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Whenever the calendar rewards us with a fifth Wednesday in a month, KD shares a favorite family recipe or one sent from a reader that proves irresistible. I have been checking the loops of heat waves across the US (Daughters and friends report crazy weather in the UK, France and Italy too), and that alone should reinforce the thought that Mother Nature is not happy with Planet Earth. But while we are waiting for the adults in the room to act, I discovered in my almost bottomless library of Gourmet cookbooks this absolutely delicious, cooling version of raspberries, fresh limes, sugar and water.
Looking through the recipes for liquid refreshment in the KD archives, I realized that we have nothing non-alcoholic — a major gap. This called for a visit to my most cherished resource — the late, lamented Gourmet. If you also have refused to part with your Gourmet Magazine cookbooks, this recipe resides in the 1994 Best of Gourmet and also in their book of seasonal recipes inspired by farmers markets in 1999. It not only tastes refreshing but is satisfying in a way that plain lemonade or even ice tea is not.
You do not have to use your precious little green half-pint baskets from your local farmers market, and certainly don’t bother with the Dread Driscoll, since you need two cups worth. This is a perfect fit for frozen raspberries. But you must use fresh limes. (you can use the forgotten wizened ones that I said were forbidden in the last week’s post
It was suggested by someone in this house that a shot of vodka would make a nice option and after much scientifically backed research, we found that actually, alcohol does nothing for this refreshing and gratifying summer thirst quencher. It will keep in the fridge for a few days. You simply need to give it a stir before serving over ice cubes. I add back some of the pulp with seeds as it gives the drink more heft and flavor. A virtuous cheers to you!
- 2 cups raspberries (frozen are perfect for this use) 473 1/8ml
- 3 1/2 cups (828ml) water
- 3/4 cup (178ml) granulated sugar
- 1 cup (237ml) fresh lime juice
- Pour all the ingredients into the container of a food processor or blender.
- Blend until moderately smooth.
- Put a large fine mesh strainer over a bowl or wide mouth pitcher.
- Pour the puree into the strainer and with a wood spoon (easier than a silicone spatula) scrape the puree until the strained liquid is released into the bowl or pitcher.
- Add back at least a third of the remaining pulp and seeds in the strainer into the limeade - add more if you want more texture and flavor.
- Refrigerate and then serve over ice, garnish with mint, basil or verbena.
- the original recipe calls for pureeing a portion of the raspberries with the water, but I found that it made no difference in the end and made the making of this lovely drink a bit more complicated than it needed to be.
After owning one of the best cooking stores in the US for 47 years, Nancy Pollard writes a blog about food in all its aspects – recipes, film, books, travel, superior sources and food related issues.
Nancy: Due to a recent open chest surgery I cannot use the sugar needed for the limeade recipe. What substitute do you suggest? Thanks, Steve Murphy
Hello Stephen,
Tell me what sweeteners or sugar you can use and I will try to work out the substitution ratio.
Nancy
I saved a few gourmet mags myself
Tried and true!
I find looking through them very relaxing.
Nancy
I had to give my individual copies up. So the books were a solution. You don’t get everything that is available in each issue. but enough so that I can find recipes and ideas.
Nancy
Nancy, this sounds delightful! In the June or July 1981 issue of Gourmet, there was a recipe for watermelon daiquiris. Alas, I no longer have the magazine, but my recollection is that it was intended for July 4th with red, white and blue theme as such: red watermelon slushed and frozen, white Baccardi rum, and a few blueberries and mint on a cute swizzle stick or umbrella for the blue. I still miss Gourmet…
Good wishes to Stephen for a full recovery
Gretchen,
For some reason, I remember this. I will see if I can find it.
Nancy
My collection of Gourmet running 1982-the bitter end was mouldering in the garden shed and in a moment of weakness I let an organizer talk me into discarding them and rue it still. Promptly went out and bought every Best of up through 1996 or 7…not being a Ruth Reichl fan, thought the magazine had gone downhill with her as editor. Jacques Pepin’s The Apprentice is a wonderful read and very reminiscent of the old Gourmet sensibility!
Hello Sharon,
I had to get rid of the magazines and have found the books to have most of what I wanted including some truly inspiring table settings! Yes, I thought the magazine went downhill under Ruth Reichl. Some of her writing is quite clever, but as a director of that magazine, I thought she had risen to her level of incompetence. And Jacques Pepin as a writer, so refreshing and yet full of candor.
Nancy
Thank you for recommending this cookbook. I just got my copy today & as I’m browsing thru it I’m marking so many wonderful looking recipes.
Paula,
Which one did you get? The Farm Fresh or the Best Of?
Nancy
“About” how many limes does it take to make 1 cup of lime juice? (And I know it depends on the limes and the freshness) I’m thinking it’g going to be a lot. Which leads to ask – what is the best method or tool for squeezing that many limes? A handheld citrus press starts to hurt after 3 – 4 limes.