Thyme-Infused Lemonade
This recipe makes a concentrate which will create 4-5 pitchers of lemonade. To save space in the fridge before a party, I make a concentrate which consists of the lemon juice and infused simple syrup. Then right before serving, I dilute a small portion of the concentrate in a with water in a pitcher. My ratio is 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water, but you can adjust that per your own taste. You can use flat water or sparkling water, your choice. If you want to turn this into a cocktail, gin would be a complementary option.
Ingredients
- 4 cups freshly-squeezed lemon juice
- grated zest of 2 lemons
- 2 cups sugar
- 1 cup loosely-packed fresh thyme branches
- 1 cup water for the simple syrup
- water or sparkling water to fill the pitchers
- gin, optional
Instructions
- Juice the lemons. If you have an electric citrus juice, this will go faster.
- Make the infused simple syrup by combining the sugar, lemon zest, thyme branches, and 1 cup water in a medium saucepan. Stir to dissolve the sugar. Bring to a full boil, then remove from heat and cool to room temperature.
- Combine the infused simple syrup with the lemon juice in a pitcher or large tupperware, and chill in the fridge until ready to use. Leave the thyme branches in the lemonade so that they can continue their infusion. The thyme will be more pronounced the next day, but not overpowering.
- To serve, I combine 1 1/2 cups of this concentrate with 6 cups water in a pitcher. That is a ratio of 1 part concentrate to 4 parts water. Adjust this ratio for yourself depending on the size of your pitcher, and the size of your sweet tooth. I like this proportion because it is less sweet and more refreshing, but you might like it a bit more concentrated. You might also want to adjust the concentrate itself in terms of the balance of sugar to lemon juice.
- You can add a shot of gin to your glass, if desired.