How to Make Naturally Pink Lemonade

When life gives lemons, make lemonade……….but make it colorful!!!!

I can’t even tell you how much that phrase has become the story of my life. It’s a good thing I love lemons.

So when I first started this here lil thang I like to call my blog, and had no clue what I was doing by the way, I made these lemon bars. Pink lemonade lemonies to be exact, and they were so good! I also made a whole pitcher of pink lemonade for the pictures and since then I’ve had a bunch of people ask me how to just make that naturally pink lemonade.

The pictures of that post have been really popular too, (even though they were terrible) so it’s been on my list to make some pink lemonade. I thought right now is a good time to slip it in because it’s really early Spring for me and it’s late Summer for all of you Northerners. Plus, is there a bad time to have lemonade? I think I’m gonna go with not!

For me it seems like a really simple thing to make that is hardly worth posting a recipe for. I mean, it’s sugar water with lemon juice and a few drops of beet color, but I do tend to forget that not everyone is as comfortable with just winging it in the kitchen as I am. Most people like to have plans and recipes with exact instructions. Huh, go figure. I do this whole thing for you guys though, so if you want pink lemonade who am I to deprive you, right? Pink lemonade for everyone! Let’s do it!

It’s so super mega easy to make lemonade, as you may already know from that 2 foot tall summer lemonade stand buisness in your resume right next to washing Dad’s car and running regular poison checks on cookie dough. Hey, no knocking. I’ll have you know that I consider those very reputable and distinguished additions to my life experience.

As for the beet color that creates the gorgeous pink that makes us all so thirsty, you can basically use any form of beets. I like to use a tiny bit of beet puree because I always have that around, but you could also try beet powder, beet juice, or water from a can of beets (although it might take a bit more of that to get a good pink). Whatever form you want to use should give you brilliant color and it doesn’t impart any beety flavor because you hardly have to use any to color the lemonade.

Cheers you guys!

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How to Make Naturally Pink Lemonade

Quench your thirst with this refreshing and vibrantly colored classic without anything artificial. 

Prep Time 15 minutes

Servings 8 cups

Ingredients

• 7 cups water
• 1 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice about 6 lemons
• 1 - 1 1/3 cups sugar
• 1/8 teaspoon vanilla extract optional but so good!
• a small pinch of cooked beet puree or a few drops of pure beet juice The water from canned beets or beet juice should also work. Start small and play around with different amounts to get your perfect pink!

Instructions

1. Mix 1 cup of warm water with 1 cups of sugar in a large pitcher or bowl; stir until dissolved. Add remaining 6 cups water and lemon juice and stir well. Taste and add more sugar to desired sweetness then stir in beet color and vanilla if desired.
2. Chill for about an hour in the fridge before serving for best taste and refreshment.
3. Roasted Beet Puree:
4. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (200 C) and line 2 oven trays with a pieces of foil. Cut the stems off of the beets and divide them between pans, then place them on the foil and sprinkle about 1 tablespoon of water over them. Bring the corners of foil up to meet and form a foil ''packet'' around them. Bake for 40 to 45 minutes or until the beets are fork tender. Remove from oven and cool until you can handle them, then peel away the skins.
5. Place in a food processor or blender and blend until pureed (you may need to add a tablespoon or two of water).