When life hands you strawberries, make lemonade
Shereen Pavlides creation of Strawberry Lemonade.
Chef, Shereen Pavlides of Voorhees squeezing lemons as she creates her own renditon of Strawberry Lemonade.
Shereen Pavlides creation of Strawberry Lemonade.
Shereen Pavlides, stirring her freshly made Strawberry Lemonade before serving.
If you blink you may miss our short strawberry season, so I mark my calendar every year from May 20 to June 25, as so not to miss it. My kids anxiously wait to go to our local farm for picking.
They love it, I love it and we pile up lots of berries. Something so simple as picking berries builds great memories. My daughter Isabella loves strawberry shortcake and preserves, so those recipes are always on our checklist, but this year I wanted to do something different.
We love homemade lemonade, so I decided to puree the strawberries and stir them into the lemonade. It was so delicious. Fresh, sweet, tart and … gorgeous.
There’s only one problem, as soon as I make a pitcher it’s gone in a few short hours. (Note to self: Make a double batch.) I guess you could say, it’s a hit in my house.
This refreshing drink is a nice treat for every day or to serve with barbecue, yet elegant enough for a Sunday brunch. As easy as it is to make, it’s more impressive to serve. Impress your guests by using quart mason jars filled with ice and garnished with fresh mint for a modern country feel.
Strawberries are grown in every state but the majority of them come from California and Florida because of their long growing season, January through November. This gives us the convenience of having them readily available to purchase at grocery stores.
Strawberries also make for a great snack in your kids lunch. I know my kids always eat them because they picked them either at the farm or I let them choose the container at the market. It’s the best way to get your kids eating fruits and veggies — get them involved.
Tip: For making the Strawberry Lemonade recipe, buy a citrus juicer. It’s affordable and an quick way to juice a lot of lemons. Available online and at kitchen supply stores for about $10 to $20, it’s the most used tool in my kitchen. Or in a pinch, juice the lemons with a fork, squeezing them over a fine mesh strainer to catch the seeds.