flipHomemade Lemonade with Mint
Homemade Lemonade with Mint
Why this dish? Germaine spent her summers in Montfort-l'Amaury, in the countryside, where fresh drinks were prepared for long afternoons of work and music. Lemonade, simple and thirst-quenching, accompanied the snack away from Parisian bustle.
A homemade lemonade with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sweetened with sugar syrup and flavored with fresh mint, served well chilled with cool well water.
In Montfort, in summer, the heat rose by noon and one had to cool down between two pages of a score. I squeezed the lemons, melted a little sugar in water, and let a few mint leaves from the garden infuse their freshness. We drank it in the shade, the glass misted, and the music started again with renewed vigor. It is very simple, but nothing quenches a working mind better.
- •Lemons — several (acidity)
- •Sugar — at discretion (sweetness)
- •Fresh water — a pitcher (base)
- •Garden mint — a handful (flavor)
Homemade Lemonade with Mint
A homemade lemonade with freshly squeezed lemon juice, sweetened with sugar syrup and flavored with fresh mint, served well chilled with cool well water.
Why this dish? Germaine spent her summers in Montfort-l'Amaury, in the countryside, where fresh drinks were prepared for long afternoons of work and music. Lemonade, simple and thirst-quenching, accompanied the snack away from Parisian bustle.
In Montfort, in summer, the heat rose by noon and one had to cool down between two pages of a score. I squeezed the lemons, melted a little sugar in water, and let a few mint leaves from the garden infuse their freshness. We drank it in the shade, the glass misted, and the music started again with renewed vigor. It is very simple, but nothing quenches a working mind better.
Ingredients (period version)
- Lemons — several (acidity)
- Sugar — at discretion (sweetness)
- Fresh water — a pitcher (base)
- Garden mint — a handful (flavor)
Ingredients
- Yellow lemons — 4 (juice)
- Sugar — 100 g (syrup)
- Water — 1 liter (+ 100 ml for syrup) (base)
- Fresh mint — 10 leaves (flavor)
- Ice cubes — to taste (serving)
Method
- Heat 100 ml water with sugar until completely dissolved to make a syrup; let cool.
- Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice.
- Mix the juice, syrup, and 1 liter of fresh water.
- Crush the mint leaves and add them; let infuse for 15 minutes in the refrigerator.
- Serve well chilled, with a few ice cubes and a mint leaf per glass.
How it was made : Before refrigerators, drinks were kept cool in the cellar, well, or icebox. Freshly squeezed lemonade was the quintessential summer drink in country houses, much more economical than commercial lemonades.
The contemporary twist : A sparkling version by replacing half the water with sparkling water, served in a carafe with lemon slices.
Germaine Tailleferre · Charactorium
