Meyer Lemonade with real, By God, Texas Sugar

I just ran out of this lemonade. It is/was so delicious. It’s the second batch I’ve made this month. What you see there in the picture is what I just finished drinking.  I posted about it on Facebook last time I had some;
“I have unlocked the secret to sweet lemonade. Nectar!” It’s true. I think this is my current favorite way to make lemonade. It’s smooth, and not too sweet and SO refreshing. Yep, this stuff is Nectar. And as long as I can get fresh Meyers, I’m going to keep squeezing. :::cue the band:::    (push play)

The secret is, like many “secrets” in cooking is just a little planning and  a little time. The fragrant Meyers keep everything on the sweet/tart side. There is something about this variety of lemon that keeps attracting me all season again and again. I did add a little bit of “regular” lemon and I couldn’t pass up the blood orange blushing so beautifully in the produce drawer. It seemed the right thing to do to add it too for some interest and depth to the tang.  The other secret is to make the simple syrup ahead. Maybe even the day ahead. OH! Also, don’t juice the citrus until around 30 minutes before  you are ready to mix everything up.

Not only is this Local Texas lemonade, this is seriously LOCAL Local lemonade.  “Local”  like,  right down the street. Yep, the Meyers are grown right here in the Houston Heights, procured from our own Revival Market AND the sugar is Imperial Sugar. Imperial is our neighbor in Sugarland, TX. Sugarland is SO close I have been known drive all the way out there (30 minutes one way) to get good Bikram yoga. I LOVE Sugarland. The Whole Foods Market out there is as big as a Wal-Mart!

So do it like we do in Texas. Get some good yoga, good sugar and good local produce. Add some nice filtered “local” water and “I’ll tell you what,” you’ll be drinking this till it’s gone too.

Texas Lemonade with Real, by God, Sugar

1.5 cups Meyer Lemon juice
.5 cup reg lemon juice
.5 cup blood orange juice
2.5 cups simple syrup
6 cups filtered water
Zest of Half Blood orange
Zest of one Meyer Lemon

Make the syrup: Mix equal parts LOCAL TEXAS sugar and water. Bring to a boil, let simmer about 15 minutes.
Cool and refrigerate.

When you are ready to assemble:
Zest orange and one Meyer Lemon. Set aside.
Juice the Meyer lemons and the blood orange.
Mix the juices with equal parts of simple syrup.
Add 6 cups of water-more or less to taste- whatever you like.
Add the zests.
Serve chilled or on ice with a wheel of lemon or orange.