Herbal Lemonade

lemonade in wineglass

Lemonade, with or without ginger, has been a favorite remedy for healing sore throats and supporting the throat and vocal cords for centuries. Many of our modern singers, actors, and politicians use it just as their ancestors did before and after each performance. Practical Herbalists, especially those who use their voices regularly like we do, benefit from this recipe with the tasty addition of a little mint and rose petals, both of which are cooling herbs.

We added an extra zing to the rim of our glass by wetting the rim with a little lemon juice and dipping the edge with a lemon-flavored cocktail sugar. This made the drink even more delightful. Check out our favorite cocktail company, Rokz Design. It is a small, family-owned company that has a tantalizing array of products fresh from the Pacific northwest.

Ingredients

  • 13 fresh spearmint tops (a small handful), muddled
  • 1 inch fresh ginger root, sliced, or 1 tsp. ginger root steeped in several ounces hot water
  • 4 ounces or so raw honey or a cup of sugar
  • 3 quarts cool water
  • juice of 4 large lemons, approximately 2 cups fresh juice
  • zest of 2 large lemons, approximately 2 loose tablespoons
  • 1-2 tablespoons dried rose petals or fresh petals from two organic, no-spray scented roses

Equipment

  • half-gallon pitcher
  • spoon
  • juicer for squeezing lemons
  • muddler or similar for crushing spearmint leaves

Procedure

  1. Zest the lemons and add the zest to the pitcher.
  2. Juice the lemons and add the juice to the pitcher.
  3. Add the spearmint and muddle it in the pitcher or in a separate bowl as makes sense.
  4. Slice the ginger and add it to the pitcher. (If you’re using dried ginger, steep it 10 minutes then pour the ginger root and steeping liquid into the pitcher.)
  5. Add the honey or sugar to the pitcher.
  6. Fill the pitcher approximately halfway with cool water and stir until the honey or sugar has dissolved.
  7. Top the pitcher with water and add the rose petals.
  8. Set your pitcher into the refrigerator or another cool spot to stand for as little as half an hour or as much as a couple of hours.
  9. Enjoy garnished with a sprig of mint or a little rum.

Storage and Use

Store Herbal Lemonade in the refrigerator. Serve it chilled over ice or neat to ease sore throat pain, prevent sore throat pain, or just because it’s so tasty and refreshing.

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