Have a fruitilicious summer! Week 6 Fruity Arnold Palmers

It's been super hot around the country.  It's that time of year when hydration is extra important.  But water can get boring, and many of the options are just too full of sugar to be realistic in large quantities.  Here is a great beverage option that is lower in sugar but more interesting than plain water--the Arnold Palmer.

The classic Arnold Palmer is a half and half mix of lemonade and iced tea.  But with the many fruits in season and all of the great non-caffeinated teas on the market, there's no reason to stop there!  I spent the afternoon Google searching and found some great, creative lemonade recipes.  I've altered them a bit to cut the sugar even more, and asked Kerstin Wingert, a local tea purveyor and copfounder of Souvia Tea, to pair them with some of their offerings to get you thinking about what potential your own local farmer's market holds.  I got Kerstin's suggestions back and immediately wanted to head to my own kitchen!  Who would want to drink soda when you've got these incredible alternatives?

A think-ahead suggestion, when juicing your fruit, and making the tea, make a little extra for ice cubes to add to your final beverage!

Note:  In the lemonade recipes, I've cut the sugar by half from the original recipe, (except in the cucumber and ginger versions) and doubled the fruit.  I encourage you to start at this point and then sweeten to taste, rather than oversweetening.  Remember that even those these beverages are lower in sugar than soda and juice, they still contain sugar. They will be best tolerated when enjoyed with a meal, to help you tolerate the sugar.

Here is the general link to Souvia's online store.  For your convenience, I've also linked each of the individual teas below in case you'd like to try them.

Watermelon Arnold Palmer (lemonade recipe courtesy of Whole Foods Market)
  Lemonade:  10 cups 1-inch cubes seedless watermelon, 1 bottle (10-ounce) 365 Everyday Value®
    Organic Lemon Juice, 6 cups water.  If you use real sugar, start with 1/4 cup and increase to taste.
  Iced tea:  Honey-Do, a fruit blend of melon, apples and a touch of hibiscus

Raspberry Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  2 cups rinsed fresh raspberries, mashed with 1/3 cup sugar, 1 cup lemon juice, and 2 cups  
    water. Add more sugar if desired.
  Iced tea: Raspberry Honeybush – a naturally sweet tasting infusion that is caffeine free

Peach Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  4 peaches peeled and cubed , 4 C water, 1/2 C sugar, 3/4 C Fresh Lemon Juice
  Iced tea:  Black Peach – a blend of black teas with the taste of ripe peaches.  Or...Cranberry Peach – a
    black tea that combines flavors of sweet peaches with the tartness of cranberries.

Blueberry Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  6 cups blueberries, 1/3 cups sugar, 2 cups freshly squeezed lemon juice, 3 cups cold water
  Iced tea:  Blueberry Yoghurt – Rooibos from South Africa with blueberries. Freeze-dried yoghurt pieces
    add to the smooth flavor.

Pomegranate Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  3 tablespoons sugar, 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice, 1 cup pomegranate juice, 2 1/2 cups water
  Iced tea:  Pomegrante/Grape – White and green tea blend with pomegranate and grapes – light and
    refreshing

Cucumber Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  1 cucumber, peeled and cubed, 1 lemon, 5 c water, sugar to taste
  Iced tea:  Lemon Souffle– Rooibos with a creamy lemon taste

Strawberry Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade: 2 pints mashed fresh strawberries, 1 cup fresh lemon juice, 1/2 cup sugar, 2 cups water
  Iced tea:  Strawberry Fields – A mélange of black and green teas with strawberries and pineapple pieces

Basil Hibiscus Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade: 1/2 cup rinsed, lightly packed fresh basil leaves, chopped, 3 tablespoons sugar, 4 cups water,
    1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
  Iced tea:  Lemon Basil Oolong – Formosa Oolong combines the savory taste of basil with sweet citrus note

Mango Mint Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  4 large mangoes, 2 1/2 cup(s) water, juice from 6 medium lemons), 1/4 cup(s) sugar
  Iced tea: Moroccan Mint Organic

Lavender Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade: 1/4 cup dried lavender, 2 cups boiling water, 1/3 cup white sugar, 8 lemons, 5 cups cold water
  Iced tea: Quiet Mind – Rooibos with coconut and lavender

Green Apple Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  3 green apples, cored and juiced, juice from 2 lemons, 1 tbsp sugar, 1 cup cold water
  Iced tea:  Apple/Mango Rooibos

Ginger Arnold Palmer
  Lemonade:  1 1/2 cups white sugar, 4 quarts water, 14 slices fresh ginger root, 4 cups fresh lemon juice
    In an 8-quart saucepan combine sugar, water and ginger root. Heat to boiling, stirring occasionally. 
    Remove from heat.  Stir in lemon juice. Cool 15 minutes. Remove ginger. Refrigerate lemonade at least 1
    hour, or until chilled.
  Iced tea:  Georgia Peach – Black tea with ginger and peach pieces