My neighbours have a well-established Meyer lemon tree that keeps on giving. Lucky for me, they share generously with us. This year, the tree produced huge, juicy lemons some that look like grapefruit and weigh just over half a kilo! I am always searching out for recipes where lemon flavour is oozing and the vibrant colour is showcased. So, I decided to try the no cook lemonade and the result is just such a delicious drink with a balance of acidity and sweetness. This is an easy way to get primary school kids interested in science and cooking!
INGREDIENTS
6 large lemons, washed
1 cup sugar
METHOD
Remove zest from lemons in wide strips using a vegetable peeler. Toss with sugar in a medium bowl, cover and let it sit overnight or up to 24 hours.
Squeeze out all the juice from the lemons and strain using a fine mesh sieve.
Strain the sugar and zest mix into an airtight container, pressing on solids to extract as much oil as possible; reserving the zest. Mix the extract with the lemon juice. Chill and use to make lemonade.
Spread the zest out on to a paper (baking paper) lined tray. Heat oven to 100 degrees Celsius and dry out the zests for an hour, turning them over once in a while.
Finish drying out the zest strips at room temperature. Use as a garnish.