Strawberry Basil Lemonade for a Spring Pitcher
Ripe strawberries soften the sharp edge of fresh lemonade, while a short basil infusion adds aroma without turning the pitcher grassy. This makes about four 1-cup servings before ice. Use a sieve with holes small enough to catch the seeds if you prefer a smooth drink; leaving some pulp in gives it a fuller texture.
For the pitcher
- 1 cup sliced, hulled ripe strawberries
- 1/4 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup water for the syrup and 2 1/2 cups cold water for mixing
- 6 medium fresh basil leaves, rinsed
- 1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice, strained
- Ice for serving
Give the basil a short steep
Heat the sugar and 1/2 cup water in a small pan, stirring until the sugar dissolves. Take it off the heat. Clap the basil leaves once between your palms to bruise them, then add them to the warm syrup. Steep for 5 minutes, remove the leaves, and cool the syrup. Avoid finely chopping the basil; tiny pieces are harder to strain and continue flavoring the drink in the pitcher.
Mix and taste before adding ice
- Mash the strawberries in a bowl with a fork. Add 2 tablespoons of the cooled basil syrup and stir. Press the mixture through a fine sieve into the pitcher, or add it directly for a pulpy lemonade.
- Add the lemon juice, the rest of the syrup, and the cold water. Stir and taste. Chill the pitcher or serve at once over ice.
Adjust for the berries you have
If the lemonade seems flat, stir in another tablespoon of lemon juice. If it’s too sharp, dissolve 1 tablespoon sugar in 1 tablespoon hot water, cool it, and add only as much as needed. If the strawberries are firm and hard to mash, slice them more thinly and let them sit in their portion of syrup for 10 minutes first. Store the lemonade covered in the refrigerator and use it within two days. Stir before pouring because the fruit can settle even after straining. Put ice in the glasses, not the pitcher, so the last serving tastes as bright as the first.
