Homemade Iced Minty Limeade

One way to survive searingly hot summer days: copious quantities of simple, homemade iced minty limeade.

The slushy bits of ice cool. The fresh mint numbs. The light citrus taste of the limeade fends off heat-induced lethargy.

Even the color of the drink is refreshing. The deep green hues of the mint evoke the comforting green of a shade tree, and the bright greens of the lime hint at the colors reflected in dew drops on a grassy field in the cool of the early morning.

Here's how to keep a homemade supply of iced minty limeade on hand all summer long.

Size: One batch of iced minty limeade makes enough to fill two tall glasses. Quadruple the recipe to fill a half-gallon pitcher.

Nutrition: Each glass of minty limeade contains about 100 calories, almost all of it from sugar.

Source: This recipe for iced minty limeade was created, tested, tasted and photographed by E. A. Wright.

Ingredients

• Juice from two limes, or about 1/4 cup
• 1/4 cup of sugar
• 8 large mint leaves (preferably spearmint)
  
• 2 cups of cold water
• Up to 2 cups of smashed ice

Optional Ingredients

• 1 additional lime for garnishing
• Fresh mint sprigs, one per serving glass
  

Kitchen Equipment

• Citrus squeezer or juicer
  
• Measuring cups
• Pitcher for mixing
• Long spoon for mixing
• Small paring knife and cutting surface
  

What to do

1. Slice open the limes and squeeze out the juice. If the limes are small or dry, try juicing three of them. If some of the lime pulp squeezes out too, that's fine.
   
2. Add the sugar and water. Stir until the sugar is dissolved.
3. Nick each mint leaf lightly with the paring knife. Mash the leaves a bit to start releasing the minty flavor. (Intact leaves won't add much to the drink other than color; you might as well be adding lettuce.)
4. Chill the limeade until it's time to serve it.
   
5. Crush the ice and add some of it to the glasses that will be used to serve the limeade. Add the rest of the ice and the mashed mint leaves in layers. Use up to a cup of ice per glass.
   
6. Pour in the chilled limeade.
   
7. Garnish each glass of limeade with a thin slice of lime and a sprig of fresh mint.
   

Serving Suggestions

• Try serving homemade iced minty limeade in clear glasses because those will best show off the drink's interesting colors and composition. Floating mint leaves can look quite artful.
• If omitting the ice, add an extra cup of cold water to the limeade to keep it from becoming too sweet. But try to serve it chilled — warm limeade just won't do in the summer.
• Leftover minty limeade need not go to waste. Fish out the mint and freeze the limeade in an ice cube tray. Save it for the next scorching day, and use the ice cubes to create mild, minty-sweet, lime-flavored water.

• Mints: From Chocolate Mint to Peppermint
  Learn more about about the many varieties of mint plants available to grow at home.