Sweet Limeade

Just one sip of the delicious fresh squeezed Limeade will transport you back to the bygone days; taking you to a day of lounging on a rocker, outside on the porch, enjoying the breeze of the summer’s eve.

Freshly squeezed lime juice combined with sweet sugar is the quickest and simplest solution to beat off the sweltering heat of the hot summer day. The beverage is a mixture of sweet and tart flavors that are loved by adults and children alike.

With the summer days already approaching in full swing, this recipe will be a must have for most days. Using only simple ingredients you can find in your home, this limeade is the most delicious beverage for the season.

Health Benefits

Limes, the zesty tropical fruit have been used by many medics for their medicinal properties.  Limes are known for having abundant quantities of Vitamin C, which provides almost 32% of its daily recommended intake. High in water quantity, limes also have rich sources of minerals like iron, potassium, sodium, magnesium, iron and phosphorus; as well as other nutrients like vitamin K, folate, vitamin E, and vitamin A.

All the nutrients combined, limes can help prevent and provide treatment for various diseases. The flavonoid, hesperidin helps lower LDL or bad cholesterol and triglyceride levels in the body.

Ingredients

fresh limes: 8-10

granulated white sugar: 1 cup

quarts of water: 2

lime slices and mint for garnishing

How To Make Sweet Limeade

1. Roll the limes on the kitchen counter, by applying little pressure with your palms to soften them.
2. Cut the limes in half and squeeze their juice into a bowl using a citrus juicer and remove any seeds that fall in.
3. Add the fresh squeezed lime juice into a 2 quart pitcher (you can also use store-bought, lime juice)
4. Add the granulated sugar to the pitcher and stir to combine the ingredients until sugar dissolves completely.
5. Pour in enough cold water to fill the pitcher and stir to combine. Besides regular tap water, you can also use sparkling water from to make the limeade carbonated.
6. Pour limeade in glasses over ice, add lime slices and mint leaves to the glass as garnish and serve immediately.
7. You can refrigerate the remaining limeade for later.

Note: If you don’t want to make the limeade for immediate consumption, you can make the lime juice and sugar concentrate and store it in the fridge for later use. Just add enough amounts to water, stir and serve.

Trivia

• Limes are known to have higher Vitamin C and nutrient contents than the regular lemons. So, British soldiers, in order to prevent scurvy, were issued a daily allowance of lime during the 19^th

The precise origins of limes are unknown, but the first ones are believed to be grown in Indonesia or Southeast Asia; which were then transported to Mediterranean region around 1000 CE.