“We’re having a heatwave… a tropical heatwave….” this Irving Berlin tune keeps running through my head as our temperatures have been flirting with 105 degrees. In heat like this staying hydrated is more important than ever and to make hydration even tastier I’ve whipped up a batch of my favorite Basil Limeade. If you are more of a lemonade guy or gal by all means just substitute lemon juice for the lime.
:: Ingredients ::
8 ounces hot water
2 Tablespoons Lime juice (I used bottled because it’s what I have on hand – fresh is great, but bottled works too!)
4 teaspoons sugar
4 small to medium basil leaves (if you have large leaves you may only need 1)
4 ounces cold sparkling water
ice cubes
:: Step One ::
Heat water (I use the instant hot water on my keurig coffee machine – a great time saver. To do this just press the brew button with no k-cup in the machine!) Add sugar and lime juice to water and stir. You are basically making a simple syrup here. Once sugar is dissolved add basil leaves and refrigerate for about 30 minutes. Adding the basil while the water is hot really enhances the flavor – you could wait and add it when it’s cold but I like the stronger flavor. Your leaves might brown a tiny bit though – just so you know.
:: Step Two ::
Once limeade mix is cool add sparkling cold water and ice.
Sit back and enjoy this refreshingly tart drink! A perfect pick-me-up in this heat!
Happy Celebrating!
July 13, 2012 at 9:07 pm, Jill Flory said:
Sounds yummy! I just saw a recipe for basil lemonade the other day too. I am really going to have to try them both. I love basil and this just sounds awesome!
July 14, 2012 at 8:09 am, Jennifer said:
I love it as lemonade too! The flavor of the basil just enhances all the yummy citrus flavor! I hope you like it!
July 15, 2012 at 2:04 pm, {enchanted} lovely links, July 16, 2012 said:
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