Blackberry & Chamomile Lemonade, August 3, 2023. The afternoon sun beat down on my head while I carefully tread down the path trying to avoid getting entangled in thorny vines. The path is also steep making it necessary to move slowly. Falling in a mess of thorns and ivy is not something I am anxious to do. And blackberries have such big thorns although it is worth the risk to pick the fruit. Occasionally, my hair gets stuck in a long vine, or my tshirt gets caught in a thorn, or I get jabbed while reaching through for a berry. Thankfully, my long boots protect my legs. I don’t come out unscathed but suffer no major wounds and my bowl is full of berries.

There are plenty of juicy ripe blackberries, so my bowl is quickly filled even though I am snacking on the warm berries as well. Blackberries make the hot August tolerable. Their heavy scent and sweet taste are the very essence of summer. I decide to make some blackberry & chamomile lemonade with the abundance of fruit in our yard. Fresh lemonade with lots of crushed blackberries sounds refreshing. Accenting the lemonade with chamomile was a creative touch. As an herb lover I always enjoy finding new ways to incorporate herbs. Herbs are God’s natural pharmacy for us. Chamomile will add the calming virtue to the lemonade. If you don’t care for chamomile, just make plain simple syrup.

Ingredients

2 cups fresh squeezed lemon juice
4 cups water
2 cups crushed fresh blackberries
1/4 cup dried chamomile
1 1/4 cup sugar
1 1/4 cup water

Instructions

Chamomile Simple Syrup

Add the 1 1/4 cup of sugar, 1 1/4 cup of water, and 1/4 cup dried chamomile in a small pot.
Bring the ingredients to a simmer over medium heat. Turn off heat and let sit for a few minutes.
Strain chamomile and cool syrup. Set aside.

Blackberry Chamomile Lemonade

Crush the blackberries and set aside.
Combine the fresh squeezed lemon juice and water. Add the blackberries. Finally, sweeten to taste with chamomile syrup. I used the whole recipe of simple syrup (approx. 2 cups), but sweeten to your taste.
Stir before pouring.
Store lemonade in the refrigerator.

Servings: 2.5 quarts

Have a beautiful day!