Spring and Summer Non-Alcoholic Punch Drinks

A variety of fruit punches can be made easily in the spring and summer during an abundance of citrus and non-citrus fruit availability at local markets and superstores. Local fruit stands outside the city limits are a good place to find larger quantities of fruits and vegetables at lower rates, and food co-ops and weekly urban farmer's markets are great for good produce and sustainability.

Nearly all of the fastest growing cities and towns of America have established a weekend or mid-week farmer's market for one or two days, where residents and visitors can purchase produce, flowers, home baked goods, cheeses, crafts, and other items in a fair-like atmosphere.

Large outdoor markets in the central business districts of many larger cities in the 1950s and 1960s gave way to smaller indoor facilities by the 1980s. Indoor fish markets had been a staple all along in some of these places and a few of these built on restaurants to prepare and serve their own products. The larger outdoor market convened outside their doors and around the block.

Since the 2000s, we have seen a resurgence of the outdoor market, the idea taken by some towns from the concessions and retail booths seen at state and county fairs.People are having a lot of fun with the concept.

Early on a Saturday morning, the purveyors park their vehicles and set up stalls around the village squares and the customers are not far behind. Artists have found a good following in these farmer markets as well. The small cafes in these places experience a weekend trade boom and people enjoy meeting at the Saturday market, having refreshments, and visiting as they shop.

Fruits make a delicious food item any time of year and they all smell wonderful at the farmer's markets; still, they can become the "same old fruit" and a bit common place if prepared in the same manner for days on end.

The receipes below are good entries for summer refreshment and a couple of innovations appear - one is a tea-based punch and another uses coffee. Please enjoy!

Makes 6 glasses of punch

INGREDIENTS

• 6 Tea Bags - regular or fruit-flavored of your choice
• 2 Cups boiling water
• 1/2 Cup Honey
• 1 Cup Strawberries or Red or Black Raspberries
• 1/4 Cup Lemon Juice
• Chilled 1 Litre Sparkling Water

INSTRUCTIONS

• Place 6 tea bags into 2 Cups of boiling water and set aside to steep for 10 minutes.
• Squeeze tea from tea bags and discard.
• Stir in honey and add mixture to a blender.
• Add strawberries and blend on Low speed, adding sparkling water until blender if filled.
• Pour into a serving picture, punch bowl, or 6 tall glasses and garnish each glass with a whole strawberry.

Makes 12-15 Servings

INGREDIENTS

• 2 Cups (1 Pint) Coconut Milk
• 8 Cups Brewed black coffee
• 1/4 Cup sugar or honey, or to taste
• 1 tsp Pure Vanilla
• 1 Quart Raspberry or Black Raspberry ice cream, cut up and softened
• Fresh Raspberries for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Mix honey and vanilla with coffee and child 30 minutes.
• Pour coffee into a punch bowl.
• Float ice cream into the coffee; slowly pour in coconut milk and stir until ice cream is melted.
• Pour into glasses and top with a raspberry.

Alternatively, using a blender in batches, add ice to the mixture and blend until thick and cold for smoothies.

Makes 50 punch cups of punch or 25 tall glasses.

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Large (12-oz.) Can Frozen Limeade, thawed
• 1 Cup of Raspberry Syrup - sold at coffee houses and grocery stores
• Chilled 2-Litre bottle of Seven Up
• Chilled 1 Litre bottle of Ginger Ale, regular or diet 
• 8 Cups of ice cubes
• 1 Quart Lime Sherbet, cut up 
• 2 Cups Red Raspberries

INSTRUCTIONS

• Into a large punch bowl, add ice cubes and pour in the limeade, and soft drinks.
• Add raspberries and stir gently.
• Float cut up sherbet ino the punch and pour the raspberry syrup around the surface.

Makes 30 4-oz. servings or 15 tall glasses

INGREDIENTS

• 1 Bottle Cranberry Juice Cocktail, any brand
• 2 Cups (16 oz.) Frozen Limeade, thawed
• 2 Cups (16 oz.) Unsweetened Pineapple juice
• 1 Litre of Ginger Ale, regular or diet
• 1 Litre of Sparkling Soda
• Ice Cubes

INSTRUCTIONS

• Pour cranberry juice, limeade, and pineapple juice into a large punch bowl. Stir and refrigerate.
• When ready to serve, pour in the ginger ale and soda and add ice.
  
  

Makes 30 punch cups of punch or 15 tall glasses.

INGREDIENTS

• 6-oz. Can Frozen Lemonade, thawed
• 6-oz. Can Frozen Orange Juice Concentrate, thawed
• 1 Cup (8 oz.) Water
• 1/2 Cup (4 oz.) Grenadine
• 1 QUART (4 Cups) cold Ginger Ale or Diet Ginger Ale (Vernors or Canada Dry are good)
• Sliced lemons and maraschino cherries for garnish

INSTRUCTIONS

• Into a punch bowl, pour the lemonade, orange juice, water and Grenadine and mix with a large spoon.
• When ready to serve the punch, pour in the ginger ale and add ice cubes.
• Into each glass or cup, you may place a party pick containing a slice of lemon and a cherry.