The name says it all for this super delicious and refreshing drink! I live in gardening zone 6A (western PA), so growing fresh limes in our garden is unfortunately not an option. However, we CAN and DO grow mint in our garden!
Mint is actually a weed, but it’s a delicious one! Being a weed, mint tends to grow and spread very quickly, and it is easy to get overrun with it. Once you taste this minty limeade, though, you will know just what to do with all of that extra mint!
I tried making this as an experiment, but it turned out to be SOOO GOOD that I will definitely be making this regularly from now on! AND, it actually got the stamp of approval from ALL 5 FAMILY MEMBERS!!! That almost never happens!!!
I don’t like to feed myself or my family a lot of sugar, so I used a moderate amount in this recipe. I actually like that it has a mild sweetness without tasting like you’re drinking straight sugar. Feel free to adjust the amount of sugar in the recipe if you prefer it to be more or less sweet.
You can make this drink by using a pitcher with a diffuser, but if you don’t have one of those, just mix it all together, let it sit in the fridge for a day, then strain it through a fine mesh strainer to get all of the mint leaves out. (Or eat them! They are totally edible if you don’t mind chewing your drink!😄)
Since it is currently February, I don’t have any fresh mint to use for this. But thankfully, I saved some from last summer by chopping it up in a food processor and freezing it in ice cube trays with a little bit of water.
For this recipe, I used 3 limes and 2 ice cubes worth of frozen mint for a 2 quart pitcher. Feel free to adjust those levels, as well, if you prefer more or less lime or mint. The flavor I ended up with was subtle and was reminiscent of mint ginger ale.
I love how light and refreshing this drink is without being super sweet! It is the perfect thing to hit the spot whether you’re out working all day in the hot sun, or you’re trying to think spring as you’re huddled up inside during the winter! I am looking forward to making LOTS more of this, and also going to turn some of it into popsicles for those hot summer days!
Have questions or comments? You can email me anytime at anne@blessingsinsurprise.com.
- 2 Tbsp. mint leaves (chopped)
- 3 large limes
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 quarts water
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Combine the sugar with 1 cup of water in a saucepan over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. (This is called a "simple syrup.")
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Add in the zest of all 3 limes and stir over the low heat for 1 additional minute.
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Fill your 2 quart pitcher most of the way with water.
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Add your chopped mint to the pitcher.
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Add your simple syrup to the pitcher.
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Add the juice of all three limes to the pitcher.
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Stir to combine, and allow the mixture to sit in the fridge for a day or so to allow the flavors to fully incorporate.
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Strain the mixture through a fine mesh strainer (if desired) and enjoy!