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Your fave homemade summer drinks

Home » Blog » Rebekah White » Your fave homemade summer drinks

 

Whipping up a batch of homemade ginger beer, rhubarb fizz or cordial is a lovely way to while away a summer weekend.

See the latest issue of Good for our ginger beer and rhubarb fizz recipes.

But we'd also love you to share your own ...

Win! Share your favourite homemade drink recipe in the comments below and go in to win a gift pack of gardening goodies.

Included in the prize is a copy of The Girl's Guide to Growing Your Own and some gorgeous Linden Leaves skincare.

Comments

Audrey
www.audreycoles.co.nz
 
Thu February 16, 2012 @ 04:04 PM
Fizzy Bitter Lemon Beer
juice 7 lemons
1 finley chopped lemon
1 kg sugar
7 litre water
1 tps brewers ueast
bottles with screw caps

1. add lemon juice, chopped lemon and sugar to 1 liter of water
2. boil 60 minutes - add remaining cold water. Sprinle yeast on top
3. cover with clean cloth adn leave in warm place for 24 hours
4. strain and transfer to bottles. Screw caps on
5. After 12 hours test to see if it is fizzy. If it is then store in a cool place, chill and drink
Angelika Pohle
 
Thu February 16, 2012 @ 05:34 PM
1 ripe Avocado, 1 liter quality applejuice, blend = DIVINE :-)
Kay
 
Thu February 16, 2012 @ 05:50 PM
The rhubarb fizz and ginger beer are great for special treats.. love them. For everyday I like a jug of water in the fridge just filled with an assortment of lemon or lime slices, mint, pineapple sage, lemon balm or whatever tickles my fancy.
Lesley
 
Thu February 16, 2012 @ 07:26 PM
When it comes to drinks dont forget the herbs you have.A lemon balm or mint plant provides lovely herbal teas and can be served hot or cold perhaps with a little honey or a stevia leaf.Blackcurrant leaves make a beutiful tea with a gorgeous aroma.Other herbs are great too if you have herbs in pots or the garden.Of course any herb you normally eat is safe to kmake tea and the first place I go when I need soothing or feel unwell is my garden.
margaret storey
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 09:19 AM
Elderberry Cordial
2lb elderberries         4 cups waterput in pot bring to boil cook 20min then strain add 2 cups sugar or a tad more if you like it sweet and cook for 15 min add a squeeze of lemon juice.
Very refreshing  and beeter if you top it up with soda water or fizz
Unna Burch
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 09:35 AM
Perfect home-made lemonade:

  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup of water
heat over a medium heat until sugar dissolves to make a simple sugar syrup. Pour into a pitcher and then add

  • 1 cup lemon juice. 
  • Dilute with 3-4 cups of cold water and chill for 30-40mins. 

The sugar syrup make all the difference as the sugar is dissolved making it the perfect glass of sweet/sour and refreshing. Serve with ice, mint and lemon slices. Maybe a splash or two of gin.

Enjoy
Julie Moore
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 09:42 AM
OLD FASHIONED LEMONADE
A great healthy & refreshing way to use those big home grown juicy lemons 

1/2 cup sugar
grated rind of 2 lemons
1 cup water
1 cup lemon juice
4 cups iced water

Pop sugar, rind & 1 cup water in saucepan & stir over low heat till sugars dissolved then boil for 5 minutes.
Cool.
Stir in lemon juice & iced water & serve.
Makes around 1.25 litres.
Trade Aid
www.tradeaid.org.nz
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 09:45 AM

Trade Aid Coconut Cooler

Ingredients: ¼ cup coconut milk | ¼ cup fresh lime
juice | sparkling water.

Preparation: Mix coconut milk and lime juice together.
Pour over crushed ice and top up with sparkling water.
Garnish with mint leaves and lime. You can even add a shot of your favourite spirit (vodka, gin ...)

Mattie
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 10:02 AM
Ice, Limonata and Mint. Simple and Delicious!

Jessica Helen
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 11:32 AM
My favourite homemade drink is another homemade lemonade recipe, fondly known in my family as Lemon Squash.

4C water
4C Sugar
rind and juice of 4 lemons
5tsp citric acid
3tsp tartaric acid
3tsp EPSOM salts (not normal salt!!)

Peel the lemons. Bring water, rind and sugar to boil. Remove from heat and add juice and carefully measured acids and epsom salts. Stir until dissolved. Strain into glass bottles and store in fridge.
DILUTE TO TASTE!! (about 1 part syrup to 4-6 parts water).
Leanne
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 12:03 PM
carrot and fresh ginger juiced - scrumdidlyumptious.
or organic green tea (cooled) with some frozen lemon slices.
Jo Donnelly
www.beesblessing.co.nz
 
Fri February 17, 2012 @ 09:33 PM
Hmm...noone said they couldn't be your fave summer cocktail did they? Infuse strips of cucumber in vodka, leave to soak for 1-2 hours, then put in a glass with 2-3TBSP Bees Blessing Knock Your Socks Off Lemon Honey and Ginger and fill with with soda water...veery refreshing:-)
Diane Davidson
 
Sat February 18, 2012 @ 02:50 PM


These summer drinks (contributed by Good People, are great for hot, thirsty daytime sipping. But sometimes on summer nights it can be difficult to sleep.

Try my SPICY SWEETSLEEP NIGHTCAP as a soothing bedtime
drink.



It's so quick & easy - tastes great and really does seem
to help me 'drift off' to dreamland. The Allspice ( a largely underestimated
ingredient which  I've recently added to
my 'spice repertoire') has the combined flavours of cinnamon, nutmeg &
cloves and is an aid to digestion.



I simply heat a small cup of low-fat milk with a rounded
teaspoon of honey. I sprinkle in a teaspoon of ground Allspice - and pour into
a mug whereupon the Allspice magically gathers at the top - and take it to bed
to sip on.....zzzzzzz!



Gabor
 
Sun February 19, 2012 @ 11:05 AM










Rhubarb Champers.


This is an incredibly simple and delicious recipe.


  • 1kg rhubarb, washed and chopped
  • 1 ½ tsp white vinegar
  • 700g white sugar
  • 3 ½ litres of water
  • zest and juice of 5 lemons











 



Place all ingredients in a large plastic bucket (do not use
metal). 



Stand for 48 hours.



Strain and bottle liquid. I’ve used both plastic and glass
bottles.



Leave for at least 3 weeks before opening.



 



Serve chilled. 



paula hudson
 
Sun February 19, 2012 @ 07:46 PM

Black Currant Drink

6 large
teaspoons black currant jam, 1 pint of boiling water. Pour the water
over the jam, stir well, and stand until cold. Strain if necessary.
Gabor
 
Mon February 20, 2012 @ 01:27 PM










Rhubarb bubbly.



 



  • 1kg rhubarb, washed and chopped
  • 1 ½ tsp white vinegar
  • 700g white sugar
  • 3 ½ litres of water
  • zest and juice of 5 lemons











 



Place all ingredients in a large plastic bucket (do not use
metal). 



Stand for 48 hours.



Strain and bottle liquid. I’ve used both plastic and glass
bottles.



Leave for at least 3 weeks before opening.



 



Serve chilled. 



Linda
 
Wed February 22, 2012 @ 03:49 PM
Ginger Beer in a Bottle

Take a 1 litre or a 1.5 litre plastic bottle.

Fill half way with warm water.

Use a funnel & add 1/4 teaspoon baking yeast

3 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1 cup or less of sugar (I only use 1/3rd of a cup)

Fill bottle to nearly full leave gap.

Put lid on & shake well.

Leave on bench in kitchen for 24 hours.

Then refrigerate. 

Slowly release cap before opening.

Enjoy!

I Make two bottles at a time. One for drinking & one in fridge on stand by.

becky
 
Fri February 24, 2012 @ 03:19 PM
i made the rhubarb fizz and it was so good! i had to drink it diluted though or it was a bit overpowering. mix with soda water- delicious!
Miriam
 
Tue April 24, 2012 @ 07:11 PM
After weeks of not finding the time, or enough bottles! I finally made the ginger beer from the recipe in issue #22 and it has been sitting for about a week with no fizz yet :(

Was there supposed to be yeast in the recipe?

bit sad about it.
Rebekah
 
Thu April 26, 2012 @ 02:10 PM
Hi Miriam, has the sultana in each bottle bloated and risen to the top yet? That's the sign it's become fizzy. If not, try keeping the bottles in the sun -- that'll speed up the process. The recipe doesn't require yeast to develop the fizz.

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