Fresh Limeade with Mashed Lime Zest and Mint
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen and NYT Cooking.
Lime zest is mashed with sugar and a pinch of salt, dissolved in hot water, mixed with fresh lime juice and strained into a concentrate that is topped with still or soda water over ice.
Based on the listed ingredients, none of the 14 major EU allergens. Always check product labels.
Method
- 1
Peel the zest. Peel the zest from the 3 scrubbed limes in strips, leaving the bitter white pith behind. Put the strips in the bowl with the sugar and salt.
- 2
Mash. Mash firmly with the masher for about 2 minutes until the sugar is wet and very fragrant.
- 3
Dissolve. Pour in the hot water and stir until the sugar dissolves, then leave to cool for about 30 minutes. Meanwhile, juice the limes.
- 4
Strain and chill. Stir the lime juice into the cooled syrup, strain into the jug, pressing on the zest, and chill for at least 1 hour.
- 5
Serve. For each glass, pour 100 ml concentrate over ice, top with 120 ml cold still or soda water, stir and add a mint sprig and a lime wheel.
Storage
The concentrate keeps covered in the fridge for up to 2 weeks. Dilute only when serving. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
EU nutrition claims
- Low fat: 0 g fat per 100 ml (limit ≤ 1.5 g)
- Low saturated fat: 0 g saturated fat per 100 ml, 0% of energy (limits ≤ 0.75 g and ≤ 10%)
- Low salt: 0.08 g salt per 100 ml (limit ≤ 0.3 g)
Per 100 ml of the finished dish, worked out from the nutrition per serving and the lowest likely cooked weight (about 124 ml a serving), so the true values are, if anything, lower. Thresholds from the Annex to EU Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006. How we decide
Free sugars
25.7 g per serving
51.4 % of the 50 g daily maximum · 102.8 % of the ideal 25 g
Free sugars under 50 g a day, ideally about 25 g, based on WHO free-sugar guidance (not endorsed by WHO). The share shown is the share of one serving. WHO
Equipment
- vegetable peeler
- medium bowl
- potato masher
- citrus juicer
- fine sieve
- jug
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 109 kcal |
| Protein | 0.2 g |
| Carbohydrate | 28.9 g |
| of which sugars | 25.7 g |
| of which free sugars | 25.7 g |
| Fat | 0 g |
| of which saturates | 0 g |
| Fibre | 0.2 g |
| Salt | 0.1 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
0.2 g High Protein needs ≥ 5 g (20% of energy)
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
