Lemonade Concentrate

Lemonade Concentrate: So Many Different Options, Who Knew?

Lemonade concentrate, seemingly simple, comes in many different forms and with many different tastes. There are some concentrates that are better for different drink mixers. Some are sweeter than others, some are more pure. It all depends on the taste that you are looking for and how you wish it to play off of the liquor for which you are mixing it. There are so many different brands, and ways to produce it, that finding just the right one can be like finding a needle in a haystack. If you know exactly the drink that you are looking to mix up, choosing the right concentrate becomes less confusing.

 

There are various different recipes for making lemonade concentrate, some have sugar and some do not. You can add just about anything further to them as well. The idea is that you have the concentrate ready whether you want to reconstitute it or whether you just want to go ahead and add it to the recipe as is.

 

You can get lemonade concentrate in the powder form, which is what many bars use for their mixers. The powder, however, does not taste the same, is most of the time more pungent and unless you really work hard at it, the powder rarely if ever dissolves completely leaving you with a chunk of chalky taste in your mouth. Although it is easier to handle and sometimes a cheaper substitute, you just can't get the real flavor of lemonade from a can.

You can purchase lemonade concentrate at the store or you may opt to make your own. If are watching your calories you can always substitute artificial sweetener for sugar. All you need are the following ingredients

• 1 1/2 cup white sugar
• 1 cup water
• 8 lemons (1 1/2 cup juice

In a saucepan, stir together the white sugar and 1 cup of water. Heat until the mixture boils and the sugar is dissolved. Once the sugar is completely dissolved, let cool. In the meantime, juice the lemons until you get the 1 1/2 cup needed, if there is too much pulp, or there are pits, you can strain to remove it. Once the syrup is cooled, just add the juice, stir and then put in a container and into the refrigerator to cool. This will yield you three cups worth of lemonade concentrate. If you freeze the concoction, it can be stored for up to 6 months in the freezer.

 

Lemonade concentrate can make or break a drink. Nothing is better on a hot summer's day than cooling off with a fresh drink. Making lemonade concentrate is almost as easy as purchasing it. Why not spice it up a bit and add additional ingredients like iced tea, strawberries, you can really get a little crazy with it. With the long, hot summer ahead, make sure to put some on ice and have it available just in case someone pops by, they may decide to stay a while.