The experiment du jour is Lemonade with Basil and Parsley.
We're making a concentrate, the recipe is:
1 1/3 c. lemon juice
1 1/3 c. water
2/3 c. sugar
2 large basil leaves
A dozen-ish flat parsley leaves
This is basically a 1:1:1/2 recipe - I like lightly sweet lemonade, hence the 1/2 part, if you prefer sweeter lemonade add 1 part sugar.
First things first... get your things together - get a bunch of lemons and juice them (I use a reamer and juice over a strainer so the seeds and most of the pulp are excluded from the juice).
Put the water in a pot, throw in the sugar and heat until it just comes to a boil - don't let it boil too long, just make sure the sugar is completely dissolved plus we don't want the sugar to carmelize so keep an eye on it.
While the sugar and water are heating up get your herbs together. Stack the basil leaves on each other then put the parsley leaves on top, roll everything together like a cigar. When the sugar water has come to a boil, turn off the heat and add the herbs to the sugar water (I used kitchen scissors and cut the herb cigar into thin strips directly into the sugar water. Otherwise cut the herb cigar into thin strips using a sharp knife).
Let the herbs steep in the sugar water for a about 3 minutes(+/-) then strain into a heat proof vessel (i.e. 4 c. Pyrex measuring cup - something large enough to hold all the sugar water and lemon juice). Add the lemon juice to the herbed sugar water, stir and let cool to room temperature-ish.
When ready to drink, pour an amount of the concentrate into your glass and dilute with same amount of water, add ice and drink. I keep the concentrate in a glass pitcher/measuring cup (something with a spout) that can be covered.
Options:
1. Pour the concentrate into an ice cube tray and freeze. Then chuck a couple ice cubes into some water and have a light herby lemon drink - super good when it's 200° outside.
a. cool some delicious vodka or a gin and tonic
2. Add a few strawberries, cherries, pineapple chunks and/or sliced grapes to the concentrate while it's still warm.
3. Use lime juice instead, or both lemon and lime or grapefruit or all 3 - why not?!?!?!
4. Dilute with sparkling water - HA! Screw you soda companies!
