What does one do with 2 dozens limes, freshly picked from a friends tree and a few too many strawberries bought at the local farmers market? Strawberry Limeade Soda anyone??
I tend to be fairly conscious on my weekly trip to the farmers market. But sometimes, “a special” gets the best of me. A flat of strawberries at a special price was something I could not pass up. Strawberry protein smoothies, a batch of Strawberry Shortcake Cookies for friends, and a strawberry-blueberry crisp made a very small dent in, what felt like, a bushel of berries. I began to think about what else I could create.
I have been making a lot of fruity “sodas’ this summer, using Pelligrino as the carbonate and wanted to have something new on hand when the kids arrived home from camp. Last year, I made a Fresh Strawberry Lemonade, so why not use the limes I had on hand and make a limeade-strawberry cocktail? So I did.
In the fridge is a bottle of fresh strawberry sauce and next to it is a pitcher of fresh limeade. The kids have become quite the mixologists. They like coming up with their own ratios, which feels as though they are drinking “soda” without all the stuff in it.
We adults like to add a splash (or two) of vodka to our fresh fruit soda. Everyone wins. The kids get their soda craving and the grown ups get their lemonade – spiked! Cheers to a beverage the whole family can enjoy!
Fresh Strawberry Limeade Soda Yield: 8 oz of strawberry sauce, 16 oz of limeade
Ingredients:
for the strawberry sauce: 1 pint of fresh strawberries, rinced, stems removed
2 tablespoons white, organic sugar
1 teaspoon fresh lime juice
2 tablespoons water
for the limeade:
3/4 cups sugar
1 cup water
1 cup fresh squeezed lime juice
Sparkling water (I used Pelligrino)
Instructions:
For the strawberry sauce: In your food processor, puree all the ingredients. Set a strainer over a glass bowl and pour puree into the strainer. Once strained, cover and refrigerate.
For the limeade: Make a simple syrup with the sugar and water by putting both ingredients into a small sauce pot. Bring to a boil and stir unitl all the sugar has dissolved. Turn the heat down to simmer and let steep for 3-5 minutes. Remove and let cool slightly. Combine the lime juice and simple syrup and store, covered in the fridge. When ready to use, mix the strawberry sauce, limeade, and pelligrino to create a fruity, tangy soda.
If serving to a crowd, before your guest arrive, combine all of the sauce and all of the limeade with 4-5 cups of pelligrino in a pitcher. Add ice, lime slices and bit of fresh mint leaves. Let your guest self serve.
Susan Salzman writes The Urban Baker blog to explore her dedication to good food in the hope of adding beauty to the lives of her family and friends.