What is it about strawberries? Year after year without fail, they succeed in making people lose their minds at the farmers' markets. Even though most people in the US are accustomed to seeing strawberries on grocery store shelves almost year-round, they still have such power over us. And just like a tomato or an ear of corn, a strawberry in season is an explosion of flavor: true strawberry flavor. It's like listening to a cover band play all your favorite songs every weekend, and then suddenly one night you show up at the bar and the original band members are present, belting out every lyric with such fervor, it's like hearing those songs for the first time again. That is strawberry season, without the hangover.
Inevitably people over-buy berries at the beginning of the season. It's impossible not to! This holiday is but once a year, and so one must indulge. But strawberries reach their peak very quickly, especially once refrigerated. What was once a perfect jewel of near-ripeness one morning is now a purplish-red, wrinkled blob of over-ripened fruit the next. If you find yourself with a layer of such mushy gems over the weekend because you never took them out of their pint boxes after market day, fear not. This is the recipe you need.
Lemonade has never been my drink of choice, but flavored lemonade? Sign me up. You may recall the Cucumber Lemonade from last year, and this year I am turning to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen yet again. Below is an adaptation of her recipe for Pink Lemonade, which has a seductively pink hue from actual berries and not artificial food coloring like gas station pink lemonade. And since lemonade is my farmer's drink of choice, it's refreshing to find ways to dress it up a bit. And yes, even manly men drink pink.
Inevitably people over-buy berries at the beginning of the season. It's impossible not to! This holiday is but once a year, and so one must indulge. But strawberries reach their peak very quickly, especially once refrigerated. What was once a perfect jewel of near-ripeness one morning is now a purplish-red, wrinkled blob of over-ripened fruit the next. If you find yourself with a layer of such mushy gems over the weekend because you never took them out of their pint boxes after market day, fear not. This is the recipe you need.
Lemonade has never been my drink of choice, but flavored lemonade? Sign me up. You may recall the Cucumber Lemonade from last year, and this year I am turning to Deb Perelman of Smitten Kitchen yet again. Below is an adaptation of her recipe for Pink Lemonade, which has a seductively pink hue from actual berries and not artificial food coloring like gas station pink lemonade. And since lemonade is my farmer's drink of choice, it's refreshing to find ways to dress it up a bit. And yes, even manly men drink pink.
Pink Lemonade
Makes 1 quart
Adapted from Deb Perelman
| Ingredients 2/3 cup sugar 1 cup (5-6 ounces) fresh strawberries, hulled + sliced 3 cups water 1 cup fresh lemon juice | Method In a blender, combine the sliced strawberries with the sugar. Let the berries macerate for about 15-20 minutes until syrupy. Blend the mixture until smooth, then pour into a container. Add the lemon juice and water to the container and stir well. Taste and add more sugar if you prefer it sweeter. Serve over ice. |
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