Raspberry Lemonade

Your summer needs Raspberry Lemonade. It's tart and sweet and absolutely beautiful, made with fresh raspberries, lemon juice, sugar, and water. That's it. That's all you need for pure awesomeness.

Spring has been so reluctant to arrive in Scotland this year. I feel like I keep trying to tempt it out by using all the citrus I can get my hands on. I'm putting lemons in pasta, limes in cocktails, oranges in cake, just to get a hint of that sunny summer feeling that nature refuses to provide. As witches, we realize we can create our own reality. This is how I create sunshine as a kitchen witch.

I can't control the weather, but I can control my perception of it. I get to choose to be annoyed by the rain (which I often am) or to make the most of what's available to me. And yes, I know that sunshine has physical effects on the body that are beneficial, and we can't duplicate that. But we can make choices about the words we say and the thoughts we generate about what's going on outside our window.

What makes Raspberry Lemonade so awesome?

If you also need to make your own sunshine, this Raspberry Lemonade is a sure fire way to do it. Made with fresh raspberry puree, sunny lemon juice, sugar, and water, it couldn't be simpler. You're making your own simple syrup to adjust the level of sweet and tart to get it perfect for you. Served over plenty of ice, it will either keep you cool or remind you of sunnier days. Take what you need.

You could also adapt this further, adding soda water to make it sparkly or maybe even some gin or vodka to make it a party. Use leftover raspberry puree as an ice cream topping. You can also replace some of your ice cubes with frozen raspberries to keep your drink from being diluted. And if at all possible, please sip this outside on a porch or picnic blanket.

Magical Properties of Raspberries

Raspberries have historically been used in a variety of protection spells. For example, you can carry a piece of root from a raspberry vine to magically protect against snakebite. Or try hanging raspberry vines over the entrance to a deceased person's home to prevent their ghost from returning.

These seedy red berries are also believed to bring fertility and are related to childbirth. Try wearing or carrying raspberry leaves in a charm bag to speed an easy childbirth. Just a reminder, everyone, especially pregnant people, should always consult an expert before working with botanicals. I am not an expert. (Source: Element Encyclopedia of 5000 Spells by Judika Illes)

For more on the magical properties of this recipe, check the Kitchen Magick page.

Tips for making Raspberry Lemonade

This is super easy. Start by making some simple syrup by heating equal parts sugar and water in a small sauce pan until the sugar is dissolved. This allows you to sweeten your lemonade without having gritty sugar at the bottom.

The next component is the raspberry puree. All you have to do here is add fresh or frozen and thawed raspberries to a blender and whiz them up until smooth. Then strain this mixture through a mesh sieve to remove the raspberry seeds. You may need to give it a stir to help all the puree pass through as the sieve may get clogged with seeds.

Then all that's left is to combine the lemon juice, syrup, puree, and water until it tastes just the way you like it. If you're feeling up for it, by all means squeeze as many lemons as it takes to get you a half cup of lemon juice. But if you'd rather not, using bottled lemon juice is far from the end of the world. For general proportions, see the recipe card below.

Make your own sunshine. Put it in a pitcher and pour it over ice. This Raspberry Lemonade is going to be perfect for that.

Looking for more awesome alcohol-free drink recipes? Try some Passion Fruit Green Tea or a Santa Lucia Mocktail.

Print