Raspberry Limeade and Strawberry Lemonade

These recipes were originally posted on my Thoughtful Eats column on the Woburn Patch.



Raspberry Limeade
20 limes' juices
2 limes sliced for garnish
1 pint of raspberries, rinsed
2 cups of sugar
12 cups of filtered water

Strawberry Lemonade
8 lemons juiced
1 lemon sliced for garnish
1 pint of strawberries, hulled and halved
2 cups of sugar
12 cups of filtered water

Add the lime/lemon juice and sugar into the pitcher first. The acid will help start dissolving the sugar. Then slowly add the filtered water, stirring ever so often to mix the sugar into the water. Drop in the slices of lime/lemon and add your raspberries/strawberries. Stir a couple more times but not too much because you don't want to break the fruit. Let chill for about an hour in the fridge. Make sure that you drink this within a couple days of making. The raspberries and strawberries will continue to macerate. 
For those of you who like your limeade and lemonade with a bit of a kick, try 1-1/2 cups of sugar. If the bite is a bit too much, add 1/4 cup more. You can also leave in the slices of lime or lemonade to continue adding some acidity to the beverage. Once you customize this recipe to your taste, it'll become second-hand nature to you and you'll be making this all the time!