Wednesday 24 May 2017

Strawberry Lemonade.



Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!

In the Name of Allah, Most Gracious, Most Merciful

Ugh, it is such a grey Wednesday here today.

Not like yesterday when we had blazing sunshine and blue skies all day long.
Guys, I need to vent about gulab jamuns. I know you're here for strawberry lemonade but please, I won't be long. I just need to get this out of my system. After a long search, I finally found a good recipe for gulab jamuns. We tested it out and they were really good. Juicy and very sweet - just as they should be.

But yesterday, when I had booked them in to shoot for the blog, they failed me. I should have added a touch more milk to the dough to get it smoother but I didn't. And so, they didn't fry up as well and ended up being really weird when soaked in their syrup. I left them in the fridge overnight hoping that it would solve my problem but after just checking on them now, I'm not so sure. They're going to have to be made again. After this, I'm never going to want to see another gulab jamun again even though they're one of my all-time favourites.

Anyway, this all happened yesterday. The day when the news was filled all day long with such sad news from the city nearest to me. Manchester is my city and for an attack like that to have happened there is just crazy. I still haven't fully processed it.
The past few weeks have been really busy and for that reason and many more, I cannot wait for Ramadan to start. I feel that everything slows down during the blessed month because we finally give priority to the important things. And so, after a hot day of fasting, I hope you'll have an iced jug of this refreshing strawberry lemonade on the table for Iftar. With it's sweet strawberry flavour balanced perfectly with the sour lemon, I can think of nothing better after a long day of fasting in the summer heat.

A Simple List of Ingredients:
1. Cold Water
2. Caster Sugar
3. Lemons
4. Strawberries

Bismillah, let's begin!

We start with a jug of water. Here, I have 800ml Cold Water.

Next, the sugar. I like to use caster sugar because it dissolves easier. You can use granulated sugar - just be sure to give it an extra stir to dissolve.

Add 60g Caster Sugar to the cold water. You can always add more later on, if needed.

Give the mixture a stir until the sugar has dissolved and the liquid is clear.

Pop the jug in the fridge to chill whilst making the rest of the lemonade.

Next, let's prepare the strawberries. I used 400g Strawberries.

Hull the strawberries by removing their green stalks and leaves. Then, slice them up.

And, pop into a bowl.

Add in 3 tablespoons Caster Sugar.

You can add more or less depending on how sweet your strawberries are.

Give the two a good stir.

And, set aside for 10 minutes. This will help the strawberries release their juice.

While the strawberries hang out, we can squeeze our lemons. You'll need about 150ml which for me was the Juice of 6 Lemons.

I used my trusty lemon juicer.

Once your lemons have been juiced, the 10 minutes should be up. 

And, the strawberries should be juicy and looking very sweet.


Pop the strawberries into a blender and blend until smooth. Such a pretty colour, right?


And with that, we're ready to mix up our strawberry lemonade.


Grab a big jug.


Pour in the cold, sweet water.


And, the lemon juice.


Give things a stir.


Then, pour in the strawberry puree.


And, stir up! Give it a taste and add more sugar, if it's not sweet enough for you.


Once you're happy, we can serve!


Fill your glasses with ice.


Pour the lemonade over the ice.


This strawberry lemonade is so good - the perfect balance between sweet and sour. I cannot think of a more refreshing drink at your Iftar table this Ramadan!

Strawberry Lemonade.

Prep Time: About 30 minutes.
Cook Time: None!
Serves: About 4 people.

Ingredients

800ml Cold Water
60g Caster Sugar
Juice of 6 Lemons (150ml)

For the Strawberry Puree
400g Strawberries, hulled and sliced
3 tablespoons Caster Sugar

Prepare the sweet water:
Mix the cold water and caster sugar together until the sugar has dissolved and the water is clear. Chill in the fridge until needed.

Make the strawberry puree:
Mix the sliced strawberries and caster sugar together to combine. Let the strawberries sit for 10 minutes to release their juices. Then, blend until smooth.

Mix the strawberry lemonade:
In a large jug, mix together the sweet water, lemon juice and strawberry puree. Taste and adjust the sugar, if needed. Serve over ice.

{adapted from smitten kitchen}

Keep me in your duas please, and enjoy your lemonade!

Assalamu alaikum wa rahmatullahi wa barakatuhu!


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