Pineapple Lemonade (1870) ★★★★

9:50 AM 1870s , 19th century , 4 stars , beverages , gluten-free , united states , vegan , victorian 2 Comments

Summer is here! I thought a lemonade recipe would be just the thing. Doesn't this recipe just seem so summery?

Original Recipe:

PINEAPPLE LEMONADE.
Carefully boil a pound of sugar in a pint of water until it forms a thin sirup, removing all scum as it rises; meantime squeeze the juice from three large lemons, and remove their seeds from it; pare a ripe pineapple, take out the eyes, and grate it into a large bowl; add the lemon-juice to it, and the sirup as soon as it is clear, and let the mixture cool and stand for a couple of hours; then add to it a quart of ice-water, strain it, and use it.

The Verdict:
Not hard to go wrong here - this is delicious! The lemon is pretty subtle, but I also had some small lemons. If you want more lemon flavour, I recommend an extra lemon. This was pretty simple and relatively quick to make and it is so lovely to have a fresh beverage! I am a lover of all things juice/lemonade/etc. so naturally I really liked this.

Modernized Recipe:
(Adapted from Jennie June's American Cookery Book)

1 lb SUGAR
2 cups WATER
3 LEMONS
1 PINEAPPLE
4 cups ICE WATER

1. Add the sugar and 2 cups of water to a medium pot. Heat on high until boiling and sugar is dissolved. Stir until it is a thin syrup (basically, make a simple syrup).
2. Meanwhile, cut up the pineapple (remove the thick core) and grate in a food processor. Juice the lemons and add the lemon juice and pineapple to the syrup. I found my pineapple to be a little coarse, so I blended all the ingredients briefly to make it smoother.
3. Let the fruit syrup cool for a few hours. Without straining it is like a hearty and pulpy orange juice; straining removes the pulp and makes for a clearer and lighter beverage. Add 4 cups of ice water and serve.