Pickle Lemonade

Ingredients

• 7 large organic lemons (At room temperature; thinly slice 1 lemon for garnish and juice the remaining lemons to yield 1 cup juice, reserving the squeezed peels and any unsqueezed lemon pieces for muddling.)
• 0.667 cup granulated sugar (Approximately 2/3 cup)
• 3 cup chilled filtered water
• 1 cup dill pickle juice (Add to taste; refrigerated dill pickle brine is recommended. Adjust the sugar and lemon balance depending on the pickle juice.)
• ice (For serving; use plenty.)
• dill pickle spears (For garnish)

Steps

1. 1

   Thinly slice 1 lemon, remove and discard the seeds, and set the slices aside for garnish.

2. 2

   Firmly roll the remaining lemons against the countertop to loosen the juice. Quarter them, then juice enough of the lemons to measure 1 cup of lemon juice; a citrus juicer may be helpful.

3. 3

   Place the squeezed lemon peels and any unsqueezed lemon quarter-pieces in a large jar, wide pitcher, or bowl with a capacity of about 8 cups.

4. 4

   Add the sugar to the lemon peels. Using a wooden spoon or muddler, muddle the peels and sugar for 1 to 2 minutes, until the sugar has mostly dissolved and the peels have released their aromatic oils.

5. 5

   Add the measured lemon juice. Cover the jar and shake vigorously, or stir thoroughly if using a pitcher or bowl without a lid, until the sugar is fully dissolved.

6. 6

   Add the chilled filtered water to the lemon mixture.

7. 7

   Add 1 to 1 1/4 cups dill pickle juice, adjusting the amount to taste. Shake or stir until evenly mixed.

8. 8

   Strain the lemonade through a fine-mesh strainer into a pitcher or serving container, pressing gently on the solids to extract the liquid.

9. 9

   Pour the pickle lemonade into glasses over plenty of ice. Garnish each serving with a lemon slice and a dill pickle spear.

Notes

Refrigerate strained lemonade for up to 3 days. For the brightest flavor, use refrigerated dill-flavored pickles such as Grillo’s. Avoid sweet bread-and-butter pickles or pickles heavily seasoned with garlic or other spices, which may overpower the balance of lemon, sugar, and brine. Adjust the sugar and lemon ratios as needed for the pickle juice used.

Nutrition per serving

• drink
• non-alcoholic
• summer
• refreshing
• sweet-and-savory
• no-cook
• make-ahead