A couple weeks ago I made some strawberry lemonade and it was delicious. A little later, we went on an orchard run and brought home a ton of different fruits; peaches, tart cherries, sweet cherries, blueberries, melons, and more. Most of it was earmarked for fruit bowls and other deliciousness, but I had a lot of cherries left over.
So I figured, you know what? Let’s try cherry lemonade!
The recipe is more or less exactly the same as the strawberry lemonade, which means you can do the same thing with pretty much any fruit you want. Cherries — especially sweet cherries — work pretty well, though if you’re used to cherry limeade it won’t taste quite right until you get used to it. Of course, you can also put some lime juice in the lemonade as well and give it that extra kick.
With strawberry lemonade, you want to strain the seeds and pulp out, but it holds together very well. The cherry lemonade is a little different. I ended up running it through a strainer twice, and it still had a tendency to separate a little when it sat in the fridge. It’s fine, though; just give it a shake or stir before serving and it’s perfectly good.
Sweet Cherry Lemonade
Equipment
- Pitcher
- Blender Immersion is fine too
- Strainer
- Cherry Pitter Optional but handy
- Sauce Pan
Ingredients
- 1 Cup White Sugar
- 4 Cups Water
- 1 Lb Sweet Cherries
- 1 Cup Fresh Lemon Juice 4-5 large lemons
Instructions
- Juice your lemons and pit your cherries however you like. A cherry pitter is handy but not required if you're fine with a knife.
- Make your simple syrup by combining your cup of sugar and one cup of water in your sauce pan. Bring it to a simmer for 3-4 minutes until the sugar is fully dissolved, then let it sit to cool.
- Add your cherries to a blender or container and blend them until pureed. Be thorough; you want as much juice as possible.
- Strain your cherry juice to remove the skin and pulp. I had to strain twice, using a rubber spatula to work it through. If you don't mind a little pulp, one strain is fine.
- Mix the simple syrup, lemon juice, cherry puree, and remaining three cups of water, and stir or shake to combine. Add a bit more water if you like, it's your choice.
- Chill or serve immediately over ice.