A Week Of Party Recipes: Lemondae

Homemade lemonade is good any time of the year. It isn't that hard to make and taste all so yummy. The recipe I use is an Amish one. My daddy really likes it because he said it tasted like the lemonade his grandmother use to make. I can think of no greater compliment. 

Lemonade

• 6 medium size lemons
• 3 cups of sugar
• 6 quarts of water

To begin, roll each lemon between the heel of your hand and the kitchen counter top. This will help release the juices in the lemons.  

Before slicing the lemons, get 2 quarts of water on and bring to a boil. Turn down and keep warm until it is needed.

Next slice off the very end tips of the lemons and discard. Slice all of the lemons. Each lemon will yield about 5 to 6 slices. 

Save 4 or 5 of the prettiest slices to float in the pitcher of lemonade.

In a large bowl, add 3 cups of sugar. Add the sliced lemons on top. Using a potato masher, mash the lemons and the sugar together. When the sugar on top looks good and wet with lemon juice, use a rubber spatula to turn the sugar on the bottom to the top & continue to mash. Mash until most of the pulp is gone from the lemon juice and all of the sugar looks wet.

This next step you will have to be adapted to what materials you have on hand. I set a colander over the top of a gallon & a half thermos that I pour the lemonade in.

Add part of the 2 quarts of warm water to the bowl with the sugar and lemons in it. Stir until most of the sugar is dissolved. (You will probably not get all of the sugar to dissolve, but you can take care of that in another step.)

Pour the water, sugar, lemon mixture into the colander. Using a colander will allow the liquid to drain and will leave behind seeds and big lumps of pulp.

Take the what is left of the lemons in the colander and squeeze what juice is left back into the bowl you had the sugar and lemons in. Discard the remnants. Pour the rest of the warm water into the bowl to help dissolve any sugar left in the bowl. Pour this liquid back into the colander, letting the liquid drain.   

Now add the remaining 4 quarts of water to the thermos and stir. Chill until ready to serve.  

To serve, I pour the lemonade in a pretty pitcher making sure to put in the pretty lemon slices on top and one of the side for a pretty granish. Enjoy!