I was in yesterday and noted that you have citric acid on your shelves. I always have it in my pantry as it is the key ingredient of an old family recipe for lemonade…handed down to my mother-in-law by her mother who got it from her mother and so on! I share it because no one in this country seems to have heard of it…and everyone I serve it to immediately wants the recipe. Feel free to share this with your patrons through your newsletter.
Citric Acid Lemonade (yields 2 quarts syrup)
3 lemons
3 c. sugar
2 tablespoons citric acid
8 c. boiling water
Using a potato peeler, remove the yellow zest from the lemons and place in a non-metal heat-proof bowl. Add juice from lemons, then sugar and citric acid. Pour boiling water over all and stir until sugar and citric acid dissolves completely. Cover and set aside for 24 hours. Strain the concentrated syrup. Store concentrated syrup in refrigerator.
To serve, dilute syrup to taste, either by the glass or pitcher -- approx. 1:5. Garnish with lemon slices and mint or lemon balm sprigs. Syrup keeps up to 6 months.
Enjoy…renia platt