BLUEBERRY BASIL LEMONADE

This blueberry basil lemonade might be my favorite lemonade recipe. It’s so easy to make and the basil adds a tinge of savory to the sweetness of the blueberry and tartness of the lemons. It’s pretty perfect in my opinion.

I was originally going to use strawberries but I didn’t want the lemonade to be overly sweet so I decided to go with blueberries instead. The key to get the flavors infused is to cook the ingredients into a simple syrup. And also, freshly squeezed lemons.

To make the simple syrup, combine the sugar, water and blueberries in a medium saucepan and simmer over medium heat until the sugar has dissolved. This will be about 5 minutes or so. Remove the saucepan from the burner, add the basil then cover with a lid for 20 minutes.

While I’m waiting, I squeezed the lemons using a lemon squeezer or is it called a handheld juicer? Any juicer will work or you can do it the old fashioned way and squeeze with your hands. After all of the ingredients have infused into a syrup, strain the syrup and discard the solids. In a pitcher, add the blueberry and basil syrup, lemon juice, water and ice. I also like to garnish with blueberries and lemon slices.

BLUEBERRY BASIL LEMONADE RECIPE

Ingredients

• 2 cups of water
• 1 cup of blueberries
• 1/2 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/4 cup of fresh basil

Directions

1. In a medium saucepan, pour in the blueberries, water and sugar over medium heat. Simmer until the sugar has fully dissolved (about 5 minutes).
2. Remove the saucepan from the heat and add basil. Cover with lid for 20 minutes.
3. Strain and discard the solids.
4. In a pitcher, add the syrup to the freshly squeezed lemon juice. Top off with ice and water and stir to combine.
5. Garnish with blueberries and lemon slices.
6. Enjoy!