One of the most refreshing drinks around, homemade limeade is tart yet sweet and marvelously thirst quenching. All you need to make it are fresh limes and sugar or honey—and water. It's a magical two-ingredient recipe (as are many lemonade recipes.) Mix it and chill for an hour to let the flavors mingle. Then serve over ice with lime slices and enjoy a drink that will help you beat the summer heat.
Our limeade recipe comes from former executive director of food and entertaining, Lucinda Scala Quinn, who came to love limeade during her time in Jamaica. The recipe appears in her bookLucinda's Authentic Jamaican Kitchen.
The Best Tool for Juicing Limes
The best tool for juicing a lime is the one you have in your kitchen. Since this is such a simple recipe, there's no reason to complicate it by calling for special equipment. But if you don't already own a tool for juicing citrus, we recommend a citrus reamer. It's a small wooden utensil that beats fancier, pricier options at getting the most juice from any kind of citrus—and you want to get all the lime juice you can when you're making limeade (don't let any go to waste).
A citrus reamer is a handheld juicer shaped like an inverted cone with a broad, blunt handle at the base. The cone has a ridged surface designed to get the greatest amount of juice from halved citrus fruits.
Here's how to get the most juice out of a lime: Before juicing, roll the lime back and forth a few times on the countertop, applying a little pressure as you roll. This will encourage more of the juice to release. (This tip works on lemons, too.)
Directions
Juice limes:
Roll the limes back and forth over the counter with the palm of your hand. Cut limes in half, and juice them by hand or with a juicer; reserve rinds. (You should have about 1/2 cup juice.) Transfer juice and rinds to a large pitcher.
Make simple syrup:
Bring 1 cup water to a boil in a small saucepan. Add sugar or honey, and stir until dissolved.
Mix syrup and water:
Pour syrup into the pitcher, and add 4 cups water. Stir until limeade is well blended. Add more sugar or honey, if desired.
Refrigerate, then garnish to serve:
Refrigerate 1 hour. Discard rinds. Serve limeade garnished with lime slices.
How to Store Limeade
This homemade limeade should stay fresh for five to seven days in the refrigerator so you can enjoy a glass every day for up to a week—if it lasts that long.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is better: fresh lime juice or bottled?
We always freshly squeezed lime juice over bottled. It doesn't take long to squeeze the limes for this limeade, so we suggest that is what you do. Some brands of bottled lime juice are better than others, but their flavor is not as bright and citrusy as fresh juice—and they contain preservatives.
How many limes make 1 cup of lime juice?
On average, a lime yields 2 tablespoons of fresh lime juice—so eight limes should make 1 cup of fresh lime juice. Obviously, some limes are juicer than others and smaller limes will likely yield less juice than larger ones.
6 Other Citrus Drink Recipes to Try:
Originally appeared: Martha Stewart Living, April 2006
