Pucker up: For 'comfort food in a glass,' nothing beats the taste of fresh-squeezed lemonade

Lemonade season is upon us. And when it comes to this quintessential warm-weather drink, there is a lemonade recipe to suit every taste, from simply squeezed blends of lemon, water and sugar to upscale concoctions infused with fruit and herbs.

Fred Thompson, author of the cookbook "Lemonade," calls lemonade "comfort food in a glass."

"It's as nostalgic as Mom's meatloaf," he says. "We all have some memories of it as a child. ... It's sort of this sense of generations that quite frankly we don't have a lot of these days."

The taste of lemonade is satisfying because it combines sweet and sour flavors, he says. "If made appropriately, it's sort of an exciting thing to have in your mouth."

Appropriately is the key word. There is no circumstance under which powdered lemonade mix is acceptable, other than to add a bit of flavor to iced tea, Thompson says.

"To me, lemonade is about fresh. It's about bold," he says. "It's like using fresh herbs at the last minute in a savory dish."

Along those lines, Thompson also steers clear of bottled, reconstituted lemon juice.

In a pinch, store-bought lemonade can be transformed into a reasonably good beverage by adding the juice of a few fresh lemons and their rinds and refrigerating the mixture overnight, he says.

Some of Thompson's recipes also include frozen lemonade concentrate mixed with fresh ingredients. But for truly tasty lemonade, fresh lemon juice and zest are critical, he says, and you don't need a fancy juicer.

"I still like old-fashioned, simple reamers," he says. "They're as effective as anything else, easy to store and they don't cost a lot of money."

Thompson also suggests sweetening lemonade with superfine sugar, because it dissolves more quickly than conventional granulated sugar. A simple syrup (made by boiling water and sugar) also is good.

In Rhode Island, summer is synonymous with Del's Frozen Lemonade, an icy drink best slurped out of a paper cup. According to family lore, the original recipe dates to 1840 and involved lemons, sugar and snow stored in the caves of Naples, Italy. Franco DeLucia brought his father's recipe to America at the turn of the century, and his son opened the first Del's Frozen Lemonade stand in Cranston, R.I., in 1948.

"The uniqueness of the product is it's all natural. It has also small bite-sized lemon rinds. When we use fresh lemons, we don't cut anything from the lemon. We use the whole lemon except the stem," says Demetri Kazantis, vice president of research and development.

"It's a refreshing drink for the summer, and many people like to chew on this lemon rind," he says. "Plus the lemon rinds, after they stay in the product half an hour or longer, they leech lemon oil into the product and gives it a more lemony taste."

Del's sells make-at-home mixes that can be combined with ice and water in a blender. Similarly, Thompson's book includes a frozen lemonade recipe that calls for a cup each of lemon juice, sugar and ice plus four cups of water. Mixed at high speed in a blender, it becomes a slushy drink.

Strawberries are one of the first signs of summer in many parts of the country, and they pair well with lemons, Thompson says. He likes to mash them in a food processor with sugar, then stir it into lemonade.

Blueberries also add a nice flavor, as do ripe peaches. A recipe from Suzanne Gold, featured in "The Oprah Magazine Cookbook," combines watermelon with honey-sweetened lemonade.

One of the newest trends in lemonade is infusing the drink with herbs such as tarragon, basil thyme or mint. "That's more of an Italian thing, but it's catching on here," Thompson says.

To do this, use fresh herbs and let them steep in the lemonade for an hour or more before serving. It also helps to muddle, or bruise, the herbs, which releases more of their flavorful oils.

If the steeped leaves aren't attractive by the time you serve the lemonade, strain them out and garnish each glass with fresh leaves.

For grown-ups, Thompson's book offers a range of lemonades featuring alcohol as a main ingredient. His "Wicked Pink Lady" lemonade mixes lemonade with gin, grenadine and heavy cream. The "Blue Lagoon" includes vodka, lemonade and blue curacao. Thompson says the flavor of lemonade "plays well with others," making it versatile enough to pair with everything from beer to wine to hard liquor.

This basic recipe from Fred Thompson's cookbook "Lemonade" starts with a simple syrup that can be made ahead and refrigerated up to a month. Having some on hand speeds up the process of making fresh lemonade.

2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice (about 12 lemons), with half of the rinds reserved and roughly chopped

To make the sugar syrup, in a medium saucepan combine the zest, sugar and water. Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring to dissolve the sugar. Remove from heat, cover and let steep for 15 minutes.

Add the lemon juice, chopped lemon rinds and cold water. Stir well to combine. Chill until very cold. Serve over ice.

This simple lemonade marries the wonderfully complementary flavors of fresh ginger and sweet honey.

In a small saucepan, combine the water, honey and ginger. Bring to a boil, then remove from the heat, cover and let steep for 10 minutes.

Place a mesh strainer over a bowl and strain the mixture into it, discarding the ginger. Transfer the mixture to a pitcher and cool completely.

This bracingly tart and chilly lemonade is perfect for a steamy day. For a creamy version, use vanilla ice cream instead of lemon sherbet. Lime sherbet also would be a nice alternative.

In a tall glass, place the lemonade mix and ice (if using). Add the seltzer water and stir until the powder is dissolved. Float a large, rounded scoop of sherbet on top of the lemonade. Serve with a straw and lemon wedges.

The fresh taste of watermelon livens up this lemonade recipe. Adjust the sweetness by experimenting with the amount of honey.

Set a mesh strainer over a bowl and pour the pureed watermelon through it. Stir the pulp to let as much liquid as possible drain into the bowl. Discard the pulp.

Pour the watermelon juice into a large pitcher and add the lemon zest. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk together the lemon juice and honey until honey dissolves. Stir this mixture into the watermelon juice, then stir in the water.

Cover and refrigerate until very cold. Serve over ice and garnish with lemon slices.

Vanilla is prized for its ability to bring subtle changes to many recipes. Though this recipe uses frozen lemonade concentrate as a shortcut, "Lemonade" author Fred Thompson doesn't recommend cutting corners on vanilla: Use vanilla beans for the most unadulterated vanilla flavor, or pure vanilla extract.

In a 3-quart pitcher, combine the lemonade concentrate, water, sugar and salt. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.

If you are using vanilla beans, split the beans lengthwise down the middle and scrape out the seeds into the lemonade mixture. Discard the beans. Stir until the seeds have separated. Alternatively, add vanilla extract to taste.

Strain the lemonade, if desired, through a fine-mesh strainer to remove any vanilla bean residue. Squeeze each lemon wedge into the pitcher, then add the rinds.

Photos

A pitcher of old-fashioned lemonade starts with an easy-to-make simple syrup that can be kept in the refrigerator for use for up to a month. Associated Press

Ginger and honey combine nicely with the lemons in this sparkling ginger lemonade. Associated Press