Lemonade or Limeade

Makes: 4 servings (about 4½ cups)

Time: 10 minutes

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Lemonade is the stuff of summer, and from-scratch has a fabulous balance of sweet and sour that is incredibly refreshing — no cloying aftertaste. The same is true of limeade. Make either with still or sparkling water (which is known as a rickey) and as sweet or tart as you like. I like mine mouth-puckeringly tart.

  1. Stir together 3 cups cold water, the juice, and simple syrup in a pitcher. If using sugar, stir well until it dissolves. Taste and slowly add more sweetener if you like.
  2. Serve over crushed ice or ice cubes.

Salty Lemonade or Limeade Surprisingly refreshing, and perfect with anything spicy. Save the rinds from the lemons or limes when you juice them. Boil the water in Step 1, then remove the pot from the heat and add the lemon or lime rinds. Cover and steep for 10 minutes. Strain and combine with the juice and ½ teaspoon or so salt. Add simple syrup or sugar to taste (you may not need it all) and serve over ice.

Ginger Lemonade A nice kick of ginger makes this a lively thirst quencher: Grate about an inch of fresh ginger into the finished lemonade.

Orangeade Use 1 cup fresh orange juice and ¼ cup lemon juice. You will need less simple syrup or sugar.

Pineappleade Peel, core, and chop 1 ripe pineapple. Purée the pineapple in a blender with enough water to cover (you many need to do this in batches). Strain through a fine-meshed strainer, pressing on the solids to extract as much juice as possible. Combine the pineapple juice with ½ cup lime juice, 1 cup simple syrup, and enough water (still or sparkling) to make about 4 cups. Chill. Serve garnished with mint.

Raspberryade This is even more perfect with a little mint puréed with the raspberries and a sprig or two of mint as a garnish: Roughly purée a cup or more raspberries and push the purée through a fine-meshed strainer to remove the seeds. Stir into the lemonade or limeade and adjust the sweetness as necessary.