Refreshing Basil Lemonade

Ahhh lemonade. One of the great comforts and joys of those warm summer days.  Basil Lemonade is one of my new favorite ways to doctor up this classic.

I recently finished my first course of several on herbal medicine. That’s my 5 year plan, to be a clinical herbal practitioner.  Anyway, it’s been so fascinating to learn how much just one plant can do. Did you know basil can help with a poor appetite, or stomach pain? It can also help your kidneys, fluid retention, and gas. Good stuff, eh?

At the time I first tried this recipe, I had the most beautiful basil plant on my patio, but I didn’t really have many recipes to use it in….that’s not the case these days.

To Make Basil Lemonade:

You will need:

• 3-4 Large Juicy Lemons (1/2 Cup Of Lemon Juice)
• Several Sprigs Of Fresh Basil
• 1 Cup Of Coconut Sugar or raw honey (regular sugar works too, same amount)
• 4 Cups Of Water

Instructions:

1. Start by squeezing your lemons over a strainer. You will need about a half cup. When you’re finished with the rind, don’t throw it away. Instead…..
2. …add it to a sauce pan with 2 cups of water. There’s good lemon-y flavor in there! Bring the water to a simmer and cover. Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
3. While you’re waiting on your lemons, tie up your basil sprigs with some kitchen twine.
4. After the 10 minutes are up, remove the lemon rinds, add the basil and sugar or honey to your simmering water . Stir until the sugar is dissolved then turn off the heat and let it all sit on the stove to cool.
5. Once everything is cooled, strain out the big bits and the pulp. (I made a double batch of the simple syrup, yours will be about half this) If you’d like to double the recipe, just double the sugar and water, the rest will still be plenty of flavor.
6. In a pitcher or container, pour in your lemon juice, the remaining 2 cups of water, and your simple syrup.
   When you’re ready to serve, pour over ice and tear up some fresh basil. It really gives it a special something extra!

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