Blackberry Limeade
(from saymyname’s recipe box)
Source: 'Screen Doors and Sweet Tea' by Martha Hall Foose
Serves 8 peopleCategories: Blackberries, Cold Beverage
Ingredients
- 4 cups fresh blackberries, plus extra for garnish (or unsweetened frozen blackberries, thawed)
- 1 cup turbinado sugar (or grated palm sugar)
- 1 kaffir lime leaf, crushed (or 1 T. grated lime zest)
- 1 green cardamom pod, lightly crushed
- 1/2 cup fresh key lime juice
- thin lime slice, for garnish
- 2 cups ginger ale
- ice cube
Directions
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Lay a double piece of cheesecloth on a nonporous work surface (as the berries will stain a wide array of cutting surfaces and clothes, this may be best done outside or over newspaper and wearing an apron or smock).
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Place the blackberries on top of the cheesecloth and gather into a bundle like a hobo sack.
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Hold the sack of berries over a glass, stainless steel, plastic, or ceramic bowl; twist the top of the sack to squeeze the juice from the berries into the receptacle (this will yield about 1 cup very strong, tart, dark juice).
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Refrigerate the juice until needed; discard the purple mash.
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In a small saucepan, combine the sugar, 1 cup water, the lime leaf, and the cardamom pod; bring to a boil.
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Simmer over low heat for 10 minutes, or until the mixture is reduced to a thin syrup. Remove the lime leaf and cardamom.
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Allow the sugar syrup to cool and then chill it.
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In a 1 quart pitcher, combine the blackberry juice, sugar syrup, and lime juice; stir to combine and then refrigerate until cold.
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To serve, stir the ginger ale into the pitcher; fill glasses with ice, and pour in the blackberry limeade.
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Garnish with slices of lime and blackberries.