Home Grown Lemonade

If you are a looking to add a citrus tree to your garden, don’t look past a plucky little Lemonade tree. The variety is a cross between a lemon and a mandarin, and definitely punches above its weight in terms of abundance of fruit and taste. It is not as sour as a traditional lemon, has beautiful foliage and is compact – most trees don’t get much taller than 2.5 metres.

Developed in Australia, the fruit is less acidic than many citrus varieties, has an almost grapefruit-y taste and is very juicy, making it perfect to add into drinks, desserts or salad dressings. Its flavour partners well with cucumbers, avocados, tropical fruits, other citrus, fresh herbs such as thyme, basil and lavender, robust cheeses, seafood and poultry.

When limes are at their most expensive, a lemonade fruit is an excellent substitute in cocktails and as zest.

The ‘Lemonade’ is also available as a compact dwarf plant, which can be grown happily in a pot. They do best in a sunny spot, with well drained soil (or potting mix) and will grow in all but the coldest areas of New Zealand.

Add blood and bone to the hole or pot when planting a new ‘Lemonade’ tree, to help improve and enrich the soil. Like all citrus, ‘Lemonade’ lemon trees are ‘heavy feeders’ and require lots of nutrients to stay healthy and productive.  The thorn speckled branches of the Lemonade tree bear aromatic white blooms and vivid green foliage, which makes it a beautiful addition to any garden. a characteristic that makes them popular for use as an ornamental tree.

If you are lucky enough to already have a lemonade tree growing in your garden, here is a wonderful recipe for home made lemonade.

• 1/4 cup sugar for simple syrup
• Ice cubes
• 1 2/3 cups freshly squeezed lemonade juice
• 2 tablespoons julienned mint, plus leaves for garnish (optional)
• 1 lemonade, sliced 1/4-inch thick, plus more for garnish

In a small saucepan, combine sugar and 1/4 cup water. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring until the sugar has dissolved. Remove from heat. Let stand until completely cool.

In a large pitcher half-filled with ice, add 2 cups water, lemonade juice, simple syrup, mint, and lemon slices. Stir to combine. Serve over ice. Garnish with mint leaves and lemonade slices.