I don’t think I’ve done drinks on the blog before, but I’ve got a trio of delicious variations on lemonade, originating in the 17th century manuscript books at the Wellcome Library. They are each wonderfully thirst-quenching and will make for a delicious treat to have in the fridge.
Mrs Yorke’s Lemonade – the best that can be made
From the recipe book of Mary Rooke, 1770s (back right in photo).
225g granulated sugar
225ml fresh lemon juice (from 4 juicy lemons – have 5, just in case)
Thin strips of peel from 4 lemons
900ml boiling water
450ml boiling milk
- Put the sugar, lemon juice, thinly peeled lemon peel into a bowl.
- Pour over the boiling water and stir to dissolve the sugar.
- Cover with plastic and allow to cool.
- When cold, pour in the boiling milk. NB The lemon juice will cause the milk to curdle. DON’T PANIC – THIS IS FINE.
- Cover with plastic and allow to cool, then chill overnight in the fridge.
- Strain the solids out by passing the lemonade through a fine-mesh sieve.
- Strain the lemonade finely by passing it through a jelly bag, or a double layer of muslin. Be sure to scald the muslin first by pouring boiling water over it, then squeeze out the excess moisture.
- To have your lemonade especially clear, rinse the muslin thoroughly and double the layers to 4 and pass the lemonade through it again. This will take longer than the first time, due to the greater number of layers of material.
- Taste and add more sugar if liked. For adults only, you can add 225ml of white wine. Choose one with light, citrus flavours.
- Chill thoroughly.
- Serve over ice.
Cool Summer Drink
Anon., 17th century (back left in photo).
This is a very refreshing drink similar to an Indian lassi. The milk will tend to separate slightly, so blending the drink just before serving helps combat this.
450ml milk
400ml water
½ tsp rosewater – I use Nielsen Massey
Juice of 2 lemons
1/4 nutmeg, grated
1 sprig rosemary
1 tbs granulated sugar
Slices of lemon and sprigs of rosemary to serve
- Bruise the rosemary to release its flavour by gently tapping the leaves with a rolling-pin.
- Put all of the ingredients into a jug.
- Cover with plastic and allow to infuse for 2 hours in the fridge.
- Remove the rosemary and strain the drink by passing it through a fine-mesh sieve, which will catch any rosemary leaves that might have fallen from the stem.
- Using a stick blender or liquidiser, thoroughly mix the drink to an even consistency.
- Serve at once.
Lemonada
Anon., 17th century, (front left in photo).
600ml light and fresh German white wine – Liebfraumilch or Reisling
450ml water
225g granulated sugar
Juice of 2 lemons
juice of 1 orange
5cm stick of cinnamon
1/4 nutmeg in 1 piece
thumb-sized piece of fresh ginger, sliced thinly
- Put all of the ingredients into a pan over a low heat and stir until the sugar is dissolved.
- Bring to the boil, cover and remove from the heat.
- Allow to steep until cold.
- Strain to remove solids and chill in the fridge until required.
- Serve over ice.
Deja Food 