Homemade lemonade is one of the greatest pleasures of summer. It was actually a French invention, but English drinkers liked to add an equal quantity ofwhite wine to make it rather more heady! This is a quick and easy recipe, using the whole lemons. It can be used for any citrus fruit.

Ingredients

3 large unwaxed lemons
50-75g (1¾-2¾oz) sugar
About 900ml (1½ pints) boiling water

Method

Scrub the lemons, then slice up roughly and purée them coarsely in a food processor or blender, adding 300ml (1/2 pint) of water and 25g (1oz) of the sugar. Strain through a nylon sieve, then repeat the process twice more, using the pulp remaining in the sieve. Add extra water and sugar to taste.

Cover and chill well for 1–2 hours, then pour into a jug and serve with a few mint or lemon balm leaves, lemon slices and ice cubes. (Borage flowers also look very pretty.) This lemonade doesn’t store and should be drunk within a few days.