Lemonades are sweetened lemon-flavored beverages. They can be dated back to the 13th century ancient Egypt when they were widely used by humans. That’s because they are easy to prepare with handy recipes from the confines of your kitchen.
Traditionally, lemonade drinks are made using water, freshly-squeezed lemon juice, and a sweetener such as sugar or honey. In Asia and the Americas, cloudy lemonades are common, whereas clear carbonated lemonades are dominant in the United Kingdom and Australia. Beyond being used as refreshing drinks, sweet and subtly tangy flavored lemonades have other applications.
- The fruits can be peeled, sliced, and consumed straight away
- The sliced fruit can be mixed with other fruits and blended into smoothies.
- The peeled fruit can be squeezed to make pure lemon juice.
- Lemon juice can be used to add flavor to a variety of cocktails such as margaritas or put into other recipes that require mild acidity.
- The juice can also be incorporated into baked goods.
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The first lemonade drink is thought to have been consumed in the 13th century in Egypt. The recipe included honey and lemon juice and was locally known as the Qatarized. Centuries later, a company that exclusively sold lemonades was set up in Paris, France. But after the invention of carbonation technology in 1767, carbonated lemonades came to the fore in the British Empire in 1833. This marked the first time the drink was retailed in Britain’s refreshment stalls.
Today, lemonades have grown in popularity because of their numerous health-related benefits. With that in mind, let’s examine the ins and outs of lemonades, how you can prepare them using local recipes at home, their health benefits, as well as some of the most popular lemon-flavored drinks out there.
Lemonades Preparation / Recipes
Want to prepare a lemonade drink at home?
As already stated, a lemonade drink is any type of beverage whose contents are made of lemon juice or at least a lemon-flavored beverage. For the most part, lemonades drinks come with sweeteners such as honey or sugar because, without them, the taste could be irritably sour.
A variety of lemonades exist across the world, but there are two household categories that folks recognize, namely: the cloudy and clear lemonades. Cloudy lemonades are made from freshly squeezed lemon juice and can be consumed with sweeteners. Clear lemonades, on other hand, are consumed in combination with other cocktails and beverages.
Sample Recipe and Direction on How to Make a Refreshing Lemonade
Fancy a homemade lemonade drink? Well, it is one of the easiest things to DIY at home. Simply gather the following ingredients and follow the following recipe:
Ingredients:
- 1 liter of drinking water (or 4 ½ cups)
- 6 to 10 teaspoonfuls of sugar (or 100 to 150 grams)
- 250 ml of freshly-squeezed lemon juice (obtained from about 6 large lemons)
Direction:
- First off, mix the sugar (or honey) with water, and then proceed to warm it over low heat in a saucepan.
- Stir the mixture until all the honey is dissolved into a homogenous solution.
- Remove the heat source, add the lemon juice, and stir.
More honey or sugar can be added to suit your taste. Sit back and enjoy the refreshing taste of lemonade drink.
Popular Lemonades Retailed at Restaurants / Recipes
Watermelon Pink Lemonade
This drink comprises pink lemonade with a melon flavor and sweetened with sugar.
Ingredients: Servings for 1
- 1 cup of water
- 4 teaspoonfuls of sugar
- 1 small slice of watermelon
- 3 tablespoons of fresh lemon juice
Direction:
- Mix the water, sugar, fresh lemon juice, and watermelon in a blender.
- Blend the mixture until it is adequately smooth.
- Sit back and enjoy your serving of watermelon pink lemonade.
Homemade Blackberry Lemonade
This lemonade is easy to make from the comfort of your kitchen. The drink uses blackberry flavor, which is perfectly refreshing and a favorite for most.
Ingredients: Servings for 4
- 3 tablespoons of white sugar
- 1 cup of blackberries.
- 4 cups of water (divided into 4 cups)
- 1 cup of fresh lemon juice
- ¾ cup of white sugar (complementary)
- Ice cubes
Directions:
- Mix ¾ cup sugar with ½ cup of water and heat the mixture over low heat in a saucepan.
- Stir the mixture until all the sugar has dissolved, remove it from the heat source, and let it cool.
- Put the blackberries and the other 2 tablespoons of sugar in a blender, and blend the mixture until smooth.
- Mix the simple syrup with the blended mixture of blackberries, add the 4 cups of water, lemon juice, and filter the mixture over a pitcher.
- Discard the solids, and serve the filtrate over ice.
Lavender Lemonade with Hibiscus
Great recipes both at home and in restaurants. Nothing can be cast in stone with this lemonade, which gives you the versatility to try different modifications. But for a standard drink, go with the following and you will surely enjoy the experience:
Ingredients: (8 servings)
- 2 tablespoons of dried lavender flowers.
- 6 cups of water
- 1 ½ cups of fresh lemon juice.
- 1 ¼ cups of white sugar
- 1 ½ teaspoon of dried hibiscus petals.
Directions:
- Mix the fresh lemon juice with 3 cups of water, and refrigerate the mixture until chilled.
- Boil the remaining ingredients of 3 cups of water, lavender flowers, hibiscus petals, and sugar in a saucepan.
- Once the mixture has boiled, lower the heat and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Remove heat source for the mixture to cool.
- Filter the lavender and hibiscus residue via a pitcher and refrigerate the filtrate until chilled.
- Enjoy your lemonade drink with 7 others.
Different Types of Lemonades
Clear Lemonade
Predominant in the UK and Australia, clear lemonades are lemon-flavored carbonated beverages sold under various brand names. Some shops mix different fruits such as melons, before adding lemon juice to make soft drinks. In most UK pubs, you can order lime-flavored lemonades such as Sprite or 7 up, or order a mixture of beer and lemon juice that is often pre-bottled.
Cloudy Lemonade
Common in Canada, the U.S, and India, cloudy lemonades are the traditional lemon beverages that are non-carbonated. Whether prepared at home or for commercial use, cloudy lemonades are made from fresh lemon juice, served with sweeteners, or taken raw as a remedy for respiratory complications, sore throat or to reduce congestion.
Pink Lemonade
Pink lemonades are popular variations of the cloudy ones, and are made in the same way: fresh lemon juice and sweeteners, except that additional food colors or fruit flavors such as apples or watermelons, are put in the recipe. Most shops in North America use concentrated grape juice or dyes to make pink lemonades.
Brown Lemonade
There are drinks in other regions that people call brown lemonades. The difference in their mode of preparation, however, is that they are sweetened with brown sugar. Brown lemonades are common in Venezuela and Ireland.
Health Benefits of Lemonades
What is the nutritional value of lemons to our bodies?
Fresh lemon juice, in itself, has a lot to offer our bodies. First, lemon juice has a high concentration of citric acid, which experts recommend as a natural remedy that prevents the development of calcium-based kidney stones.
Research shows that the acidic nature of lemonades is great at sustaining the pH of urine. By doing so, the acidity is lemons increase the concentration of urine, which in turn reduces the risk of the formation of salts in the kidney (referred to as supersaturation), which prevents kidney stones.
Furthermore, lemons are rich in all-plant compounds that are naturally beneficial to our health. From Vitamin A and C to B6 and flavonoids, drinking lemonades can enrich our bodies in a variety of ways. And besides, the obvious benefits of strengthening the immunity (with vitamin C) and potassium lemons provide for homeostasis (balancing body fluids), the following are key health benefits accrued from drinking lemonades.
Lemonades Boost Your Body’s Detox
The kidney is vital in ensuring your body is free from toxins. Excess toxins in your body mean the kidneys have a lot to do. But lemons contain potassium that is essential in carrying out the homeostasis function of the kidney. Besides, lemon juice contains compounds that will help the kidney carry out detoxification work at optimal levels.
Excellent for Throat Infection
Elsewhere, raw lemon juice has been known to relieve throat pain that makes eating and swallowing food and drinks painful. If you are having discomfort swallowing foods, you might as well try a glass of warm lemonade drink because lemons exhibit antiseptic properties that kill the pain-causing bacteria.
Lemonades Are A Remedy for Digestion Problems
If you are having persistent heartburns or stomach refluxes, then lemonades are a must-try. A compound called D-limonene is present in lemon juice and is known to relieve digestive conditions. Beyond that, you could as well get into the habit of squeezing drops of lemon juice over your meals to optimize digestion.
Lemonades Are Great Weight Loss Remedies
For obvious reasons, those monitoring their weight prefer anything acidic, and that’s where lemons come in. the acidity in lemons is great at preventing the formation of fatty cells, and is also a great precursor if you want to burn calories. Try a glass of lemonade every day to stay in great shape.
Lemonades Are Natural Remedies for Constipation
To prevent constipation, nutritionists recommend consuming lots of fiber-rich foods. Lemonades, on the other hand, are creative shortcuts to enrich your body with fiber. Lemons are rich in soluble fiber, and adding a few drops over your guacamole will do the trick in alleviating constipation problems.
Lemonades Promotes Healthy Skin and Hair
Lemons contain vitamins E and C, which are essential for the development of radiant and healthy skin and hair. Vitamins C and E are responsible for the rejuvenation of skin and scalp cells, which promotes optimal oxygenation that results in healthy skin and hair vibrant hair growth.
Lemonades Are an Excellent Source of Antioxidants
Lemons are rich in vitamin C, which is the most important antioxidant required in your body. And instead of going bulky with foods rich in vitamins C, a glass of fresh lemon juice is enough to supply your body with your daily requirement for vitamin C.
Lemonades Are Natural Blood Purifiers
Through the process of homeostasis, the potassium-rich lemons will boost kidney function in eliminating toxins for your blood. Remember that not everything you eat is great for your health. But a glass of lemonade drink can enhance the detoxification process.
Natural Remedy for Fever
For the most part, fevers are caused by viral infections. And while most people would go the medicine route, studies have shown that drinking high dosages of vitamin C supplements can treat fever. And since lemonades are rich in vitamin C, they are handy and natural solutions as opposed to supplements.
Lemonades Are Natural Immunity Boosters
Lemonade beverages are rich in Vitamin C, which is key for maintaining a strong immune system. That’s why folks opt for a glass of lemonades before seeking medication when they catch a cold or flu.
Lemonades Boost Cardiovascular Health
Potassium and vitamin C that lemons are rich in improving the blood flow. The potassium controls excessive amounts of sodium, which helps to maintain healthy blood pressure. Soluble fiber contained in lemon juice is known to lower cholesterol levels, which is good for the heart.
Lemonades Are Natural Remedies to Anemia
Anemic folks are those that suffer from iron deficiency. Vitamin C-rich lemon juice is known to boost your body’s ability to absorb iron from foods. This way, optimal absorption of essential minerals like iron would go a long way in preventing the development of anemia.
The Bottom Line
Lemonades, dating back to the 13th century, can simply be defined as lemon-flavored beverages. They are household drinks that can be easily prepared with handy recipes from the comfort of your home. Traditionally, lemons were made from freshly squeezed lemon juice and sweetened with honey. A variety of them exist today; some are carbonated while others are non-carbonated. However, the most common types of lemonades are cloudy lemonades (dominant in Asia and the Americas) and clear lemonades (dominant in the UK and Australia). Today, lemonades are popular for their numerous health benefits.
