Homemade Orangeade and Lemonade

                                                                          

You're never too old to grow up.

The crocuses are out; we change to British summer time at the end of March, Easter is just around the corner and they say that this summer will be a good one. I don’t know who they are, but let’s hope they are right. I don’t know about you? But I could do with shrugging off the dark days of winter and feeling a bit of sunshine on my skin.

Sunshine, barbeques and picnics on warm sunny days would be just the job and what better to go with either than homemade lemonade or orangeade, chilled and straight from the fridge or thermos. Come to think of it, we don’t really need the sunshine - though it would be bonus - if we make our own orange or lemonade, we can enjoy a refreshing drink whatever the weather.

Fred Watson.

3 oranges

1 oz of sugar

2 pints of water

Peel off the rind of one orange,

only the rind and not the white pith.

Use a potato peeler or a zester to do this

Place the orange rind in a jug

Add 1 oz of sugar to 2 pints of boiling water

And pour over the orange rind

Cover the jug and leave overnight.

Then Strain and chill.

Squeeze the juice from the oranges

place in the fridge to chill.

Mix the juice with the rind water and serve iced.

Will make 6 to 8 glasses.

8 lemons

8 oz of caster sugar

4 pints of water

Wash lemons

Remove rind using a zester or potato peeler

Put rind in a large jug

Boil the water, add the sugar to the water

And pour water over the rind

Cover jug a and leave overnight

Squeeze juice from lemons put into a container

And chill in the fridge

The next day add the lemon juice to the to the rind water

Strain and pour into jugs, keep in the fridge