Velvet Ginger Lemonade With Whole Lemons

I had some friends over for a vegetarian dinner last night, and, as usual, it was wonderful. It was a warm, balmy night on the deck with fresh raw food and fabulous company. We decided to make use of the huge bowl of lemons I had been given, and make home made lemonade. The results were no less than spectacular. When the universe gives you lemons, make naturally sweetened ginger lemonade recipe!

I have always had a penchant for ginger beer and home made lemonade. But as we all know, these refreshing Summer beverages are absolutely loaded with refined sugar. This ginger lemonade recipe still contains quite a bit of natural sugar, but this home made naturally sweetened lemonade is a little more forgiving than the commercially produced or mainstream lemonades. This little last minute ginger lemonade recipe might just satisfy my need for ginger and lemon all in one naturally sweet hit!

Once again, my memories of all things Christine came to the rescue, and I remembered her making a frothy home made Lebanese lemonade with a whole lemon. It would seem the secret to making frothy rich lemonade is to make lemonade with whole lemons by putting the whole lemon into the blender (I like to use a Vitamix), along with the freshly squeezed juice and the other ingredients, and whirling them into a creamy froth. The zest from the whole lemon adds a strong, aromatic citrus essence, and the freshly grated ginger adds a special zing that makes this ginger lemonade recipe extraordinary.

You can make home made lemonade with whole lemons that is low in sugar and calories! WHAT? I hear you all say. Lemons are remarkably low in calories. It is all the sugar that makes it so high in calories. Use a natural sweetener in modest amounts and it is not nearly as damaging. Don’t misunderstand me, natural sweeteners should also only be consumed in limited amounts. If you want to make a home made lemonade with no sugar, use some Stevia which is glucose free, does not affect your blood sugar levels and has no calories. Those of you on the Body Ecology Diet, Sugar Circuit Diet, other sugar free diets, or just watching your sugar intake should add in the desired amount of Stevia drops to your mix. You can halve the difference with this ginger lemonade recipe and use a little bit of natural sweetener like agave, honey or yacon syrup, and then accent it with some drops of Stevia. Play around and find you perfect blend.

For today, my blend is this decadent agave-sweetened rich velvet ginger lemonade recipe that is absolutely to die for. I must admit, it is quite a bit more naughty than I had anticipated. But as a treat on a hot Summer’s night, you just can’t beat this delicious home made lemonade. Just make sure to be generous with your lemon juice, and blend the whole lemon in until smooth and creamy. A tip on juicing lemons: juice them at room temperature in order to get the most juice out of them. I think it is sacrilege to waste a drop of that magic elixir that just goes with literally everything! Lemons are loaded with Vitamin C and antioxidants, and help with cardiovascular and respiratory health. They are just simply wonderous! The addition of the whole lemon is a brilliant addition to this lemonade. It adds a tart quality that takes the edge off the sweetness and gives this ginger lemonade recipe a depth of flavour and that special zing factor! 

If you want a quick easy lemonade with a real edge, try making home made lemonade with whole lemons by cutting the lemons, removing the seeds and adding in some ice and water. Garnish with mint and ginger. This tastes like a limoncello mocktail. Check out the video How To Make Lemonade Using The Whole Lemon I did for Chow. Just know that this lemonade is very different and not for everyone. If you don't like the bitter bite to this lemonade, halve the difference with this lemonade using juice, sweetener and adding one or two whole lemons. This home made ginger lemonade recipe strikes a nice balance for most people.

Last night we made some regular lemonade with still water; and some spritzers using sparkling water. Either way, this home made ginger lemonade using the whole lemon is delicious. I am going to make lemonade ginger mocktails with this blend when Melly, Craig, Martin and Roman and I have our annual New Year’s Eve dinner.

Happy New Decade!