Keto Lemonade for the Lonely Soul
Recipe by Kay Wiese
The other week, while spending some time with my grandparents down near the Jersey Shore, my cousin and I decided to venture up to the local boardwalk to get some of that famous freshly squeezed lemonade that southern New Jersey’s boardwalks are known for.Â
Those of you who have spent your childhoods out on the shore are probably familiar with the sweet taste of Jilly’s lemonade. That big cup filled with freshly squeezed lemons and lots (and I mean lots) of sugar that somehow always manages to form a giant pile at the bottom of your cup until you get a huge mouthful of straight sugar with a hint of lemon juice. Nevertheless, it’s pretty good. That being said, I wanted to figure out a way to replicate the taste of freshly squeezed lemonade, but make it a little healthier this time around. Something you can enjoy while sitting on your porch while watching the last lazy days of summer pass by without the guilt of consuming a sugary drink.
After purchasing this cute little cactus-themed citrus juicer (very essential for this project), I set to work in my kitchen to figure out the perfect ratio for a single glass of cool, refreshing lemonade. At first, I grossly overestimated the number of lemons needed for this project and majorly underestimated the amount of water that needs to go into the glass at first, resulting in some seriously sour lemonade. Eventually, I was able to work out what I deemed to be the golden ratio of a single-serve lemonade with minimal sugar substitute, which made the flavor a little crisper rather than sweet like a traditional store-bought lemonade. I’ve listed the recipe below with a few variations that you can take on it to make your lemonade-making a little bit more fun. Give it a try and enjoy a cool glass of lemonade while reading your favorite book on a warm summer day (if you have friends, you can just double or triple the recipe for however many people you want to serve).
Freshly Squeezed Keto Lemonade Recipe
Ingredients
1 Lemon (halved)
2 Cups of Water
3 Packets of Stevia (3 tsp)
Directions
Bring 2 cups of water to a boil and stir in Stevia until it’s dissolved. To skip this step, you can also use liquid Stevia and mix in about 2 squirts into the water (1 squirt is about two teaspoons). Juice one lemon and strain out the seeds and pulp. Pour your Stevia water into the cup and you’re good to go! For a bubbly surprise, substitute 2 cups of plain seltzer water for water. You can also substitute flavored water or flavored seltzer water to give your drink an extra flavorful kick.