{Thirsty Friday} Blackberry Mint Limeade

Good morning and happy Friday friends! 

Ugh, I sound like a radio host, my apologies.  Let me try that again.  It's Friday and it happens to be a very special Friday because, it marks the beginning of a new weekly post that I'll be sharing throughout this Summer.

The Summer weeks are more leisurely to be sure, but come Friday I'm still tired and in great need of a treat.  Cue Thirsty Fridays.  Each week I'll be sharing with you a new drink recipe that promises all the refreshment and simple drinkable happiness your Friday demands.

Lets begin!  I'm a big limeade fan.  I'm not talking about the kind that they sell at the supermarket, I'm talking about the limeade that is served with tons of ice and has a whole sliced lime resting at the bottom.  

This limeade is enhanced by the charming fragrance of mint and the sweetness of blackberries. It tastes like summer and it's incredibly refreshing.  It's not overly sweet either, which I like, but you could definitely up the sugar a bit if you care to.  This isn't puff pastry -- just adjust as you like. 

First we squeeze. Yes, there is a little work involved, but a reamer makes that much easier.

Don't forget to slice a few limes for garnishing later on.  I like my drinks to be as lovely as they are delicious.  

Our tart lime juice is toned down with a bit of water and sweetened with a super simple mint syrup.  

Blackberries are pureed into a lightly sweetened syrup and glasses are filled with ice.  

Berries are like culinary gemstones. I'm truly astonished at the beauty of each and every one. 

In goes our very fresh and very simple blackberry purée. 

Okay, let's talk about pulp for a moment.  I'm not in the habit of demanding perfectly clear liquids.  I like pulp in my drink, it makes me know that I'm drinking something fresh, not a manufactured concentrate.  However, I've heard that some of you out there don't dig seeds or lime pulp in your drink.  Okay, I respect it, and you can still partake of this limeade scene. Just be sure to run your lime juice, mint syrup and blackberry purée through a fine-mesh strainer before you assemble. 

Top with your bright, minty limeade and we are done!

Make it pretty with a slice of lime and some sprigs of fresh mint.  Perfection! 

It's sweet, it's tart, and it screams of Summer.  

Another thing I love about this drink is that all the components can be made hours, or even a day in advance, and then quickly assembled when you're ready to serve. Weekend parties? I've got you covered.

Happy Friday! 

Sincerely, 

   Pedantic Foodie

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Blackberry Mint Limeade 

serves 4 

for the mint syrup 

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar 
• 10 fresh mint leaves, torn
• 1/2 cup filtered water 

In a small bowl combine sugar and mint leaves.  Use the tines of a fork to press the mint into the sugar.  Allow to sit for about 15 minutes so that the oils from the mint can permeate the sugar. 

In a small saucepan combine mint sugar and water, and place over medium high heat.  Stirring often, cook until the sugar has dissolved and a light syrup has come together, about 5-7 minutes.

Remove from heat and allow to cool while you prepare the remaining components. 

for the blackberry puree 

• 1 1/2 cups fresh blackberries 
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar 

In the work bowl of your food processor combine blackberries and sugar.  Pulse several times, until the blackberries are completely smooth. 

limeade and assembly 

• 2/3 cup freshly squeezed lime juice 
• 2/3 cup mint syrup 
• 1 1/2 cups filtered water 
• blackberry puree 
• fresh blackberries, mint, and lime slices, for garnish 
• ice 

In a large pitcher combine lime juice, mint syrup, and water.  Stir to combine.  Fill each glass with ice and several fresh blackberries.  Fill about 1/3 of the glass with blackberry puree and top with limeade.  Garnish with fresh mint and a slice of lime and serve immediately.  Enjoy!  

BURGER BASH WEEK!!! + Papaya Lemonade Spritzer

Oh my goodness, you guys, I have something to share with you and I'm really excited about it.  This week on Pedantic Foodie, I am throwing my very own Burger Bash!!!  *insert imaginary screams of delight, applause, and the sound of those weird party noise makers that your five year old brought home from school*

It's almost June and it's definitely time for us to break in our grills, and personally, I cannot think of a better way to begin the grilling season than with burgers!

So here's how this works, each day this week I'm going to post a recipe for one of the components of my super fancy, over-the-top burgers, and an incredible drink to pair with them.  All you have to do is invite your friends to a backyard dinner party this weekend and do a bit of shopping, and of course, some cooking. But, I’m even making your grocery list for you so it's easy, easy, summertime fun!   

Are you excited?!

For the first installment of my Burger Bash Week I wanted to give you something you could make right away.  It's insanely delicious and I would highly recommend that you make yourself a big batch right now and drink it all throughout this week.

This is a Papaya Ginger Lemonade Spritzer and it’s a beautiful, beautiful thing.  

Let's take a moment to talk about papaya.  The first time I tried it I wasn't a fan.  It was mildly sweet and its flavor was overly floral - I wasn't into it.  However, my mother quickly instructed me to squeeze some lime on the melon-like fruit (that's the way it had been served to her in Hawaii) and my palate lit up.  The flavor was so unique and tantalizing.  It has a deep, robust flavor, but its still elegant.  It's sweet and undeniably tropical.  I was hooked. And I learned that serving papaya without citrus is like cooking pasta without salt. 

I've been eating sliced papaya happily for many years now but I was ready to change things up a bit.  This was one of those recipes that occurred to me as I was standing in the produce section.  Though I usually pair my papaya with lime, I thought lemon might be a welcome change and visions of icey-cold tropical drinks filled my head.

This drink begins with puréed papaya.  Yes, you could probably juice it, but to me the blender is simpler, and as long as your papaya is ripe, the blended texture will definitely be smooth enough for this application. 

Then we juice lemons.  Normally I do this with a reamer, but if yours is playing hide-and-go-seek with you, like mine is, then just roll them around on the counter for a bit to get their juices flowing and give them a good squeeze.  

The great thing about this drink is that it comes together in seconds and all the components can be prepared way ahead of the time that you actually want to serve it. 

I made a double batch of papaya purée and kept it in my fridge, and you could certainly juice the lemons in advance, as well.  

When it's time to assemble, simply fill the glasses half way with the papaya lemonade and then fill with ice.  Top with your favorite ginger ale (a good spicy one please, none of that wimpy stuff) and serve.

Isn't it pretty? 

It's sweet, it's tangy, it's spicy and refreshing, and it pairs so smashingly with our burgers. 

I'm throwing a Burger Bash, grab yourself a drink and fire up your grills - let's go!

Sincerely, 

   Pedantic Foodie

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Papaya Ginger Lemonade Spritzer 

serves 4

• 2 cups papaya, cut into cubes
• 1 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed
• 1 cup water 
• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 12-ounce can of good quality ginger ale  
• ice 
• lemon slices, for garnish, optional

Remove seeds from papaya and cut into cubes.  Place papaya chunks into your blender and pulse until a smooth puree forms.  Set aside.  Yes, it will be a bit thick, that’s okay.  

In a small pitcher, combine lemon juice and sugar; whisk until the sugar has dissolved.  Stir in water and pureed papaya. 

Fill each glass half way with papaya lemonade mixture.  Add several ice cubes to each glass and then top with ginger ale and serve with a slice of lemon.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!

Black Cherry & Thyme Ginger Ale

Did you know that ginger is a distant relative of the banana?  Their family reunions must be delicious...

I love ginger, it’s spicy, it’s bright, and it makes some pretty killer cookies. 

Ginger was very popular in medieval Europe, which is also where the first recipes for gingerbread were originally developed.  Though ginger was one of the most important spices of this period in history, one of its most popular uses did not evolve until the 19th century.

During the 19th century, English taverns began sprinkling powered ginger over their drinks and thus emerged a new sensation.  That’s right, I’m talking about ginger ale.  *imaginary chorus of angels*

Ginger’s unique pungency comes from “gingerols” - flavoring chemicals which are related to those of “capsaicin,” which is found in chillies, and “piperine,” which is found in black pepper.  Cool, right?  

I really, really like ginger ale.  I want it to be icy cold and spicy.  Of course I couldn’t just make ginger ale, because I am a foodie and by nature do not know how to leave things well enough alone.

And we’re off!

Where does the thyme go?  In the sugar!  Hahaha...sorry...

By muddling the thyme with the sugar, we release all the essential oils from the herbs into our sugar, which is going to be the base of our ginger simple syrup.

This soda is everything.  Spicy ginger, aromatic, lemony thyme, and sweet, dark cherries.  It’s also super pretty.

I’m kind of obsessed with the color. 

This week has already packed a punch, let’s give ourselves a treat.  Cheers to us!

Sincerely, 

  Pedantic Foodie 

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Black Cherry & Thyme Ginger Ale 

serves 2

for the ginger syrup

• 1/2 cup granulated sugar
• 1 tablespoon fresh thyme, leaves stripped from stem
• 1/2 cup filtered water
• 1/4 cup fresh ginger, peeled and sliced 

In a small bowl, combine sugar and thyme.  Use the tines of a fork to smash the thyme into the sugar.  Set aside. 

In a small saucepan combine ginger, filtered water, and the thyme and sugar mixture.  Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer.  Cook for 10 minutes and then remove from heat and   allow to sit and steep for 30 minutes.  Strain and transfer to a jar.  

for the cherry base 

• 1 cup frozen or fresh pitted black cherries
• 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
• 2 tablespoons filtered water 

Combine cherries, sugar, and filtered water in a small saucepan.  Place over medium heat and cook for 5-7 minutes, until a light syrup forms.  Use an immersion blender to puree the cherry mixture.  

assembly 

• 1/2 liter of sparkling water 
• ice cubes
• cherries and fresh thyme sprigs for garnish, optional

Pour 1/2 cup of the ginger syrup into the bottom of each glass.  Top with 3 tablespoons of cherry puree.  Add 3-4 ice cubes to each glass and top with sparkling water.  Use a long-handled spoon to stir thoroughly and top with a sprig of thyme and a cherry.  Serve immediately.  Enjoy!  

P.S. The syrup and puree can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for several days before using.