Seasonal Summer Sweetness: Cherry Berry Lemonade
Some say the true start to summer is when the first barbecue graces the patio. Others swear to be wooed into the summer spirit by the first refreshing swim of the year, or by launching fireworks in celebration of our Independence Day.
Me? It’s when fresh cherries first hit the stalls at the farmers market.
Cherries and Blueberries and Red/Black blackberries, Oh My!
There seems to be almost a cultural shift once cherries start becoming available, stocking the shelves with their plump and juicy reddish frames, that beckons me to toss on a swimsuit. It’s cherries that get me excited for all the new summer produce about to flood the market, ready to be snatched up. It’s the cherries that tell me that a summer pie is a simple flaky crust away from bringing the whole family together for a delicious summertime meal.
The Boise Farmers Market ushered in summer last weekend when Albeke Farms and Kelley’s Canyon Orchards both debuted their cherries for the year. These cherries are incredible! Just the right mount of tartness that makes you want even more! Supplying both Bing and Rainier cherries, Dylan and I were over the moon, and immediately set out on a few of our recipes we were looking forward to trying! Berries being such a seasonal ingredient, there is no better time to eat them then when the sunny hot weather begs you to!
Introducing: Cherry Berry Lemonade
Like a beacon welcoming you to the table for a family feast.
Lusciously tart mixed berries combine with the all-American cherry to provide a refreshing drink that can supplement any summertime meal. Seriously, bask in the heat of the summer, and this deliciously tangy lemonade will cool you right back down!
This lemonade is so delectably bright and sunny!
This will make a good 10 cups of lemonade, and that visual bulks up even more with the addition of ice before serving. This cool, refreshing drink will be a great addition to your backyard barbecue that’ll have your neighbors begging for the recipe!
Fizzy, Lemony goodness!!
Making this lemonade is as simple as simple can be. First, and quite possibly most obviously, you need to gather up the ingredients you need. Start off with about 2 packed cups of fresh cherries. Since these are fresh from the farm, they most definitely have a dense, inedible pit in the center. Trust me when I say that pits aren’t anybody’s friend when it comes to lemonade making. However, the work put into pitting these beauties will be well worth it! So, remove the pits from the cherries, and put them in the blender.
Deliciously syrupy fresh cherries, sans the pit!
Next, we need the “berry” portion of the Cherry Berry lemonade. We get these babies fresh as well, and lucky for us they debuted this past weekend at the market. Abelke Farms brought in what seemed like A TRUCKLOAD of these succulent, delicious berries. We had to snatch them up! I use a little more than 2 cups of mixed berries, and just plop them right into the blender. No seeding or anything! Any kind of mixed berry will work here, though I swear by the combination of Blackberries, Raspberries, and Blueberries. All are packed full of nutrients and antioxidants, plus the sweetness of the Raspberries and the tartness of the blueberries and blackberries adds dimensions of flavor.
This berry jubilee brings such a seasonal flavor to the lemonade!
Once all that is in the bowl, pour the sugar evenly over the berries and wait a good 10 to 20 minutes before doing anything else. There’s a reason for this: Maceration. Maceration allows the skin of the berries to break down a bit, allowing its juices to be extracted a little bit easier. Think of it as a sweet marinade that adds to the flavor of whatever you makes by bringing out the berries natural sweetness!
Post-maceration lemon juice puts on an icy looking show!
Once the berries have macerated in the sugar and the juices are very present, add the lemon juice, mint, and my special ingredient: Anise Hyssop. Anise Hyssop is a mind-blowing herb that we get from Purple Sage Farms, naturally sweet with a hint of licorice flavor that instantly makes you start to salivate. Unlike the full-blown flavor of true licorice strands, this Anise is subtle; it adds a crispness to the lemonade while intensifying the natural sweetness in the cherries and berries. The zing is a must have addition to this delicious lemonade!
The beautifully soft leaves betray the tangy hit they bring to this lemonade!
Once you have everything added to the blender, its time to do what blenders do best! I set mine on high for about a minute, just to make sure the mixture would be a good consistency. Once it was done, I set my large mesh strainer over the lemonade pitcher and poured it all in!
The sweet, crimson juices all sieved into the pitcher while the hard seeds and pulp stayed in the strainer. I suggest using a small rubber spatula to move the pulp around, ensuring that all the juice makes its way into the pitcher. You don’t want any of this fruity goodness to go to waste! Plus, the pulp can be washed and dried, and suddenly, you have a ton of berry seeds at your disposal!
This smooth puree isn’t that smooth! The seeds and bits need to be removed so that whats left over is silky and sweet!
Once the succulent berries have been blended and sieved, it’s pretty much done! All that’s left is to add the water and set the lemonade to chill for a few hours. While yes, adding some ice and making this lemonade available immediately is a great way to enjoy it, the flavors will meld more in the fridge the longer you let it rest! Its absolutely worth the time to wait!
The sunbeam is pointing the way to a delicious afternoon!
Recipe: Cherry Berry Lemonade
Serves: Makes about 10 cups
Ingredients:
32 oz (2 cups) fresh mixed berries
32 oz (2 cups) Fresh, pitted cherries
3 cups Lemon juice
1 3/4 cups sugar
4 cups Water
3 tbs Fresh Anise Hyssop Leaves
2 tbsp Mint leaves
Instructions:
1. If you haven’t yet, remove the pits from the cherries and discard them.
2. Add the Mixed Berries, Cherries and Sugar to a blender. Allow to sit for up to 10 minutes. Then, add the Lemon Juice, Anise Hyssop, and Mint . Blend for 1 minute.
3. Place a large mesh strainer over the lemonade pitcher. Pour the puree into the strainer, and stir to separate the seeds and pulp from the juice. Discard the remaining pulp, or save and dry the seeds.
4. Add the water into the pitcher, and stir to combine. Let sit in a refrigerator at least 2 hours until ready to serve, though overnight produces a much deeper flavor. Stir before serving, and serve with lemon wedge garnish.
