Gingered Limonana (Israeli Mint Lemonade)
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Lemonade stands pop up every summer like mushrooms after the rain - well, not this summer. As Covid-19 still has its hold on our lives, even simple summer rituals are affected. To me lemonade is the quintessential hot weather beverage; tangy, cold and refreshing. I have a story and recipe to share with you, perfect for this 4th of July weekend.
My cousin, Deb and I have an ongoing story of Limonana - Israeli Mint Lemonade. In Hebrew Limon means lemon and Nana is the slang word for fresh mint = LimoNana! You see, we were both fortunate to share cold minty, tangy, floral lemonade that my Mom had served us during a long ago trip to Israel for Deb’s son’s Bar Mitzvah. Well, Deb fell in love with Limonana and my Mom sent her on for the rest of the tour with her own bottle filled the homemade lemonade. (Which Deb, refused to share… Not that I blame her…)
Since then, I have been attempting to replicate my Mother’s lemonade. Per usual, my Mom had set the bar pretty high: the lemon juice was squeezed fresh of lemons from her lemon tree, the mint was harvested from her garden and… she just has that touch, you know, that gift that you either have or you do not! I have attempted several times to come close to the flavors that my Mom was able to wow Deb with, but as Deb kept saying: “Pretty good, but not really quite there…”
The closest I have gotten to the coveted tang was when I used organic lemons and fresh mint from the farmers’ market. So, I am sharing it with you now, but a little confession: I love sweet and spicy flavors and I played with this and added some fresh ginger, which I love!
However, in your kitchen, feel free to omit the ginger or add more (yes! More!) to your liking. And of course for an adult libation - feel free to add your favorite alcohol! I love it with bourbon!
So, what do you think? For this 4th of July holiday, make a large pitcher of this Limonana, take it on a sunny picnic, or set up your table with glasses, fresh mint, lemon slices, a few choice liquors and let your family mix their own. And while it may not be my Mom’s Limonana it is sure to become a favorite!
