Meyer lemon fresh squeezed lemonade + mint tea + honey = yum!

Maybe it is because I am new to this whole living in California, lemons in your front yard thing--but sheesh--I feel like lemon trees are gifts that keep on giving, and I don't stop getting excited about them! I could probably start a blog that is entirely about Meyer lemons. There are so many things you can do with them: marmalade, scones, lemon tahini dressing, lemon and any vegetable risotto, blueberry lemon bundt cake, strawberry lemon cheesecake....lemonade!

So, we had picked a lot of them (maybe 12) last week and I needed to figure out what to do with them fast! Since the candied lemon peels were so good and such a hit, I decided that I would make a bunch more and store them in the freezer for gift giving.


There was a lot of juice this time around, so I froze about 3 cups ice cube trays. I will let them set and then put them in a freezer safe bag so that I can pop them into whatever I want to use them in later.


The last cup of juice got me to thinking about refreshing summertime drinks. But I didn't want just plain old lemonade. I had thought about infusing rosemary or lavender (which we have abundantly growing on the side of our building) into a lemonade concoction, but instead decided on something minty. I am pretty sure lemonade combined with iced tea is called an Arnold Palmer, no? But I wanted it to be caffeine free and super refreshing--so i decided on lemonade with mint tea and honey! It turned out really good--tart and lightly sweet with a really subtle mint taste. I would say brew more teabags and add fresh mint if you want it mintier. Anyway, here it is:


Meyer Lemon, Mint Tea and Honey Lemonade:

1 c. freshly squeezed lemon juice (5-6 lemons)
1 c. water
2 teabags (i used mint)
4 c. cold, preferably filtered water
1/2 c. honey, agave, or sugar (or more/less to taste)

Squeeze the lemons--use a juicer or reamer if you have one, but if not, gently roll the lemons on a counter with your palm to soften and free some of the juice before slicing in half and juicing by hand. Boil the 1 c. of water in a small saucepan. Take it off off the heat, and steep the teabags for about 10 minutes. Add the honey to the still-warm tea water and stir to dissolve. Find a container (pitcher, larger tupperware, etc.) and add the lemon juice, brewed tea with honey added, and 4 c. of water. Stir it all together and chill. Add ice if you want it colder and adjust the sweetness to your liking!