For a long time my love for limeades and lemonades exceeded way more than that for Jal Jeera or different kinds of Lassi. It is probably because I find the limeades / lemonades very unpretentious and also because they are super easy and quick to make. They are a perfect canvas for any flavour to blend beautifully with them – mangoes, strawberries, pineapples, peaches, lychees, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries…ginger, cucumber…one can go on and on! And because I love fruits (I can virtually live on a diet of fruits) of all kinds therefore fruity limeades are my favourite.
Eight times out of ten, the kiwi fruit available here turn out to be too sour to eat. I have tried buying them from the local greengrocer and also from supermarkets but the result is always same – mouth puckering kind of sour kiwis. The stock of kiwi fruit invariably happens to be disappointing. I mostly avoid buying kiwis but my greengrocer, on my recent visit, convinced me that he had a wonderful stock of juicy and sweet kiwis. I fell for that and purchased half a dozen pieces, only to be disappointed, yet again. A kept them for a few days and a couple of them softened in texture and became a bit sweet in taste but rest were still firm and sour. So when life gives you sour kiwis, turn them into kiwi limeade. And enjoy it!
The amount of sweetener, mentioned in this recipe, is an estimation since the amount will depend on the sweetness / sourness of kiwis. Therefore, you need to taste and adjust the amount as you go along. Also, feel free to use lemons instead of limes.
Here is the amount I used,
6 tbsp Lime Juice
4 – 6 tbsp Sweetener of your choice (adjust to taste)
2 large Kiwis
750 ml Water
2 tbsp Mint leaves, washed (to garnish)
2 Limes, thinly sliced to garnish
1 Kiwi sliced, to garnish
Ice to serve
(Add a pinch of salt to your limeade, if you like your limeade sweet and salty)
Blend the kiwis in a blender, along with one tablespoon of sweetener, till they are reduced to puree. Feel free to strain the blended kiwis in case you wish to get rid of the seeds. (I do not strain since I like the rustic look it adds to the limeade)
In a pitcher or mixing bowl, stir together the water and sweetener till it is completely dissolved. (Some people prefer to make a simple syrup by boiling the sugar and water together. Ensure to cool it before you add lemon juice and pureed kiwis)
Add lemon juice and pureed kiwis and stir well. Adjust sweetness.
Add ice in serving glasses, and pour in the kiwi limeade. Add mint leaves, lemon slices and sliced kiwis.
(Add a pinch of salt, if using, and stir well)
Serve the limeade, topped with more ice, if required. Enjoy!
Yields – 1 litre / Serves – 4
Note – Ensure to stir the limeade before serving if, like me, you did not strain the kiwi puree.
Thanks for your visit and see you soon again with another exciting recipe.
So fruit and refreshing…a perfect summer drink!
What a great addition kiwi would be to limeade! Love that idea! It’s interesting kiwi are so tart there. I feel like ours are often too sweet. (!) But I imagine along with lime juice they would be outstanding! Nice recipe, Taruna! Thanks!
Yeah the beauty of lemonades (or even Infused water) is that you can use basically whatever you want or have on hand. This lrmonade looks so refreshing and lovely; loving the addition of kiwi.
This looks terrific — really refreshing and good. The kiwi is a surprise — neat idea!
Talk about a great way to use sour kiwis! I’ve never used kiwi in a limeade before (come to think of it, I don’t think I’ve ever made homemade limeade either), and now I’m craving this. The photos look super refreshing…perfect for a hot day!
So refreshing! Love that you’ve got kiwis in here…maybe this is the way my fussy family will eat them 🙂
This drink looks so tasty and refreshing!! Thanks for sharing.