With Steve working so hard in the yard pulling weeds last weekend, I decided to whip him up a refreshing beverage: basil lemonade. Ok, you caught me. I’m the one that craves the basil lemonade. He would be just as happy with his Country Time mix. I made it for me. That doesn’t make it any less tasty, though. Here’s how I make it:
Start by making a basic simple syrup. Combine equal parts sugar and water and bring to a gentle boil in a saucepan. Simmer it for five minutes and remove from the heat. Here’s where the basil comes in. Drop a handful of basil leaves into the syrup and let it steep until the syrup is cool. I use the not-so-pretty leaves that wouldn’t look nice on the table because as soon as they hit the hot syrup they will wilt and look not so pretty. When it’s cool, strain the basil leaves out using a sieve and you’ve got yourself basil syrup.
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The basil syrup is what you will use to sweeten your lemonade instead of sugar to give it a hint of basil flavor. The proportions I use are 1 part lemon juice, 1 part basil syrup, and three parts water, but you can play with it to suit your tastes. When I make one glass, I use 1/4 cup lemon juice, 1/4 cup syrup, and 3/4 cups water. For a larger batch, I’d use 1 cup lemon juice, 1 cup syrup, and 3 cups water.
So there you have it, a unique and refreshing beverage to quench your thirst on hot summer days. You can use the syrup for other beverages too, if you like. Basil infused iced tea would be great, for example. The technique also works for anything you can steep, so if basil is not your thing, try mint or another herb. I once made a cilantro syrup for cilantro infused limeade. Experiment and find what you like, but seriously, this basil lemonade is good. Salute!
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