Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade Made with Meyer lemons, fresh passionfruit juice, and ruby red strawberry syrup for the ideal balance of sweetness and strawberry taste, this refreshing take on a traditional lemonade is a great way to start the summer.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Lemonade is pleasant, to be sure, but have you ever tasted lemonade made with strawberries and passionfruit? People of all ages will love the extremely tangy, vibrant fruity flavor that comes from the unusual fruit mix.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Nashville has enjoyed a beautiful spring, but the heat and humidity are undoubtedly here to stay. A nice glass of homemade lemonade is one of the most refreshing things in this type of weather.

Since it’s all of my favorite flavors in one dewy glass, I won’t mind if that lemonade gets gussied up with passionfruit and strawberries!

It’s also one of those recipes that is ready for modification—you understand? Whether you substitute blueberries or blackberries for the strawberries, use sparkling water instead of still water, or even add a splash—or more than a splash—of alcohol for an adult-only version.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

My Passion Fruit Meyer Lemonade recipe from a few years ago has been modified into this version. The addition of strawberries, which are boiled down with the sugar syrup, is the primary distinction. In order to preserve the little quantity of passionfruit I have these days and to improve the end product’s flavor balance and tartness, this version also contains a little more lemon juice to passionfruit.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Even though I adore strawberries, I didn’t want you to taste only that. The flavors in this recipe are expertly matched. Rather, you should receive the same quantity of strawberries as passionfruit and Meyer lemon.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

I thus boiled the berries in the sugar syrup to create that balance, which produces a bright red syrup with the ideal amount of strawberry flavor and sweetness, as opposed to simply crushing up a lot of strawberries and adding them to lemonade (which isn’t the nicest sensory experience either).Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Preparing fruits Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

About six luscious passion fruits will yield half a cup of juice; if your fruits are small or have dried up, you may need more.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Scoop off the pulp of the fresh passionfruit first, then pulse it briefly in a food processor or blender (don’t use the lowest speed because you don’t want to crush the seeds). This aids in the pulp’s separation from the seeds. If necessary, add a splash of water. To extract as much juice as possible, then run the pulp through a fine-mesh screen.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Although the seeds are crunchy, they are edible, so if you’d like, you can save some to add back at the end for cosmetic purposes alone. The seeds tend to settle to the bottom, thus this effect is best achieved with a glass filled with densely packed pellet ice.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Additionally, frozen passionfruit pulp is available; I used it for both this recipe and my passionfruit cheesecake bars. Passionfruit juice or nectar can also be used; however, as these products typically have additional sugar, you should lower the amount. When fresh passionfruit isn’t available, you can still add some passionfruit taste with a passionfruit syrup, such as the kind used in snow cones.Strawberry Passion fruit Lemonade

Serves you Right

You could prepare a large pitcher of lemonade with the strawberry syrup ready to pour, or you could allow your guests add their own syrup. You could even make a double or treble batch. Everyone can then modify for their preferred level of sweetness. Because the denser sugar syrup falls to the bottom of the glass, you also get the wonderful ombre effect when you pour the syrup into the glasses.

Fill the glasses with the lemon, passionfruit, and water combination first to create this ombre effect. Next, add roughly three tablespoons of strawberry syrup per glass. Adding the syrup last may seem counterintuitive, but I promise it will sink to the bottom of the glass.

Then, right before you put a straw in and begin drinking, give it a thorough swirl!

Despite the possibility of some separation (passionfruit pulp, especially from fresh fruit, can settle as it rests), the mixed lemonade will store for around a week in the refrigerator. However, all you need to do is shake or stir it thoroughly, and you’ll be ready to go again!

Swaps & Variations

In place of Meyer lemons, use normal lemons, but adjust the sugar by around 25% (more or less to taste). Additionally, to counteract the tartness, you may want to add a little more water. The flavor of Meyer lemons can also be approximated by using 1/4 cup orange juice and 3/4 cup normal lemon juice.

All-lemon juice can be substituted for passionfruit juice (the amounts of sugar will be almost the same). Instead of passionfruit juice, you may use orange, pineapple, or even mango juice (just be sure to increase the sugar for the latter two since they are much sweeter).

Blackberries, blueberries, or raspberries could be used in place of the strawberries.

Another option is to substitute a store-bought strawberry soda syrup (such as the one used for homemade sodas or snow cones) for the homemade one. To achieve the same ombre effect, you can also use grenadine, which is derived from pomegranates.

For an incredibly elegant sparkling limonata (the Italian version of lemonade), finish the lemonade with either sparkling water or club soda rather than still water.

Add a shot of vodka or gin for a fun and tasty hard lemonade, or top it off with a splash of sparkling wine for the ideal summertime drink.

Ingredients

For Strawberry Syrup:

• ⅔ cup / 100 g hulled strawberries, coarsely chopped
• ½ cup / 120 ml water
• ½ cup / 100 g sugar

For Lemonade:

• 1 cup / 244 g Meyer lemon juice, form 4-5 large lemons
• ½ cup / 120 g fresh passion fruit juice, from 5-6 passion fruit
• 1 ½ cups / 360 ml water, plus more to taste

Instructions

• In a small saucepan, combine sugar, water, and chopped strawberries. Bring to a simmer over medium heat, crushing the berries lightly with the back of a spoon, until the strawberries are very soft and the sugar has dissolved, about 5 minutes. Press out as much juice as you can from the softened berries by straining them through a fine-mesh strainer. About 3/4 cup of strawberry syrup should be available. Put aside to cool fully. (You may make the syrup in advance and store it in the refrigerator for up to a week in an airtight container or jar.)
• Put water, passion fruit juice, and lemon juice in a pitcher. Add extra water to taste (you may also add sparkling water on top if you want) and stir in strawberry syrup.