OK, so it's actually limeade, but in my mind that makes this even much more of a feat!
I was hoping to use up the purple basil I harvested to make pesto, but it turns out that a medium-sized handful just isn't enough to make a worthwhile amount (oops). So, I decided to crush the basil leaves and make basil lemonade, a popular herbal drink.
Off I went to the store, to get my lemonade. Amazingly, they were fresh out - so I picked up a jug of limeade instead - not much different from lemonade except for a little extra sweetness, and a tart, slightly bitter "bite" to it. I added my entire handful of crushed basil to the jug, and let it steep for the next 24 hours.
To my complete surprise, the once-green limeade had changed to a beautiful rose pink color! After straining out the leftover basil leaves, it was ready to serve. The taste is terrific - very refreshing, and the basil really mellowed out the sharpness of the limeade... this would be a great drink to serve at a summer party, in a big punch bowl with little sprigs of basil as a garnish.
As if I have the time to plan fancy summer parties... :)
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