Probiotic Lemonade. Crisp tart refreshing AND healthy

not gist any ol' boring lemonade...
you know me by now... i can't make anything "ordinary".

PROBIOTIC FERMENTED LEMONADE...

REFRESHING
TART
CRISP
and HEALTHY?

well, i must say, i've been bitten by the "fermenting bug".

lately, i've been spending too much money on all those drinks that say, probiotic...fermented...kombucha...chia this and 100% pure of that...

i almost got suckered into a 16oz bottle of pineapple apple mint juice for $11.49.

come on people...it's just JUICE !

did the ingredients read

100% FAIRY TEARS

and UNICORN PEE ?

i thought i better investigate how to make it myself.  is it cost effective?  after you have the proper bottles and gallon jars this lemonade sure is...

AND it's right up my alley being that it's like a third grade science project and there's loads of health benefits.

i eat so much pork belly and chocolate, i need all the help i can get.

fermenting still scares me just a bit.  it goes against my hypersensitivity about fresh, fresh fresh.  if it's been out on the counter too long or doesn't have a label with date, it usually gets tossed.  i'm learning more, but from what i've read, we can surely use the good bacterias that occur.

i will not attempt to tell you all the health benefits of probitics and fermenting, but if you're interested here are two helpful sites Wellness Mama and She knows.com that explain a little.

above is a visual difference of the 2 sugars.  SUCANAT and RAW HONEY.  sucanat, or raw cane sugar, is a bit like light brown sugar in taste and can be found most anywhere, but regular white sugar will do. NOTE...it must be a true sugar...not a sugar substitute.  most of the sugar gets eaten up in the fermenting process so don't be worried about drinking a sugary beverage.

PROBIOTIC LEMONADE

recipe and info found at Food Renegade

AND many thanks to Tamatha at  FLOCK IN THE CITY for answering my novice questions.

12 lemons...(you'll need about 2 cups juice)

3/4 cups raw honey or sucanat or pure cane sugar

1 cup whey

1 gallon filtered water

the recipe calls for sucanat, but i wanted to try raw honey.  honey is not a suggested means of sugar due to the possible problem with bacteria.  use at your discretion.  i did not know this until after the fact....but, shhhh...i liked the honey better and i'm still alive.

first you will need some whey.  EASY.  strain some "live active" yogurt.  save the liquid whey and enjoy the "Greek Yogurt".

combine all ingredients in a LARGE gallon jar with lid.  stir to dissolve sugar.  cover tightly with a lid and let this sit out on the counter for 2 to 3 days...maybe even 5 if you want some fizz.  note...i am not the food fermenting expert and conditions might be different where you live, but here in So Cal. i left the honey one out for 5 1/2 days and it was "effervescently" delicious.

the honey one has a slight fizz on the tongue and a slightly "more unique?" flavor.  i have to say....it had a slight "lite beer" aroma.  maybe because it was on the counter for 5 days.  the sucanat one was on the counter for 3 days and had no fizz, but a lovely, bright, crisp lemonade flavor.  i don't like sweet drinks and i never drink plain juice, BUT these 2 batches were just right.  i tested a bit out on friends, but i have surprisingly been gulping the rest down myself.

i read this should be consumed within a week, BUT i also read it will last for a month.  i don't really know the exact expiration.

strain your favorite yogurt.  it must contain "live active" cultures.  above is my contraption using muslin, the inside of an OXO salad spinner, and a stock pot to catch the whey.

sterilize your jar.  clean with anti-bacterial soap, then put in the oven for 20 minutes at 220F.  cool completely before filling.
KEEP EVERYTHING AS CLEAN AS POSSIBLE.

juice 12 lemons...strain seeds and pulp.

fill gallon jar and close lid.  wait 2 to 3 days...

above is a photo of the one with honey after 5 days.  you can see the thin layer of bubbles that i suppose is showing the fermentation.

NOTE...if it's too tart add it to some sweetened tea or muddle some fresh berries.  throw in a sprig of rosemary, thyme, a cinnamon stick...how about adding a split vanilla bean pod to the finished product.