Monday, August 13, 2012

Fresh

Yesterday was an extremely hot day, for northern European standards that is, and once upon a time, on such a day, I would go straight to the fridge and get myself a coke, a diet coke, which had been an obsession of mine for many years. Not any more.






About five years ago, I decided to quit drinking any type of soda. It was a good decision. One of those I'm proud I made, along with quitting smoking four years ago. Have I ever told you I was a smoker? No? Well, I was. Not any more.






It's a smart thing I decided to quit some of my bad habits, or addictions I should say, early on, in my twenties, because my body is already thanking me. I'm sure down the road it'll be even more thankful.






I don't mean to get all preachy on you, who am I to talk, I'm full of bad habits still, but this is my reality. However, since we're telling truths here, the reason I used to get pissed off at people who'd tell me how they quit this and that and how good it felt, was because they'd hit a nerve. I didn't want to think of my bad habits, I was scared to admit to them. I didn't want to examine myself and find that what I was doing, was actually detrimental to my health.





Anyway, let me get back to what I was trying to say in the beginning of this post before I got sidetracked. A hot day, that required a drink to quench my thirst, to invigorate and refresh me. Not a soda, nothing that contains soda, but rather a drink that's totally natural, fresh and sweet. A drink filled with the aromas of rosewater, honey and lemon.

A fresh, homemade, rosewater and honey lemonade.






P.S. I will never quit eating chocolate, just so you know. Or meat, or butter, or booze, okay?








Rosewater and Honey Lemonade

I've always loved the flavor of honey paired with lemon yet every time I added honey straight into a fresh lemonade, it wasn't right. The flavor of the honey simple syrup is more subtle, more rounded and it suits my tastes better.

Make sure to use a mild honey whose flavor you enjoy.
You can use the leftover honey simple syrup in all kinds of drinks, alcoholic and otherwise.






Yield: serves 4 / 450 ml honey simple syrup

Ingredients
200-250 ml freshly squeezed lemon juice (from 5-7 lemons)
200 ml honey simple syrup
250 ml cold water
½ - 1 tsp rosewater
Ice cubes

for the honey simple syrup
200 g caster sugar
150 g mild-flavored, runny honey
240 ml water

Special equipment: juicer


Preparation

for the honey simple syrup
In a small saucepan, add the sugar, the honey and the water and bring to the boil over high heat, stirring constantly with a spoon until the sugar and the honey have dissolved. Once the syrup comes to the boil, foam will accumulate on top. Scoop it out with a metal spoon and remove the pan from the heat. Allow the syrup to cool completely before adding it to the lemonade.


You can keep the simple syrup in a glass container, covered, in the fridge for a week.

for the lemonade
In a pitcher, add the lemon juice, 200 ml of the honey simple syrup, the cold water and the rosewater and stir well (I use the back of a wooden spoon to stir mine). Add more or less simple syrup depending on how tart your lemons are.
Serve into glasses filled with ice cubes and enjoy.





10 comments:

  1. I recently quite diet coke too! Glad to know that there is someone else out there doing the same thing.. I too have started experimenting with different fruit based drinks and I am so glad you have posted this. I am going to give it a go this weekend!

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  2. We are going to love this! Lavender lemonade is already something we love, but rosewater in anything is assuredly going to be a favorite, too! Please keep the chocolate, meat, butter and booze coming!

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  3. Hi- delurking here:) I have been following your blog for a few months now and love your blog and your recipes. I love greek food (authentic, home cooked style) and you are my go-to for that. Lovely recipe and lovely blog.

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  4. Never tried honey with lemonade but your photos are so beautiful I want to drink the entire jug! Very hot and humid here too! cant wait for FALL!!!

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  5. Anna — I'm glad I'm not alone too!

    David — I sure will :)

    Unknown — I'm so glad you de-lurked to leave me such a beautiful comment. Thank you so much!

    Joumana — oh, you must give it a try. It's great!

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  6. Love the addition on rosewater in lemonade. I quit smoking years ago, I quit cokes and other sodas decades ago, I quit alcohol, I am working on quitting coffee but I don't think I'll ever manage to stop eating desserts!!

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  7. Very refreshing drink! I never drink or drunk sodas, I was a very light smoker now I have quit even that and I generally do not drink anything other than cold water. But this lemonade sure tempts me to try it!

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  8. This rosewater lemonade looks so cooling and refreshing. I've never tried rosewater, but now I'm intrigued.

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