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Lebanese mint lemonade in a tall glass with a lemon slice.

Lebanese Mint Lemonade

This Lebanese mint lemonade, also known as limonana, is the best mint lemonade you will ever have. And that's because it's made using a traditional Lebanese method of macerating the lemons, resulting in an extra delicious mint lemonade.
5 from 4 votes
Course: Drinks
Cuisine: Lebanese
Keyword: best mint lemonade, fresh mint lemonade, homemade mint lemonade, lebanese mint lemonade, limonana
Servings: 8 people
Calories per serving: 133
PREP TIME 30 mins
TOTAL TIME 30 mins

INGREDIENTS
 

  • 2 pounds organic lemons (about 7 lemons), sliced or quartered
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 4 cups water, plus more to dilute to taste
  • 1 tablespoon orange blossom water
  • 2 teaspoons rose water, optional
  • 1 cup fresh mint leaves, packed

INSTRUCTIONS

  • In a large bowl, layer the lemon slices and sugar, alternating between the two until you've used up all the lemon slices and sugar. If you quartered the lemons, mix them well with the sugar until fully coated.
  • Use a muddler, your hands, or a masher to mash the lemons to release some of their juices. Stir the juices with the sugar.
  • Cover the bowl and set the mixture aside for 30 minutes or ideally up to 24 hours in the fridge. Occasionally, pull it out and give everything a mash and a stir to dissolve the sugar.
  • After a while, the sugar will have dissolved and you will be left with a lemon syrup in the bottom of the bowl. Squeeze out the excess juice from the lemons and strain the lemon syrup through a fine mesh strainer. You should have about two cups of lemon syrup.
  • Place the lemons back in the bowl with two cups of water. Mash them again and stir together to release the remaining lemon syrup, then strain the mixture again.
  • Combine all the liquids together. You should now have a total of about 4 cups of lemonade concentrate. Store the concentrate in the fridge until you're ready to make mint lemonade.
  • To make individual glasses of mint lemonade: to a blender, add half a cup of lemonade concentrate, a quarter cup of water, several fresh mint leaves, half a teaspoon of orange blossom water, and a splash of rose water if desired. Blend until the mint becomes fine and the lemonade turns green. Taste and water it down or adjust other ingredients to your liking, then serve over ice in a tall glass.
  • To make a pitcher of mint lemonade: to a blender, add all of your lemonade concentrate, two cups of water, one cup of fresh mint leaves, one tablespoon of orange blossom water, and two teaspoons of rose water if desired. Blend until the mint becomes fine and the lemonade turns green. Taste and water it down or adjust other ingredients to your liking, then pour it into a pitcher filled with ice.
  • Garnish with lemon slices and fresh mint leaves or sprigs if desired. Serve immediately.

NOTES

Strain: If you don't like the texture of the blended mint in your lemonade, simply strain it before serving.
Storage: If you're not consuming all of the mint lemonade immediately, store the lemonade concentrate in an airtight container in the fridge up to one week, and blend it with mint just before serving for best flavor and color.
Sourcing: Orange blossom water and rose water can be found at any Middle Eastern market or specialty aisles of some grocery stores. Alternatively, you can order them online using the links above.

NUTRITION

Calories: 133kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 1g | Fat: 0.5g | Saturated Fat: 0.1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 0.1g | Monounsaturated Fat: 0.01g | Sodium: 10mg | Potassium: 189mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 264IU | Vitamin C: 62mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information provided is an estimate and may vary.

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