Ooh! Ooh! Ooh! I’m so excited to tell you about this recipe. It’s so simple and I made it twice so I could figure out how to make it mine. Well, it’s ours now, if you choose to try it. So if you haven’t looked around the blog, this is where I tell an unnecessary yet cute (debatable) little story to explain why I’m sharing this recipe. So here goes…
I bought some blackberries with the purpose of doing what I normally do. I tend to be pretty boring with my use of blackberries and use it in the same way all the time—in a smoothie, on a parfait, or on top of a shortcake. I wanted to try something different so I tasked the browser servant to look for blackberry recipes. As I started to see different recipes using blackberries, I noticed a few really easy recipes for blackberry lemonade using a simple syrup.
What really got me was when I read about how I was being cheated out of my sweetness by not creating a simple syrup for lemonade (Well, that’s how I interpreted it.) Sugar is absorbed so much better in hot water.
Are you the kind the person that once you get a recipe in your mind you have to make it? Phew! I thought I was the only obsessive one in the building…hello friend! Well, I got the idea of making this blackberry lemonade in my head, and so I did what I usually do with recipes…half-read them and decide how I’m going to change them. It’s true. I do it all the time. It’s a thing with me so I won’t be offended if you do that to this one.
For this blackberry lemonade recipe, I changed the frozen from concentrate lemonade and just used lemon juice from a bottle. You can also use fresh lemon juice (I just wouldn’t add it in to boil with the simple syrup). I also added more sugar because I just love sweetness but take it down by a 1/2 cup or a cup if you don’t like it as sweet. Check out the recipe below.
Ingredients
12 to 24 (handful of blackberries)
2 cups (Equal parts sugar and water for simple syrup)
1 cup lemon juice
2 cups water
Instructions
Add equal parts sugar and water in a pot and turn on low to medium to make your simple syrup. As the simple syrup comes to a low boil, add a cup of lemon juice and your handful of blackberries. You will notice the more blackberries you add, the darker the simple syrup will become. (If you add about 12 blackberries, it will most likely have a pinkish color as mine did but if you double it, the syrup will have a deeper blackberry hue.)
Allow to boil for about 7 to 10 minutes and check for taste. The simple syrup should taste pretty sweet but don’t be scared…you will be diluting this mixture.
In a pitcher add 4 cups of water and then combine with your simple syrup mixture (with or without the blackberries). Chill and serve.
Extra Blackberry Lemonade tips
- If it’s still to sweet add more cups of water to taste.
- You can add fresh basil, thyme or mint to your chilled lemonade.
- Yes, you can chill and serve with ice but this is also killer as a hot beverage.
- Freeze this with the blackberries and make yourself an awesome frozen icee!
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