Name: Sparkling Pink Lemonade
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients: 5 lemons; ¾ cup (3¾ ounces) fresh or frozen-and-thawed raspberries , blackberries, and/or strawberries; ¾ cup sugar; Ice; ¾ cup cold plain seltzer water; 3 tablespoons pink lemonade syrup

Why This Recipe Works

Brightly colored berries give this lemonade its pretty pink hue! We start by making a big batch of lemon-berry syrup. Then, to make things sparkle, we add a few tablespoons of colorful syrup to a glass of cold seltzer water. Mashing sliced lemons with a potato masher extracts flavorful oils in the lemon peel, which amps up the lemon flavor in our syrup, while freshly squeezed lemon juice provides a punch of tart taste. As kids are making their pink lemonade syrup, have them smell and taste a piece of lemon zest (you can peel a small piece off of one of the lemons) and a bit of lemon juice. The juice tastes mostly sour, while much of the complex “lemony” flavor is found in the fruit’s peel. Together, they give any dish—or drink—a lemony twist.

Instructions

For the pink lemonade syrup: Cut 1 lemon in half lengthwise (the long way) through both ends. Lay lemon halves, flat side down, on cutting board, then cut each half crosswise (the short way) into thin semicircles. Discard ends.

In medium bowl, combine lemon slices, berries, and sugar. Use potato masher to mash until berries are broken down and sugar is completely wet, about 1 minute; set aside.

Cut remaining 4 lemons in half crosswise. Use citrus juicer to squeeze juice into liquid measuring cup. You should have about ¾ cup juice. (Save any extra juice for another use.)

Pour lemon juice into bowl with lemon-berry mixture. Use rubber spatula to stir until sugar is completely dissolved, about 1 minute.

Set fine-mesh strainer over second medium bowl. Carefully pour mixture through strainer. Use rubber spatula to press on lemons and berries to get out as much juice as possible. Discard lemon slices and berries in strainer.

Pour strained pink lemonade syrup into jar with tight-fitting lid. (Pink lemonade syrup can be refrigerated for up to 1 week.)

To make 1 Sparkling Pink Lemonade: Stir or shake pink lemonade syrup to recombine. Place ice in glass. Pour cold seltzer into glass over ice. Add 3 tablespoons pink lemonade syrup to seltzer. Use spoon to stir gently to combine. Serve.