syrup instead of sugar. Make the syrup ahead and mix individual glasses all week for a naturally sweetened summer drink.
YIELD
8 servingsPREP
10 minCOOK
10 minREADY
20 minHoney replaces sugar in this lemonade, and the difference is more than just sweetener. Honey adds a floral, rounded sweetness that white sugar can’t match, and it pairs with lemon in a way that tastes more complex and less one-note.
Dissolving the honey in hot water first is the step that makes this work. Raw honey dumped into cold water or lemon juice won’t dissolve. It sinks to the bottom and sits there in a sticky lump. Warming it into a syrup means it blends smoothly into the cold water and lemon juice.
The make-ahead syrup is the best part of this recipe. Mix it once, refrigerate, and you can make a single glass of lemonade anytime by stirring four tablespoons of syrup with lemon juice and water over ice. No measuring cups of honey every time.
Three ingredients. Nothing artificial. Just honey, lemon juice, and water.
Kitchen Tips
- Stir over low heat only. You’re dissolving, not cooking. High heat changes honey’s flavor and destroys some of its beneficial properties.
- Taste and adjust. Honeys vary wildly in sweetness. Clover honey is milder, wildflower is stronger. You may want more or less syrup per glass.
- Cool the syrup completely before adding to cold water and lemon juice. Hot syrup melts the ice immediately and you get a warm, diluted drink.
Variations
- Lavender honey lemonade: Steep dried lavender in the hot honey-water syrup for 10 minutes, then strain for a floral twist.
- Ginger honey lemonade: Add sliced fresh ginger to the syrup while warming for a spicy kick.
- Sparkling version: Replace the cold water with sparkling water for a fizzy honey lemonade.
Ingredients
Directions
Stir honey and hot water over low heat until blended.
Let cool and add lemon juice and cold water.
Pour into iced glasses.
The honey/water syrup may be refrigerated and used to make lemonade a glass at a time.
To serve, mix 4 tablespoon syrup to 1½ tablespoon lemon juice and 1 cup water per person.
Pour into iced glasses.
Comments
don't add the honey to hot water,u will destroy the benefits that the unpastuized honey has to offer.just add the water and lemon juice and dissolve honey.However if your using pastuized honey by all means follow the instruton.