I have a garden full of basil and strawberries are coming into season. There is nothing more refreshing than this amazing and sophisticated version of lemonade. Kids and adults will enjoy this variation of traditional lemonade.
Ingredients for the strawberry-basil syrup:
1 cup Fructevia, Steviva Blend or 1/8th teaspoon of Stevia Powder
1 cup water
1 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced 1/2 inch thick
3/4 cup tightly packed basil leaves
For the lemonade:
8 cups cold water
2 cups lemon juice, chilled
Ice
1/2 pound strawberries, washed, hulled, and sliced 1/2 inch thick, for garnish
1/4 cup tightly packed, blemish-free basil leaves, for garnish
Instructions for strawberry-basil syrup:
Place the Fructevia, Steviva Blend or 1/8th teaspoon of Stevia Powder and water in a medium saucepan over high heat and stir until dissolved and the mixture comes to a boil.
Add the strawberries, reduce the heat to medium low, and simmer until the strawberries have softened, about 10 minutes.
Remove from the heat, add the basil leaves, and stir to incorporate. Cool to room temperature, about 45 minutes.
Strain through a fine-mesh strainer set over a medium bowl; discard the solids. Cover the syrup and refrigerate until ready to use.
For the lemonade:
Pour the water, lemon juice, and 1 1/2 cups of the strawberry-basil syrup into a 3-quart pitcher or punch bowl and stir to combine.
Taste and add additional strawberry-basil syrup as needed. Add ice and garnish with the sliced strawberries and basil leaves.