Strawberry Lemonade Without Sugar (52 New Foods, Week 30) August 01 2012, 1 Comment

A sip of sunshine, this strawberry lemonade is worthy of any roadside lemonade stand. Even better that it’s made without refined sugar!

I’m a big fan of “old-fashioned” anything – tree houses that nearly touch the sky, hopscotch and marbles, and of course, lemonade stands. The neighborhood kids can always count on me and my kids to stop by their stands on hot summer days. But the average stand sells what amounts to sugar water. We decided to take on a new challenge for our roadside lemonade stand this year: make lemonade without using refined sugar. 

Experimenting with Strawberry Lemonade 

We started by adding blended strawberries to our fresh squeezed lemon juice, hoping that just the simple sweetness of the berries would do the trick. Not so -- still too sour. Thanks to a tip from our good friend Amy The Family Chef, we added a touch of agave to our summer sipper, a natural sweetener similar to honey but a lot less sticky. If you can’t find organic agave at your local natural foods store, there’s always Amazon! 

Strawberry Lemonade Without Sugar 

This simple strawberry lemonade is best made with farmers' market fresh organic lemons, organic strawberries and organic agave nectar. Squeezing the lemons is the best part, and a fun project for the kids!

Prep time: 10 minutes
Cook time: 0 minutes
Makes 8 to 10 glasses of lemonade

Ingredients:
10 lemons (about 1½ cups of lemon juice)
1 pint strawberries
8 cups of water
¼ cup of agave
A few sprigs of mint

Directions:

1) Slice and squeeze the lemons. We did this part outside, with a sieve over a large bowl (it’s messy but fun!).

2) You should end up with about 1½ to 2 cups of lemon juice.

3) Load the strawberries into a blender. Add about one cup of water. Blend until smooth.

4) Pour the strawberry lemonade mixture into a large serving pitcher. Add the remaining 7 cups of water.

5) Add a few sprigs of mint, ¼ cup of agave, then stir. Add a little more agave if you like a sweeter taste.

6) Chill in the refrigerator before serving. Then enjoy!

Crunch a Color Kids Vote: Lemonade for sale!

What we liked: No need to spoil a good thing with loads of refined sugar. We enjoyed making this classic summer treat with a twist. A glass of fresh strawberry lemonade anyone? 

What are your favorite ways to beat the summer heat?

Craving more new recipes to try? Catch up on last week’s recipe: Veggie Pizza.

About the author: Jennifer Tyler Lee is a mom of two children and the creator of Crunch a Color™ -- the award-winning game that makes healthy eating fun. Like most parents, she struggled to get her kids to eat healthy, balanced meals, so she decided to make it into a healthy eating game. Watch her picky eaters tell the story of how they turned into healthy eaters playing the game. Follow @crunchacolor on Facebook Twitter and Pinterest to tune into Crunch a Color's healthy eating adventure and Jennifer’s tips and kid-friendly, easy recipes. Crunch a Color™ is a proud supporter of non-profit kids' nutrition programs including Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution and FoodCorps. Available at www.crunchacolor.com and in stores nationwide at Pottery Barn Kids.