Brazilian limeade is our new favorite summer drink. Limes are tart, so some sugar helps sweeten it. Using sweetened condensed milk adds a little more sweetening and a different tang as well. It’s easy to make in a variable speed blender. It keeps well in the refrigerator for up to a week, but it probably won’t last that long!
Don’t peel the limes
Most of the flavor in citrus fruit is in the rind. Wash the limes and cut into eighths. Use the lowest speed for several minutes to really chop up the limes as much as possible. Use a fine mesh strainer to get as much of the liquid as possible. Then discard all that lime pulp, because the flavor is now in the liquid.
Why I like to use a kitchen scale
We have a great kitchen scale that can convert from ounces to grams with the push of a button. In just about every recipe, there are ingredients that get mixed together or added to a pan at the same time. Every time I make a recipe, I measure out each ingredient and then weigh it in grams. The next time I make it, I can just put the bowl on the scale and set it to zero. Then I put the ingredient directly into the bowl until I have the right weight.
For instance, 3/4 cup of sugar is about 220 grams. Put the bowl on the scale, set it to zero, measure 220 grams of sugar. Then I can reset it to zero and add the next ingredient. It saves the additional step of using measuring cups. It’s also less messy than putting peanut butter into a measuring cup and then into the bowl.
Why do I convert my recipes to grams? First, if I have something that goes over one pound, suddenly I’m looking at 1 pound, and some ounces. Then I have to convert that to just ounces, say 19 ounces. If I measure in grams, I don’t have to make that conversion. Editing my recipes to weight in grams makes cooking much faster.
Brazilian limeade or orangeade or lemonade
I haven’t tried this recipe with anything except limes yet. I’d like to substitute other fruit to make orangeade or a whole new flavor of lemonade.
Enjoy breakfast in the courtyard at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town
We love serving breakfast outside in the courtyard in the summer. Bold hummingbirds visit the feeders from late April into September. Several fountains provide refreshing ambient sound. Finches, goldfinches, woodpeckers and sometimes nuthatches fill the yard with chirps and birdsong in the morning. While we don’t serve Brazilian Limeade for breakfast, we do make a house-blend juice every day. You can also have fresh orange or cranberry juice, but our blueberry-prickly pear blend is delicious!
Stay at the Bottger Mansion of Old Town in the historic heart of Albuquerque. We have modern amenities, comfortable rooms, and great food in a lovely location. You can stay for several days to enjoy museums, shops, galleries, and restaurants. It’s all right outside the front gate, so you don’t even have to drive anywhere. If you want ideas for the best things to do on a longer stay, see our itineraries. Do a few activities or do them all!
