We love homemade lemonade. What we don’t love are all those lemons (buying, squeezing) and all that sugar it takes to make it! So we have moved on to a sweeter fruit and some ingenious help from a root to make delicious, no-sugar-added beverages—all without artificial sweeteners. These are quick, easy and super-refreshing drinks that you can make yourself. The following three recipes each make two to three generous servings.
Homemade Ginger Ale. As kids, we loved store-bought ginger ale. Then it got way too sweet. Then we looked at the ingredient labels on a few popular brands…ginger is not even listed! Ingredients include high fructose corn syrup and other euphemisms for sugar. Enough of that! Here are two ways to make your own…
In 12 ounces of plain seltzer water (original Perrier has the best flavor), add one teaspoon of pure ginger extract (available at specialty-food stores, such as Whole Foods or online at Amazon.com or iHerb.com). Make sure that it’s sugar-free ginger extract for consumption, not aromatherapy—alcohol-free extract has the best flavor. Pour over ice, and garnish with a lime wedge or a few sprigs of mint. This mix has a spicy zing with zero sweetness. If you’re tired of fake flavors from too much sugar, you’ll love this.
You can also peel and cut up two to three two-inch pieces of gingerroot (make sure the root is fresh with a strong ginger scent and bright yellow flesh), and use a garlic press to squeeze out fresh juice into your plain seltzer. Then add the pieces left in the press to your drinking glass. This also makes a great digestive!
Watermelon Raspberry “Ade.” Watermelon is everywhere in the summer! This lovely blend was inspired by the National Watermelon Promotion Board. Here’s a version without the sugar…
Mix three cups of seedless watermelon cubes, one-quarter cup of raspberries, one-eighth teaspoon of salt (optional) and one cup of filtered water. Put everything in a blender, and whirl until smooth. (We used an immersion blender, and it worked fine.) Pour over ice, and add a lime-wedge garnish. Refreshingly simple and delicious!
Delicious Sugar-Free Iced Tea. This is just a basic way to make deliciously brewed sugar-free iced tea. If you’re trying to remove sugar from your life, try this and soon you’ll be hooked.
Steep four black tea bags (any brand is fine) in four cups of just-boiled water for at least 15 minutes, but no more than an hour. We like to do this in a four-cup Pyrex measuring cup. Slice one-quarter lemon into smaller slices. Squeeze the lemon slices into the tea, and put the slices (rinds and all) into the tea. Add two sprigs of fresh mint (this is optional…still delicious without). Remove tea bags, and chill in the refrigerator overnight. (You need to cover only if there are smells in your refrigerator that you think the tea will absorb.) The next day, pour over ice. Delicious!
More summer recipes…
- Summer Cooking That Keeps Your Kitchen Cool
- Cool Herbal Drinks That Ease Summertime Woes
- Try This Scrumptious Summer Salad
