lemons and happiness
Mar 26, 2010 
This, friends, is spring sunshine and light and happiness in a bottle. This is lemon squash, otherwise known as lemon simple syrup for making lemonade -- but who would choose to call it that when lemon squash is an option?
My great and wonderful friend Sarah was in town recently and on Saturday afternoon, after a trip to the farmer’s market but before we got pedicures and a glass of wine and then hunkered down on the sofas with popcorn and a movie, we had just enough time to make this. There are so many reasons I love Sarah, but here is one that feels very small and big at the same time: she is the kind of person who thinks, yes, let’s make that. Right now!
And that impulse feels very significant to me somehow. It reveals big and happy qualities that I love and value very much.
We made this with Meyer lemons, which means that as you tip the glass up to take a sip, you first get a waft of light, flowery lemon blossoms. This may sound strange, but it is a beautiful thing.
And what makes this drink all the better is that it was made with lemons from my neighborhood. On a regular walk of mine, I pass between two lemon trees that are so bursting with lemons right now that I almost imagine the trees going, shazam, pop, ha! when I walk by from the bright happiness of these lemons. So I left notes on these strangers’ doorsteps, wondering if they wouldn’t mind if I helped myself to some lemons, if they weren’t going to use them all. They both replied yes, very enthusiastically. And just like that, the world felt smaller and full of good people.
So that is my story of happy in a bottle: friendship and spring and smelling and sharing and making. Here are the rest of the ingredients, adapted from Pam Corbin's Preserves:
Scrub the wax from 4-5 lemons (or just wash if you’re using freshly picked from a neighbor’s tree), and peel the zest from two of them. Bring a pot of water to the boil, drop the lemons in, and leave for 1 minute.
Remove lemons and leave lemony water in pan. Squeeze juice from the lemons and measure out 2 cups.
In a different pan, add 1 ½ cups of sugar, zest and 2 cups of the lemony water. Heat gently to dissolve the sugar, then bring to a boil. Add lemon juice and bring just to the boil. Remove from heat and strain through a sieve.
To make squash (lemonade), mix one part syrup to four parts water.
lemon squash, lemonade, lemons in make
Reader Comments (7)
Looks lovely! My entire produce drawer in my fridge is full of lemons from a friend's tree so I think I'll have to give it a go. The kids will love it....and me too, especially if I put in a splash of vodka (for me, not the kids ;-) ).
~alison
And you post this just as the days are getting shorter and its getting colder in this part of the world. Oh, how I miss summer!
Hi! I found your blog a few weeks ago, I have loved looking back over your projects and photos! I added you to my blogroll on my page. I love the idea of making a syrup to keep around so I can have lemonaide whenever I want, I will definitely try this out!
I love lemon squash and would never have thought of making my own. I've made may own grape juice so why not? A wonderful idea but as we sadly don't have lemons growing in our neighbourhood, I will have to do with store bought lemons and be insanely jealous of those who can have lovely neighbours who give them lemons....
oh how neat! I would love to live somewhere where I could pick a lemon off a nearby tree.
This looks so yummy. I'm definately saving this recipe for Mothers Day.
My mama has a lime tree in her backyard that we affectionately refer to as the margarita tree. It makes bajillions of limes every winter, so I sent her this article with the suggestion that we try it the next time the limes are ripe.
Plus a margarita with fresh lime juice sounds FANTASTIC.