ITALIAN BASIL LEMONADE ♥

ITALIAN BASIL LEMONADE ♥ image

Number Of Ingredients 5

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (i used 7 lemons, but they were all pretty juicy. 8-10 is probably a safe average bet)
basil simple syrup, cooled (recipe below)
3 cups of cold or sparkling water
lots of ice (i froze mine with basil leaves and lemon zest inside)
fresh basil leaves and lemon slices for garnish (optional)

Steps:

mix lemon juice, simple syrup, and water in a pitcher and serve in glasses filled with ice. basil simple syrup: 1 1/2 cups sugar 1 cup water 2 cups lightly packed basil 1 tablespoon lemon zest (optional) combine the water, sugar, and basil in a small saucepan and heat at medium-high until the liquid is clear and sugar granules are no longer visible, about 7 minutes. if using lemon zest, add to the syrup once it's off the heat. allow to cool, then strain out the zest and basil leaves. note: this is a tart lemonade, if you prefer a sweeter lemonade, i would increase the sugar in the simple syrup. the recipe also produces a strong lemonade, which is why it is served in glasses with lots of ice. enjoy! ♥