Pickle Brine Lemonade
Time = 5 min prep + 15 min cook
Servings = 8-10 servings
Recipe = NYT Cooking
Ingredients
- 7 large organic lemons, at room temperature
- 2/3 cup granulated sugar
- 3 cups chilled, filtered water
- 1 to 1.25 cups dill pickle juice, plus pickle spears for garnish
- Ice, for serving
Directions
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Thinly slice 1 lemon, discard the seeds, and set aside for garnish. Roll the remaining lemons firmly against your counter top before juicing them in order to extract as much juice as possible.
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Quarter the lemons, then squeeze enough of the lemons into a measuring cup to get 1 cup of lemon juice. (A citrus juicer may be helpful here, if you’ve got one.) Add the squeezed lemon peels and any unsqueezed lemon quarter-pieces to a large jar, such as an 8-cup Mason jar, a wide pitcher or even a large bowl.
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Add the sugar to the lemon peel pieces in the jar and, using a wooden spoon or a muddler, muddle together until the sugar has mostly dissolved, 1 to 2 minutes.
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Add the lemon juice to the jar, cover and shake vigorously (or stir, if your vessel doesn’t have a lid) to ensure the sugar has fully dissolved. Add the water, then add pickle juice to taste. Shake or stir to mix; then strain using a fine-mesh strainer. (To store, refrigerate up to 3 days.)
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To serve, pour into glasses over plenty of ice. Garnish with a lemon slice and a pickle spear.
Notes
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Because conventional lemons are often sprayed with pesticides, this recipe calls for organic lemons. If using conventional lemons, be sure to wash the fruit thoroughly. The size and juiciness of lemons can vary; save any leftover lemon for another use.
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When choosing pickles for this recipe, look for refrigerated dill-flavored ones like Grillo’s, for brighter flavors. Sweet bread and butter pickles, or other pickles that use too much garlic or other seasonings, might overpower the balance of acidity (lemon), sweetness (sugar) and saltiness (pickle brine). Depending on your pickle choice, you may need to adjust the sugar and lemon ratios.