"Zebra Lemon"-Ginger Lemonade--A "Simple Saturday Sipper"

I set a goal for myself last week to work through some of the many beverage recipes I have tagged and showcase one each week on Saturdays. This week's "Simple Saturday Sipper" is a clasic summer staple--lemonade, but made with a twist with some striped "Zebra Lemons" from the Big Island and a slight kick from a ginger simple syrup, made with fresh local ginger. 

Nicknamed "zebra lemons" or sometimes "striped lemons", these Variegated Eureka Lemons don't taste much differently than regular lemons but with their yellow and green stripes and sometimes slightly pinker flesh, they are fun to look at. If you can't find zebra lemons, any lemon will work nicely with the ginger to make a delicious and thirst-quenching lemonade.

"Zebra Lemon"-Ginger Lemonade

by Deb, Kahakai Kitchen

(Makes about 2 quarts)

2 cups sugar
2 cups water
2" piece of fresh ginger, thinly sliced

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 13-16 lemons)

Additional cold water and or ice to dilute lemonade mixture

Combine the sugar, water and ginger in a small pot and bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Reduce heat to low and simmer about 15 minutes, until mixture is slightly thickened. 

Meanwhile, squeeze the lemons into a pitcher, discarding the seeds and rind. Strain the ginger-infused sugar syrup into the lemon juice then top it off with 2-3 cups of cold water, or add water to taste. Chill and serve very cold and garnished with lemon slices.

Notes/Results: Tangy, delicious and refreshing, this is the perfect summer beverage! The ginger adds a warming kick of spices and is a great thirst quencher. I like a "pulpy" lemonade and I used my lemon reamer to extract all the juice and pulp from each lemon, straining out just the seeds, but if you aren't a fan of pulp, just make sure to strain it carefully. This is a classic, keeper recipe for sure, and a perfect Simple Saturday Sipper.